# The Proxy War: Defending a Listed Company in a Hostile Takeover

> For chairs, independent directors and executives of listed African companies. Learn to answer an unsolicited bid with independence, value, disclosure…

- Provider: BrandsClass Executive Academy (a Brands Nexus Network Limited company)
- Format: online lessons, then a live virtual boardroom simulation with AI board members, scored against a published rubric
- Duration: about 240 minutes (9 lessons)
- Access: 365 days from the day you start
- Price: ₦256,000 (NGN)
- Certificate: a certificate that anyone can verify online. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification.
- Level: Boardroom
- Who it is for: Chairs, senior independent directors, company secretaries, chief executives and finance chiefs of listed or widely held African companies that could face an unsolicited takeover approach.
- Page: https://brandsclass.com/courses/the-proxy-war-defending-a-listed-company-in-a-hostile-takeover/
- Last updated: 2026-10-14

## What you will learn

- Take the first forty-eight hours in order, record conflicts and form an independent committee
- Meet the board's duties: independent advice, honest minutes and fair treatment of all shareholders
- Build the value case: a valuation range, the quality of the offer and a credible standalone plan
- Control disclosure, insiders, trading and leaks, and make only claims you can prove
- Map the shareholder register, engage large holders and proxy advisers, and speak with one voice
- Explain the offer plainly to retail holders and employees without scare tactics or misinformation
- Test every defence for legality and shareholder interest, avoid entrenchment, and plan each outcome

## Lessons

1. Anatomy of a hostile approach
2. The board’s duties and independence
3. Value and the standalone case
4. Disclosure and information discipline
5. The shareholder map and engagement
6. Retail shareholders and the public narrative
7. Regulators, lenders and change-of-control
8. Defences, and their limits
9. Outcomes and the day after

## How to enrol

Open https://brandsclass.com/courses/the-proxy-war-defending-a-listed-company-in-a-hostile-takeover/ to create a free account and buy a seat.