AvestaPolarit: New Appointments at Corporate Centre, Including Changes in Responsibilities


STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 20, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) --Avesta Polarit: Katarina Lybeck has been appointed Executive Vice President -- Human Resources and Communications and member of the AvestaPolarit Executive Committee, reporting to AvestaPolarit CEO Ossi Virolainen as before. She will in this new position, which combines human resources and communications responsibilities, succeed Leif Helgman, Executive Vice President -- Human Resources. He has decided to leave AvestaPolarit as of February 8 and the new appointment will be effective from that same date. Katarina Lybeck (MSc. Econ, b. 1948) has, since the start of AvestaPolarit in January 2001 been Senior Vice President -- Corporate Communications. She has been working within the Outokumpu Group since 1969 and is based at AvestaPolarit's head office in Espoo, Finland.

Environmental affairs

Jorma Kemppainen has been appointed Senior Vice President -- Technology and will in this capacity, in addition to his previous responsibilities, also be responsible for coordinating environmental issues and preparing them for decisions in the Executive Committee. He reports to Kari Saarinen, Executive Vice President -- Group Marketing and Technology. The business units are responsible for compliance with environmental laws and regulations as well as with the Group Environmental Policy.


Contact for further inquiries:
AvestaPolarit Oyj Abp 
Hannele Obrink, Manager -- Investor Relations
Telephone: +358 9 5764 5547 or +46 70 652 1032
e-mail: hannele.obrink@avestapolarit.com

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