| Mon 10 Feb 2003, 9:23 | | Sappi Limited -Sappi appoints new Chief Executive |
|
Sappi Limited
Share Code: SAP
ISIN: ZAE000006284
Press Release
Johannesburg, 10 February 2003
Sappi appoints new Chief Executive Officer.
Sappi Limited announced today that Jonathan Leslie, currently Chief Executive of
the Diamonds and Gold Group of Rio Tinto plc, will join the group in April this
year as Chief Executive Officer. At that time Sappi will split the roles of
Chairman and Chief Executive, and Eugene van As, the current Chief Executive
Officer, will retire as CEO and become Non-Executive Chairman of the group.
Jonathan Leslie is a businessman with a great deal of international experience,
and has had a highly successful career at Rio Tinto where he has been
responsible for a wide range of corporate activities, including in the past the
Rossing Uranium mine in Namibia, the Copper Group and, more recently, the
Diamonds and Gold Group. He has lived and worked in many countries of the world
and is familiar with managing an operation with diverse cultures. He and his
wife, Pepe, will be relocating to Johannesburg from London where they now live.
Sappi announced about a year ago that it intended splitting the role of Chairman
and Chief Executive, when Eugene van As, the current Executive Chairman,
retires, and that it was conducting a global search for a new Chief Executive.
Commenting on the process undertaken by Sappi, David Brink, a Non-Executive
Director of the group and Chairman of the group`s Selection Committee, said
today that the board had set out to find a new leader for the group that met
specific characteristics. Ideally, it wanted somebody who would lead the group
for the next eight to ten years, and who could build on Sappi`s successful
formula, keeping the culture of the group intact whilst growing it to its full
potential. Mr. Brink said the Committee had an excellent group of candidates to
choose from, and the initial short list of six candidates included four
nationalities. The board is satisfied that it has chosen the best possible
candidate to lead the company.
Jonathan Leslie said today that he was very excited about joining Sappi Limited,
"I was attracted by the group`s business strategy, its successful track record
and its already significant market shares in Africa, Europe and the United
States. I look forward to developing the business further and attaining its
strategic objectives. Sappi seems to be well positioned and poised to be able
to grow. I have been particularly impressed when studying the group`s reports
by its financial discipline and rigorous process of allocating capital. I look
forward to working with the Sappi team".
Eugene van As, Sappi`s current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said "I am
delighted that Jonathan has agreed to join the Sappi group, and I could not be
more pleased with the board`s choice. He is a first-rate executive and he
brings valuable skills and international experience to the group. I know he
will get unqualified support from the Sappi team and will be an excellent leader
and get the best out of all of them".
As regards his new role as Non-Executive Chairman, van As said, "I have been at
Sappi a very long time and I am conscious of the fact that it is time for change
and for new dynamic leadership. I am also very conscious of the need for the
new CEO to be the undisputed leader of the business. When I hand over executive
responsibilities after a short transition period to familiarise Jonathan with
the business, he will lead the company. My role as Non-Executive Chairman will
be to provide a sounding board for Jonathan when he needs it, and to ensure that
the appropriate debate on major strategic issues and decisions is properly and
transparently aired at board meetings, and to maintain the culture of open
debate and good corporate governance".
End
Notes to the Editor:
A photo of Mr. Jonathan Leslie, as well as the electronic version of this
document, can be accessed on the Sappi website www.sappi.com.
Sappi Limited is the world`s largest producer of coated fine paper with leading
market shares in North America, Europe and Africa. It is also the world`s
largest producer of dissolving pulp. It has manufacturing operations in eight
countries on three continents and customers in more than 100 countries.
Rio Tinto is one of the world`s largest mining and resources groups, employing
approximately 36 000 people and operating on every continent.
Biographical information
Jonathan C A Leslie
Born in Kasulu, Tanzania on 13 December 1950, Jonathan Leslie, a British
citizen, was educated at Trinity College, Oxford, receiving a Master of Arts
degree in Jurisprudence. He was called to the Bar in 1974.
He joined Rio Tinto in 1977. In the years leading up to his appointment as
mining director in 1994, he had a wide experience of the company`s interests in
Africa, Australia, Latin America and the United States, including Managing
Director of Rossing Uranium in Namibia. Prior to becoming Chief Executive of
the Diamonds and Gold Group in 1999, he was Chief Executive of the Copper Group
from 1997. He is also a director of Lihir Gold.
He was appointed a director of Rio Tinto plc in 1994 and of Rio Tinto Limited in
1995.
He is married to Pepe, also a qualified lawyer, and they have 4 grown-up
children (two sets of twins) - a son and three daughters.
He has lived in the UK, the USA, Namibia and Australia.
His interests include racket sports; he gained five different blues at Oxford
University and was the leading British amateur squash player from 1976 - 1980.
CAREER SUMMARY
1974 - 1977 CHANCERY CHAMBERS
Barrister
1977 - present RIO TINTO
1977-1980 Legal Department
1980-1984 Uranium Marketing Executive, Mineral Services
1984-1985 Strategy Department (Australian Desk)
1985-1987 PA to the Chief Executive
1987-1989 Strategy Manager, Metals Group
Responsible for Zimbabwe operations
1989-1991 Director Latin America and RTZ Mining and Metals Ltd
Chairman Anglesey Aluminium (smelter)
Chairman Copper Pass (smelter in Hull)
Rio Tinto Representative on Escondita Owners Council (Chile
copper mine run by BHP)
Managing Director, Rossing Uranium Ltd, Namibia
1994 Appointed to Main Board with responsibilities in Europe, Brazil,
Namibia, India and Papua New Guinea
1995 Director RTZ-CRA Dual listed company
1996 CRA Group Executive, Melbourne
Responsibilities included Group Operations
1997 Acting President of Kennecott Corporation based in Salt Lake City
1997-1999 CEO Copper Group
1999 - present CEO Diamonds and Gold Group
For further information please contact:
Andr Oberholzer
Corporate Affairs Manager
Sappi Limited
Tel +27 (0)11 407 8044
Fax +27 (0)11 403 8236
Cell +27 (0)82 906 0638
Andre.Oberholzer@za.sappi.com
Date: 10/02/2003 09:00:03 AM Produced by the JSE SENS Department
