for the removal of Mack-Cali Chief Executive Officer Michael DeMarco, whose aggressive behavior has long been a liability for Mack-Cali and whose operational missteps have led to dramatic underperformance throughout his tenure. With a refreshed Board and management team at the helm, Mack-Cali can turn its full attention to unlocking value for all stockholders.
Mr. DeMarco and the Legacy Mack-Cali Board Members Enabling His Behavior Cannot be Trusted as Fiduciaries and have Overseen a Tremendous Erosion of Stockholder Value
The strategic review process promised to stockholders following the 2019 Annual Meeting was shrouded in secrecy, and the findings of the Shareholder Value Committee were distorted by Mr. DeMarco and never clearly articulated to stockholders. To the substantial detriment of the stockholders, this pattern of behavior is consistent with Mack-Cali’s long history of weak governance. Under the Board’s instructions, the Shareholder Value Committee was dissolved in December 20191 without any disclosure to the market or stockholders.
Worse still, Mr. DeMarco blatantly misled stockholders and the market regarding numerous approaches from potential bidders. As documented in recently released public correspondence between Mack-Cali and Rizk Ventures, Mr. DeMarco did not honestly communicate the approaches Mack-Cali received from a consortium that included then ~$14 billion Apartment-REIT UDR Inc. Furthermore, recent press reports suggest the Rizk Ventures/UDR consortium was one of no less than five prospective bidders that expressed interest in acquiring Mack-Cali in recent months.2 This serial rejection of prospective suitors under Mr. DeMarco’s watch is of very deep concern.
Additionally, Mr. DeMarco’s operational missteps have led to dramatic underperformance at Mack-Cali. Since his appointment as CEO in April 2017, Mack-Cali shares have underperformed the MSCI US REIT Index by ~3,400bps.3 His “Waterfront Strategy” – the combination of residential and office assets along the Jersey City coast – is underpinned by an untenable capital structure and has resulted in a steady erosion of value. Moreover, Mr. DeMarco has increasingly transferred value in Mack-Cali’s crown jewel residential assets from stockholders to private equity firm Rockpoint Group. Under Mr. DeMarco’s leadership, the Company’s Funds from Operations have declined ~40%,4 and leverage has increased from ~7.5x EBITDA at year-end 2016 to ~9.7x EBITDA at year-end 2019.
New Leadership at the Board and Management Levels is Required to Maximize Stockholder Value
Over the past year, Mack-Cali’s shares have materially outperformed only when (i) Bow Street’s slate of directors was elected to the Board at the 2019 Annual Meeting and (ii) reports of strategic interest in the Company surfaced in the press. Accordingly, the 2020 Annual Meeting represents a watershed moment for stockholders of Mack-Cali.
While we had hoped that the election of four new independent directors at the 2019 Annual Meeting would have appropriately impressed stockholders’ wishes upon management and the long-serving legacy Board members, it is clear that the rot at Mack-Cali goes far deeper than we knew and that further change in the boardroom is required to catalyze meaningful value creation.
Bow Street’s nominees are accomplished business leaders with deep board and governance experience as well as real estate operations, development and investment expertise. These nominees will bring fresh perspectives, rigorous, independent oversight, and a mix of creative skillsets to the boardroom. If elected, they will work collaboratively with the other members of the Board to explore all meaningful solutions to address the Company’s management, structural and governance issues.
1 Alexandra Garfinkle, “Outgoing Mack-Cali Chairman Weighs Bid,” The Deal, March 3, 2020, https://pipeline.thedeal.com/article/20004312/index.dl.
2 Ibid.
3 Bloomberg price return data from April 5, 2017 to March 2, 2020 (day prior to “Outgoing Mack-Cali Chairman Weighs Bid” article).
4 Mid-point Mack-Cali management 2020 guidance from Q4 2019 earnings release on February 26, 2020 compared to 2017 FFO.
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