Performance materials company Ahlstrom revises its organization

October 26, 2012 - Finland

Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, announced that it will revise its organization to accelerate growth. The current operating model will remain unchanged. The new organization will become effective as of January 1, 2013.

Ahlstrom currently has four business areas: Building and Energy, Filtration, Food and Medical and Label and Processing. As announced earlier, the specialty paper business operated under the Label and Processing business area is planned to be combined with Munksjö AB and the transaction is scheduled to be completed in two steps during the first and second quarter of 2013.

To enable stronger focus on the filtration markets, the current filtration business area will be divided into two business areas: Transportation Filtration and Advanced Filtration.

Ahlstrom's new business areas as of January 1, 2013 will be the following:

Building and Energy: One of the leading players globally for materials used in wallcoverings, floorings and windmill blades.

Transportation Filtration: Global leader in transportation filtration materials.

Advanced Filtration: Global leader in life science and laboratory filtration materials.

Food and Medical: One of the leading players globally for materials used in teabags, food packaging, masking tape and medical gowns and drapes.

These four business areas will form the new reporting segments in Ahlstrom's financial reporting. Subject to the approval by the Extraordinary General Meeting of the demergers of Ahlstrom Corporation on November 27, 2012, the Label and Processing business area will be reported as part of discontinued operations.

In connection with the change in the business area structure, the following changes will be made in Ahlstrom's Executive Management Team:

Tommi Björnman, Executive Vice President, Filtration, has decided to resign from Ahlstrom to pursue other career opportunities. He will continue in his current role until the end of the year.

Tommi Björnman joined Ahlstrom in 1996 and has been a member of the Executive Management Team since 2005. Ahlstrom thanks Tommi Björnman for his valuable contribution during his long career with the company.

Fulvio Capussotti (40), M.Sc. (Chem. Eng.) has been appointed Executive Vice President, Advanced Filtration, and a member of the Executive Management team. He will report to Jan Lång, President and CEO, as of January 1, 2013.

Fulvio Capussotti has been working with Ahlstrom since 2002 in various senior management roles. He currently leads the Advanced Filtration Business Unit.

The Executive Vice President, Transportation Filtration, also a member of the Ahlstrom Executive Management Team, will be appointed in the near future.