New Boss, New Plans: 7-Eleven's Big Changes

Seven & i Holdings, the company behind 7-Eleven, is shaking things up. They're bringing in a new CEO, Stephen Dacus, who will take over from Ryuichi Isaka on May 27. This isn't just any change; Dacus is the first foreigner to lead the company. Isaka won't be leaving completely, though. He'll stick around as a senior adviser. Dacus isn't new to the company. He's been heading up a special committee looking into a massive $47-billion takeover offer from Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard. He stepped down from this role on March 5, and Paul Yonamine took his place. Seven & i isn't just changing its leadership. It's also planning to list its North American subsidiary, 7-Eleven Inc. , on the stock market by the end of 2026. The company will keep a majority stake in the subsidiary. They're also buying back shares worth 2 trillion yen, which is about $13. 2 billion. The company's stock went up by 6. 11% on Thursday. This happened as news about the changes started to spread.Seven & i also gave an update on the takeover bid. They said they're still looking into all the possibilities, including working with Couche-Tard. But there's a big issue: U. S. antitrust laws. Isaka said there hasn't been much progress on solving this problem. Dacus added that Couche-Tard might not be able to increase the company's value and that there are high regulatory hurdles, especially in the U. S. Despite these challenges, Seven & i is working with Couche-Tard to create a plan. This plan would involve selling off some business units to ensure competition even after a deal. The $47-billion bid from Couche-Tard is the only offer on the table. Earlier, there was a management buyout attempt by the founding family, but it didn't get the financing it needed. Seven & i is clearly making big moves. They're changing leadership, planning a stock market listing, and dealing with a massive takeover offer. It's a lot to take in, but it shows that the company is serious about its future.