New President and CEO of Axel Johnson AB appointed

The Board of directors of Axel Johnson AB has names Mats Jansson as President and CEO of Axel Johnson AB. Jansson, currently CEO of Axfood AB, will assume his new position on 1 January 2006. Mats Jansson succeeds Göran Ennerfelt, who has served as CEO of Axel Johnson AB for 26 years. Ennerfelt will become Executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Axel Johnson AB and will retain his other duties with the Axel Johnson Group. Antonia Ax:son Johnson will continue to serve as Chairman of Axel Johnson AB. Stockholm 22 April 2005 Axel Johnson AB Board of Directors - - - - - - - - - - - For further information, please contact: Antonia Ax:son Johnson, Chairman of the Board – tel. +46-8-701 61 00 Göran Ennerfelt, President and CEO – tel. +46-8-701 61 00 - - - - - - - - - - - The Axel Johnson Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned company, with origins dating back to the A. Johnson & Co. trading company founded in 1873. The Group consists of four legally and financially independent corporate groups with a common owner, Antonia Ax:son Johnson and family. In addition, the Group has proprietary interests in the UK company Spirent, listed on the London and New York stock exchanges, and in the Swedish company Nordstjernan, which in turn holds major interests in other companies, including exchange-listed NCC. Axel Johnson AB focuses on consumer-oriented goods and services for the Nordic market, with the emphasis on Sweden. Currently, wholly owned Åhléns and Servera, and the company’s part ownership in Axfood represent most of Axel Johnson AB’s operations. In total, the wholly and partly owned subsidiaries have annual sales of about SEK 43 billion, with slightly more than 12,000 employees. Axel Johnson International AB is active in the European market with a highly diversified and decentralized distribution and trading organization consisting of about 50 companies in 20 countries. The company has annual sales of SEK 5 billion, with 1,300 employees. Axel Johnson Inc., with the bulk of its operations in North America, works with products and services in the areas of energy and the environment. The company has annual sales corresponding to SEK 17 billion, with about 1,100 employees. AxFast AB owns, develops and manages properties tailored exclusively for trading and distribution. The portfolio of some 45 properties, comprising more than 500,000 square meters of space, is spread throughout Sweden.