Prior to the Annual General
Meeting, the Nominating Committee of Swedish Match AB is
proposing the new election of Karsten Slotte, 50, to the Board of
Directors. The Committee also proposes the re-election of the
Chairman Bernt Magnusson as well as Jan Blomberg, Tuve
Johannesson, Arne Jurbrant, President and CEO Lennart Sundén and
Meg Tivéus. Klaus Unger has declined re-election.
The Nominating Committee is
appointed by the Annual General Meeting and comprises Board
Chairman Bernt Magnusson, who also chairs the Committee, Björn
Franzon, Fourth AP Fund, Staffan Grefbäck, Alecta, and Marianne
Nilsson, Robur.
Karsten Slotte is President and
CEO of Cloetta Fazer, a position he assumed in 2002. He joined
Karl Fazer AB in 1997 as Division Manager and the following year
was appointed Executive Vice President of the company, which
merged with Cloetta in 2000. Cloetta Fazer, the largest
confectionery company in the Nordic region, has annual sales of
SEK 3 billion, with 2,100 employees. Karsten Slotte has held
executive positions and served as president since the beginning
of the 1990s at Cultor OY (Danisco Finland), LT-Tukku and
Vasakvarn.
In its proposal to the Annual
General Meeting, the Committee made particular note of Karsten
Slotte’s knowledge and experience in the area of branding
within the fast-moving consumer goods sector in the Nordic
markets. Given his broad international experience, Slotte is
expected to contribute valuable knowledge to the Swedish Match
Board.
"Klaus Unger, who will turn
70 during the year, now wishes to retire from the Board after a
long period of service in Swedish Match and 20 years as a Board
member. He has unique expertise and we thank him for the
invaluable contribution he has made to the Group’s
development," says Bernt Magnusson.
Swedish Match is a unique
company with its range of market-leading brands in the product
areas of snuff and chewing tobacco, cigars and pipe tobacco
– tobacco’s niche products – as well as matches
and lighters. The Group’s global operations generated sales
of 13,018 MSEK in 140 countries for the twelve month period
ending September 30, 2003. Swedish Match shares are listed on
Stockholmsbörsen (SWMA) and Nasdaq (SMWAY).
Swedish Match AB (publ), SE-118
85 Stockholm
Visiting address:
Rosenlundsgatan 36, Telephone: + 46 8 658 02 00
Corporate Identity Number:
556015-0756
www.swedishmatch.com
For further
information, please contact:
Lennart Sundén, President and Chief Executive Officer
Office +46 8 658 01 75
Sven Hindrikes, Executive Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer
Office +46 8 658 02 82, Mobile +46 70 567 41 76
Bo Aulin, Senior Vice
President, Secretary and General Counsel
Office +46 8 658 03 64, Mobile +46 70 558 03 64
Emmett Harrison, Vice
President, Investor Relations
Office +46 8 658 01 73, Mobile +46 70 938 01 73
Lin McKinnie, Vice President,
Investor Relations (US)
Office +1 804 302 1912, Mobile +1 804 868 8127