March 9 (Reuters) - Artisan Partners, a

U.S.-based investor in Seven & i Holdings ( SVNDF ), on Sunday

opposed the Japanese retailer's CEO succession plan and urged

the company to reconsider a takeover offer, according to a

letter to the board.

Last week, the 7-Eleven convenience store operator named

Stephen Dacus as CEO to lead its recovery and respond to a $47

billion takeover offer from Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard ( ANCTF )

.

In the letter, Artisan Partners opposed Dacus's selection

and urged Seven & i ( SVNDF ) to engage with Couche-Tard about its buyout

proposal to maximize shareholder value.

Couche-Tard did not immediately respond to a Reuters request

for comment, while Seven & i ( SVNDF ) wasn't immediately available for

comment outside business hours.

The special committee and Dacus rejected Couche-Tard's offer

of $18.19 per share, which at the time was a premium of almost

one-third from the current share price. However, the company's

shares closed at $14.18 on Friday in Tokyo, about 22% below

Couche-Tard's latest offer.

The activist investor said it will vote against Dacus at the

company's upcoming annual general meeting, as well as against

other members of the nomination committee.

Artisan Partners said it would also vote against Seven & I ( SVNDF )

Vice President Junro Ito at the annual general meeting, citing

his inability to secure financing for a $58 billion management

buyout last month.

The Ito family began talks to take the convenience store

owner private in what would have been the largest management

buyout in history if successful after Seven & i ( SVNDF ) received the

Couche-Tard bid last year.

Artisan is among Seven & i's ( SVNDF ) foreign investors that have

urged the company to focus on its core convenience store

business.