"The aim with ASSA ABLOY's initiative is to involve employees world-wide and to show that by emphasising factors such as ethics, realism and vision you can achieve results - both financial and human", states Elisabeth Rehn.

 

Elisabeth Rehn will hold a presentation for Abloy employees where she will talk about her experiences as a UN delegate and of the challenges she faced mainly during her time as delegate in the Balkans. This is the first in a series of presentations, informing the employees of ASSA ABLOY's participation in the Volvo Ocean Race.

 

The choice of Elisabeth Rehn is based on her unique background as Minister of Defence, business leader, and Under-Secretary-General of the UN, and that she personifies ASSA ABLOY's values - courage, vision, realism and ethics.

 

"Elisabeth Rehn has been a model example of true leadership in many respects. That she, just like ASSA ABLOY, is active internationally and feels equally at home in all parts of the world and has a Finnish background, makes her an ideal godmother for our boat participating in the Volvo Ocean Race", states Carl-Henric Svanberg, President & CEO of ASSA ABLOY.  

 

Elisabeth Rehn (born 1935) was assistant secretary-general of the UN until 1999 and was in that capacity responsible for the UN operations in Bosnia. She was earlier Member of the European Parliament (1995-1996) for Svenska Folkpartiet, presidential candidate in Finland 1994 and 2000 as well as Minister of Defence 1990-1994. She is currently UNIFEM Independent Expert within the peacekeeping operations.

 

 

The ASSA ABLOY Group is the world's leading manufacturer and supplier of locks and associated products,

dedicated to satisfying end-user needs for security, safety and convenience. Current sales for the Group are in excess of SEK 20 billion (approximately USD 2 billion) and the number of employees is more than 20,000. ASSA ABLOY will participate in the Volvo Ocean Race to support the integration process of 100 companies worldwide and to develop the ASSA ABLOY corporate identity.

For additional information, please visit: www.assaabloy.com and www.assaabloyracingteam.com

 

About Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo Ocean Race, formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race, is world's toughest and longest sailing race. Over nine months, the competitors cross four oceans and pass five continents. This sailing race round the world has been run seven times before, every four years since 1973. The start is in Southampton, England on September 23rd 2001. There are nine legs, a total of 32 250 nautical miles, with the finish line in Kiel, Germany, in June 2002.

For additional information, please visit: www.volvooceanrace.org