Gildan’s board resigns en masse as activist investor triumphs

Gildan Activewear Inc.’s entire board of directors and Chief Executive Officer Vince Tyra resigned on Thursday, marking a dramatic victory for activist shareholder Browning West LP. 

The mass resignation means Los Angeles-based Browning West will take control of the board, install Michael Kneeland as chair and bring back former CEO Glenn Chamandy under a new strategy.

Gildan’s board made the decision after “shareholders made their views clear” in advance of an investor meeting scheduled for May 28. The company has also halted a previously-announced sale process, it said in a statement. 

Gildan, one of the world’s largest makers of affordable T-shirts and owner of the American Apparel brand, has spent the past five months embroiled in a toxic boardroom battle over its direction. Browning West, which owns about 5% of the company, launched a campaign to eject the board after it fired Chamandy in a disagreement over strategy and succession.