MeritaNordbanken and Unidanmark decide further new group appointments

Status report on appointment preparations: MeritaNordbanken and Unidanmark decide further new group appointments MeritaNordbanken and Unidanmark together have decided on further management appointments to be made of business areas and group staffs of the new group. Appointments are subject to completion of the proposed merger and ensuing due processes with labour unions. Business area management teams and group staff functions will be located in Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm. - As expected from two merger experienced organisations, we are able to quickly agree on management structures. In addition we are fortunate to have good people to prepare for larger responsibilities. We are forming dynamic teams based on competence, market knowledge and proven growth orientation to lead important functions of the new group, says Hans Dalborg, proposed CEO of the new group. Retail Banking Management Team As previously announced Lars G Nordström will be Head of Retail Banking and Chairman of the Retail Executive Management. Other members of the Retail Executive Management will be: Peter Schütze, Vice Chairman of the Retail Executive Management, Head of Retail Banking Denmark will have the overall responsibility for the Long Term Savings and Life Product area. Kari Jordan, Head of Retail Banking Finland will have the overall responsibility for the Corporate area of Retail Banking. Magnus Falk, Head of Retail Banking Sweden will have the overall responsibility for Household and Non Life area. Bo Harald will be Head of Electronic Banking. The following appointments will be made in the product and market areas and staff functions: Household and Non Life Roland Olsson, Head Long Term Savings and Life Allan Polack, Head. Polack will be a member of the Management Group of the Asset Management business area. Electronic Banking Bo Harald, Head Corporate to be announced Marketing Support Maj Stjernfeldt, Head Planning and Control Claus K Møller and Lena Eriksson The MeritaNordbanken units of Productivity and Production, headed by Sofie Wakter, and Distribution Strategies and Network, headed by Jukka Perttula, will continue in Sweden and Finland under current leadership with additions to be announced later. Corporate and Institutional Banking Leadership Headed by Markku Pohjola, Corporate and Institutional Banking will have the following leadership: Corporate Division Henrik Mogensen, Head, Jørgen Høholt, Head Corporate Division Denmark, Jussi Laitinen, Head Corporate Division Finland, Holger Otterheim, Head Corporate Division Sweden and Jorma Laakkonen. The long serving Head of the Corporate Division of MeritaNordbanken, Jorma Laakkonen, has opted, at his own request, to retire at the end of year 2000. Until then he assumes the role as a member of the Corporate Division Management Group. International Division Claes Östberg, Head. Markets Peter Nyegaard, Head, Christer Serenhov, Deputy Head Trade, Export and Structured Finance Kari Kangas, Head. Cash Management Pentti Mansukoski, Head Strategic Business Development Claes Thimrén, Head Life Insurance and Pensions Headed by Ib Mardahl-Hansen, management in the companies of the business area will be unchanged. The business area covers activities in the Tryg- Baltica Insurance Group, the Vesta Insurance Group, Livia and Merita Life. Non Life Insurance Headed by Hugo Andersen, management in the business area will be unchanged. The business area covers activities in both the Tryg-Baltica Insurance Group and the Vesta Insurance Group. Finance and Control Headed by CFO Arne Liljedahl, Finance and Control will include Group Accounting and Group Control, CFOs of the three banks and the insurance holding company of the Group as well as controllers of the six business areas. Group and Legal Functions CFO Arne Liljedahl Group Control Erik Öhman Group Accounting Bo Ranhamn CFO Unibank Claus K. Møller CFO MeritaNordbanken and Merita Bank Jarmo Laiho CFO Nordbanken Erik Öhman CFO Tryg/Baltica Carsten Ibsen Business Area Controller in Retail Banking will be Claus K. Møller. Group Credit and Risk Control The group credit and risk control function will be responsible for credit policy and process of the Group and for management of credit, market and operational risks and will have the following leadership team: Head Carl-Johan Granvik Credits Göran Petterson Market Risk Management Niels Kjær Operational Risk Management Erik Palmén Risk Modelling Louise Lindgren Group Treasury Headed by Jakob Grinbaum, Group Treasury will have the following management team: Head Jakob Grinbaum Investment and Risk Trading Jesper Christiansen Group Funding and Internal Bank Fanny Borgström Asset and Liability Management/Midoffice Gunilla Domeij Hallros Group Management Secretariat and Strategic Planning Reporting to the Group CEO, Flemming Dalby Jensen, will be Group Management secretary and as such co-ordinate the integration process and lead the strategy development process. The Secretariat will create and maintain an Integration process Manual and follow up on integration progress and prepare and follow up Executive and Group management meetings. Group Identity and Communications Reporting to the Group CEO, Lars Thalén, will head Group Identity and Communications with Torben Laustsen as Deputy Head. The staff will have responsibility for linking business strategies and communications and co- ordinating communications of the Group, for group identity including strategic management support, branding and design and for all corporate communications including web, intranet and homepage communications. As of January 1, 2001, Thalén will be Strategic Advisor to the Group within Identity and Communications and Laustsen will be Head of Group Identity and Communications. Human Resources Reporting to the Group CEO, Peter Forsblad, will head the Human Resources Management function supporting line management and playing a central role in developing leadership, competencies and culture of the new group. Group Legal Management Team Reporting to the Group CEO, Tord Arnerup will as Chief Legal Officer, CLO, head the Group Legal Management Team which will consist of Arnerup, Kari Suominen, Deputy CLO and Secretary to the Board of Directors, and Ole Simonsen, Deputy CLO. The team will head the Group's legal staff. Compliance Officer Sonja Lohse will be appointed Group Compliance Officer. Investor Relations Reporting to the CEO, Björn Westberg will head Investor Relations of Nordic Baltic Holding. For further information: Lars Thalén, + 46 8 614 79 51 or + 46 709 20 06 65 Torben Laustsen, + 45 33 33 34 51 or + 45 40 54 48 22 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/17/20000317BIT00780/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/17/20000317BIT00780/bit0002.pdf