Sonder Holdings Inc. Provides Update on Preferred Equity Transaction and Announces Executive Leadership Transitions
November 08 2024 - 7:00AM
Sonder Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SOND or “Sonder”), a leading global
brand of premium, design-forward apartment-style accommodations
serving the modern traveler, today announced that the Company has
met all required closing conditions and is actively in the process
of completing the convertible preferred equity transaction whereby
a consortium of investors purchased approximately $43 million of a
newly designated series of convertible preferred equity (the
“Preferred Equity”). $14.7 million of the $43 million Preferred
Equity was purchased on or about August 13, 2024, $12.8 million was
purchased on or about November 7, 2024, and the Company expects
that the remainder of the Preferred Equity will be purchased in the
near term.
The additional liquidity will support the Company’s long-term
profitable growth and the integration efforts under the recently
announced strategic licensing agreement with Marriott
International. With this Preferred Equity transaction, as well as
the previously announced balance sheet actions taken, Sonder will
enhance its liquidity profile by approximately $146 million to
support its long-term profitable growth.
Francis Davidson, Co-Founder and CEO of Sonder, said, “We are
making meaningful progress executing against our growth plans,
including completing the first phase of our integration with
Marriott International with Sonder now listed as a Marriott Bonvoy®
brand featured on Marriott International’s direct channels. With
closing the second tranche of our preferred equity investment
nearly complete, we are moving forward with a significantly
stronger balance sheet and access to an additional $146 million in
capital.”
Executive Leadership Transitions
Sonder also announced the following changes to its executive
leadership team:
- Dominique Bourgault, Sonder’s Chief Financial Officer, will
step down from Sonder to pursue other opportunities, effective
December 2, 2024. Adam Bowen, Sonder’s Chief Accounting Officer,
will also depart the Company on December 31, 2024. The Company has
initiated a search process with a leading search firm to identify a
successor for the CFO role.
- Katherine Potter, Sonder’s Chief Legal and Administrative
Officer, will step down from the Company, effective November 22,
2024, to accept another opportunity. Vanessa Barmack, Sonder’s
Associate General Counsel, will serve as interim General Counsel
and will assume responsibility for the Company’s Legal
function.
Davidson continued, “Dom, Katie and Adam have been true partners
and each continue to make meaningful contributions to the critical
work underway to fortify our financial position and reposition the
Company for long-term growth. Sonder has accomplished notable
recent milestones across our finance, legal and people functions,
and Katie, Dom and Adam have been integral to each and I wish them
nothing but the best. With the critical pieces of the
transformation behind us and an incredibly talented and deep team,
we have full confidence that our transition plans will be seamless
and that the future of Sonder is bright.”
Bourgault said, “I am deeply proud of the transformational
achievements we have made across the Company and the finance
organization to position Sonder for success as it enters the next
phase of its growth. I have full confidence in the team’s ability
to execute Sonder’s strategy going forward.”
Potter said, “Our legal and people functions have made
tremendous strides in the past year and we have successfully
supported the initiatives underway across the business,
particularly the recently announced transformational transactions.
I look forward to seeing all that the team will accomplish in the
future.”
As disclosed on November 4, 2024, Sonder filed its quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2024,
and June 30, 2024. With these filings now complete, the Company is
now current on all financial reporting following the restatement of
Sonder’s 2022 and 2023 financial information and is now in full
compliance with all Nasdaq requirements.
About Sonder
Sonder (NASDAQ: SOND) is a leading global brand of premium,
design-forward apartments and intimate boutique hotels serving the
modern traveler. Launched in 2014, Sonder offers inspiring,
thoughtfully designed accommodations and innovative, tech-enabled
service combined into one seamless experience. Sonder properties
are found in prime locations in over 40 markets, spanning ten
countries and three continents. The Sonder app gives guests full
control over their stay. Complete with self-service features,
simple check-in and 24/7 on-the-ground support, amenities and
services at Sonder are just a tap away, making a world of better
stays open to all.
To learn more, visit http://www.sonder.com or follow Sonder
on Instagram, LinkedIn or X.
Download the Sonder app on Apple or Google Play.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as
assumptions about future events. Forward-looking statements include
all statements that are not historical facts and can generally be
identified by terms such as “could,” “estimate,” “expect,”
“intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potentially,” or “will” or similar
expressions and the negatives of those terms. These statements
include but are not limited to, statements regarding the
anticipated benefits and synergies from the strategic licensing
agreement with Marriott, improvements in liquidity and
profitability, statements about improving Sonder’s balance sheet
and long-term profitable growth, and other information concerning
Sonder’s financial and operating goals and estimated, possible or
assumed future financial or operating results and measures, cash
flow, or liquidity. Actual results could differ materially from
those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements due
to a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited
to the risk that the strategic licensing agreement with Marriott
will not provide the anticipated benefits, including uncertainties
related to the timing and extent of benefits, synergies, cost
savings, and future revenue opportunities; uncertainties associated
with Sonder’s liquidity, debt, and capital resources, and the risk
that Sonder’s efforts to conserve cash will be unsuccessful and
that additional funding or other sources of liquidity will not be
available on acceptable terms or at all; the risk that Sonder will
be unsuccessful in achieving positive free cash flow; uncertainties
about the potential inability to meet Nasdaq’s requirements;
uncertainties associated with our preparation of future SEC reports
and the related financial statements, including the possibility
that additional accounting errors or corrections will be
identified; the possibility of additional delays in the filing of
future periodic reports; uncertainties related to the purchase of
the remaining Preferred Equity in the convertible preferred equity
transaction; uncertainties related to our ability to find
successors to our resigned executive officers; and the other risks
and uncertainties described in Sonder’s SEC reports, including its
Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on October 7, 2024, and under the
heading “Risk Factors” in its most recent annual report on Form
10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are available at
www.sec.gov. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak
only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by
law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or
revise its forward-looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances after the date of this press release.
Contacts:
Investor:ir@sonder.com
Media:press@sonder.com
Dan Moore / Tali EpsteinCollected
StrategiesSonder-CS@collectedstrategies.com
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