23andMe independent directors resign, issue letter to CEO Anne Wojcicki

The independent directors of the board of 23andMe sent the following letter to Anne Wojcicki, CEO, co-founder, and chair of the board of directors of 23andMe, in which the independent directors have provided their resignation from the board, effective immediately: “We, the independent directors of the 23andMe Board, hereby tender our resignations, effective immediately. After months of work, we have yet to receive from you a fully financed, fully diligenced, actionable proposal that is in the best interests of the non-affiliated shareholders. We believe the Special Committee and the Board have provided ample time for you to submit such a proposal. That we have not seen any notable progress over the last 5 months leads us to believe no such proposal is forthcoming. The Special Committee is therefore unwilling to consider further extensions, and the Board agrees with the Special Committee’s determination. While we continue to wholeheartedly support the Company’s mission and believe deeply in the value of the personalized health and wellness offering that you have articulated, it is also clear that we differ on the strategic direction for the Company going forward. Because of that difference and because of your concentrated voting power, we believe that it is in the best interests of the Company’s shareholders that we resign from the Board rather than have a protracted and distracting difference of view with you as to the direction of the Company. We are proud of what 23andMe has achieved in pioneering direct access to genetic information, and we have been honored to have had the opportunity to be part of those efforts.” The directors that resigned are as follows: Roelof Botha, Patrick Chung, Sandra Hernandez, Neal Mohan, Valerie Montgomery Rice, Richard Scheller and Peter Taylor.