Saturday, January 22, 2011

Aperam appoints two independent directors and clarifies dividend policy

Luxembourg, 21 January 2011 (20:30 CET) - At a general meeting held in Luxembourg on January 21, ArcelorMittal as sole shareholder of Aperam appointed two new independent members to the Board of Directors for Aperam, the new company to which ArcelorMittal's stainless and specialty steels business is expected to be spun off on January 25 subject to the approval of ArcelorMittal's shareholders. The general meeting also clarified the dividend policy for Aperam in 2011. In addition, the general meeting confirmed that a share repurchase authorization would become effective for Aperam upon effectiveness of the spin-off and would be structured similarly to ArcelorMittal's share repurchase authorization. Finally, the general meeting clarified the scope of a share-based awards program for Aperam's management.

Board of Directors

The two new members of Aperam's Board of Directors are Ms. Sylvie Ouziel and Mr. Romain Bausch.

Ms. Ouziel is a French citizen, she is the Chief Operating Officer of Accenture Management Consulting with responsibility for Accenture's management consulting business performance globally as well as internal transformation programs.

Mr. Bausch is a Luxembourg citizen, he is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SES since July 2001. SES is a world-leading telecommunications satellite operator, with a global fleet of more than 40 geostationary satellites.

Dividend Policy

Subject to legal and regulatory requirements being met, Aperam's dividend payment of US$ 0.75 per share will be applicable after the spin-off. Payment of the dividend in 2011 is expected to occur on a quarterly basis, with the first dividend payment of US$ 0.1875 to be paid on or about March 31, 2011. The Board of Directors of Aperam will propose the annual gross dividend to be paid in relation to 2012 at the annual general meeting of shareholders in 2012.

About ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel company, with operations in more than 60 countries.

ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global steel markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. With an industrial presence in over 20 countries spanning four continents, the Company covers all of the key steel markets, from emerging to mature.

Through its core values of Sustainability, Quality and Leadership, ArcelorMittal commits to operating in a responsible way with respect to the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees, contractors and the communities in which it operates. It is also committed to the sustainable management of the environment and of finite resources. ArcelorMittal recognises that it has a significant responsibility to tackle the global climate change challenge; it takes a leading role in the industry's efforts to develop breakthrough steelmaking technologies and is actively researching and developing steel-based technologies and solutions that contribute to combat climate change.

In 2009, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $65.1 billion and crude steel production of 73.2 million tonnes, representing approximately 8 per cent of world steel output.
ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Brussels (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).

No comments: