Changes to the Board of Directors of Aspo Leipurin Ltd

22 januari 2014 ASPO PlcÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE Â Â Â Â January 22, 2014, at 13:00. The Board of Directors of Leipurin Ltd, a company owned by Aspo, has been reinforced through the appointment of three specialist members outside the Group. Jukka Havia (45), M.Sc. (Econ.); Kaisa Poutanen (59), D.Sc. (Tech.); and Matti Tikkakoski (60), M.Sc. (Econ.) have been appointed to the Board as new members. Aki Ojanen (52), eMBA, CEO of Aspo Group, will continue as Chairman of the Board, with Matti Lappalainen (65), M.Sc. (Econ.) continuing as a member. The new Board of Directors will start operating from February 1, 2014. Since 2010, Jukka Havia has worked as the Chief Financial Officer at Tikkurila Oyj. Previously, he worked as the deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer at Ruukki Group Oyj. Kaisa Poutanen is an expert in food and nutrition sciences who has specialized in grain technology and the health impact of grain products. Currently, she is working as an academy professor at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the University of Eastern Finland. Matti Tikkakoski has worked in international positions of leadership at HuhtamÃ¤ki Oyj and as the CEO of Atria Plc from 2006 to 2010. Currently, he is Chairman of the Board of Altia Plc. Aki Ojanen, who continues as Chairman of the Board, is the CEO of Aspo Group and acts as Chairman of the Boards of all Aspo's Group companies. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors of 3StepIT Group Oy and SGN Group Oy. Matti Lappalainen will continue as a member of the Board of Leipurin Ltd. He has previously worked as the Group CEO of Vaasan & Vaasan Oy and Chairman of the Board of Apetit Plc. Paul Taimitarha (55), a previous member of the Board, was appointed as the CEO of Leipurin Ltd in August 2013. He has previously worked as the CEO of Fazer Bakeries and Fazer Amica. "Outside specialists play an important part in the management system of the conglomerate Aspo in supporting operational growth and development in the Boards of each business function. Expertise in the food and bakery industry is represented in the Board of Leipurin Ltd by Matti Lappalainen and Kaisa Poutanen, whereas Jukka Havia and Matti Tikkakoski represent competence in international business development and financial administration in a listed company and expertise in trading in Russia. As we stated in November 2013, Aspo is reviewing the preconditions for listing Leipurin Ltd as a separate company on the Helsinki Stock Exchange's main list. As part of this review and preparation process, it is natural to significantly reinforce the Board of Directors of Leipurin Ltd," says Aki Ojanen. ASPO Plc Aki Ojanen CEO Further information: Aki Ojanen, CEO of Aspo Plc and Chairman of the Board of Leipurin Ltd, phone +358 9 5211 or +358 400 106 592, aki.ojanen@aspo.com. DISTRIBUTION: NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Key media www.aspo.com Aspo is a conglomerate that owns and develops business operations in the Northern Europe and growth markets focusing on demanding B-to-B customers. Our strong company brands - ESL Shipping, Leipurin, Telko and Kaukomarkkinat - aim to be the market leaders in their sectors. They are responsible for their own operations, customer relationships, and the development of these. Together they generate Aspo's goodwill. Aspo's Group structure and business operations are continually developed without any predefined schedules. www.aspo.com Leipurin serves the bakery industry and other food industry by providing product development services, raw materials needed for baking, and equipment from individual machines to full-scale baking lines. Leipurin operates in Finland, Russia, the Baltic countries, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. In Russia, its operations cover all geographic areas. In its procurement operations, Leipurin operates both internationally and by developing local procurement. In 2012, Leipurin's net sales were EUR 131 million. www.leipurin.com This announcement is distributed by GlobeNewswire on behalf of GlobeNewswire clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Aspo Oyj via GlobeNewswire [HUG#1756293]