ATRIA GROUP REVISES ITS OPERATING CONCEPT
Atria Group plc STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 16 May 2006
ATRIA GROUP REVISES ITS OPERATING CONCEPT The Atria Group has revised its operating structure with the aim of clear profit and loss responsibilities, increasing customer and consumer orientation, speeding up decision-making and integrating Atria's international operations more closely within the group's strategy. The country-specific organisations will also transfer from pure country structures to an interdependent coherent structure across the whole Atria Group. The new organisation will better support the group's international activities as well as boost the operative efficiency of the business areas. The group's success on the Finnish market has been based on a strong leadership culture, the subsidiaries in each market is now expected to deliver the same with greater speed through this new structure. The new organisation will have the following group-level functions: - Marketing & Product Development - Quality & Product Safety - International Accounts - IT, Steering & Logistics - Finance & Administration - Human Resources - Primary Production and Meat Raw Material Procurement A Management Group will be established for the Atria Group. The following people have been appointed to the Management Group (effective from 1 June 2006): - Mr Matti Tikkakoski, President & CEO - Mr Juha Gröhn, Primary Production, Executive Vice President & Deputy CEO - Mr Pasi Luostarinen, Group Vice President Marketing & Product Development - Ms Merja Leino, Group Vice President Quality & Product Safety - Mr Christer Åberg, Group Vice President International Accounts - Mr Jukka Mäntykivi, Group Vice President IT, Steering & Logistics - Mr Erkki Roivas, Chief Financial Officer - Mr Juha Ruohola, Group Vice President Purchasing & Investments - Vice President Human Resources, to be appointed later The composition of Atria Group's new management board is as follows: Mr Matti Tikkakoski (Chairman), Mr Juha Gröhn (Deputy Chairman), Mr Pasi Luostarinen, Ms Merja Leino, Mr Christer Åberg, Mr Jukka Mäntykivi, Mr Erkki Roivas and Mr Juha Ruohola. In order to improve cost-efficiency and increase transparency of operations, the group will have the following independently accountable business areas: - Atria Finland - Atria Sweden - Atria Russia & Baltic Countries - Svensk Snabbmat för Storkök AB The following people have been appointed as Group Vice Presidents in charge of the business areas: - Atria Finland - Mr Juha Gröhn, Executive Vice President and General Manager - Atria Sweden - Mr Christer Åberg, Group Vice President and General Manager - Atria Russia and Baltic Countries - Mr Juha Ruohola, Group Vice President - Svensk Snabbmat för Storkök AB - Mr Roger Larsson, General Manager Business Area Baltic Countries and Russia Mr Raimo Kirmanen, Area Manager, has been appointed head of Atria Baltic Countries (Estonia and Lithuania). Mr Elmut Paavel will continue as Managing Director of AS Valga Lihatööstus and Mr Audrius Skucas as Managing Director of UAB Vilniaus Mesa. Both of them report to Mr Raimo Kirmanen. In addition, Mr Gennady Emelianov will continue as Managing Director of Atria Russia (Pit-Product). Mr Daniel Stenberg has been appointed as Purchasing Manager in charge of Pit-Product's meat and materials purchases. He reports to both Gennady Emelianov and Juha Ruohola. Group functions and Atria Sweden Mr Ralf Tupeli, Purchasing Manager, is responsible for Atria Group's purchasing activities and Mr Pauli Tuominen for investments. Both of them report to Group Vice President Juha Ruohola. Atria Sweden consists of Atria Lithells AB and Atria Concept AB. Mr Christer Åberg is the Managing Director of Atria Lithells AB. Mr Björn Malmström, Managing Director of Atria Concept AB, reports to Mr Christer Åberg. Atria Finland Atria will also revise the management organisation of the Atria Finland business area (Atria Oy). Atria Oy and the Management Group will be responsible for the management and development of the group's business operations in Finland. The following appointments have been made in Atria Oy: - Mr Juha Gröhn has been appointed as General Manager of Atria Oy, effective 1 June 2006 - Mr Markku Krutsin will be responsible for sales activities targeted at all customers in Finland. - Mr Jarmo Lindholm will be responsible for productization and development of the customer offerings. - Mr Pasi Luostarinen will be responsible for consumer marketing and product development. - Mr Matti Perälä will head of the meat industry functions. - Mr Juha Gröhn will continue as Managing Director of A-Farmers Ltd until further notice. - Mr Henrik Ylisiurua will head the meat product industry - Ms Merja Leino will head the meal industry - Mr Mika Ala-Fossi will head the poultry industry. - Mr Jukka Mäntykivi will be responsible for the steering, IT and logistics functions. - Ms Katri Koro-Valtonen will be responsible for the Human Resources functions - Mr Tapani Potka will be responsible for technology services. - The group's CFO Erkki Roivas will also participate in the work of Atria Oy's Management Group. - Ms Sanna Piipari is responsible for the development of the management reporting system. For further information, please contact Mr Matti Tikkakoski, President & CEO, tel. +358 50 2582 or Mr Juha Gröhn, Deputy CEO, tel. +358 400 684224. ATRIA GROUP PLC Matti Tikkakoski President & CEO DISTRIBUTION: Helsinki Exchanges Principal Media www.atria.fi