AbitibiBowater Appoints Jo-Ann Longworth as Chief Financial Officer

MONTREAL, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - AbitibiBowater Inc. (NYSE: ABH) (TSX: ABH) today announced that Jo-Ann Longworth will become Chief Financial Officer, effective August 31st, 2011. Ms. Longworth succeeds William G. Harvey, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Harvey will step down from his position on August 31, 2011, during which time he will finalize and release the Company's second quarter financial results. He will also continue to serve as an advisor until March 2012. Currently, Ms. Longworth is serving as Special Advisor to President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Garneau, focusing on specific mandates and ensuring an effective transition with Mr. Harvey.

"We are pleased to welcome Jo-Ann to the AbitibiBowater team. She has extensive experience and a proven track record with public companies in manufacturing," stated Richard Garneau. "Her knowledge and expertise will be a valued addition to our Executive Team."

Ms. Longworth served from 2008 to 2010 as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer with World Color Inc. (formerly Quebecor World Inc.), a public printing and related services company, and helped transition the company to Quad/Graphics Inc. after their acquisition of World Color; as Chief Financial Officer with Skyservice Inc., a private corporate aircraft and air ambulance services provider, from 2007 to 2008; and as Vice President and Controller with Novelis, Inc. in Atlanta, a large U.S. multinational aluminum rolling company that was spun off from Alcan Inc., from 2005 to 2006.  Previous to the Novelis spin-off, she held a number of financial and operational roles over a 16-year career within Alcan Inc. During this time, she worked in positions ranging from Director, Investor Relations, at the corporate level in Montreal to Chief Financial Officer of bauxite and alumina operations in Jamaica, and Finance Director of both primary aluminum operations in Quebec and rolled products operations for the Americas and Asia while based in Cleveland. Ms. Longworth is a chartered accountant.

Mr. Harvey has served as Chief Financial Officer with AbitibiBowater since the merger of Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. and Bowater Incorporated in October 2007. Prior to this, he held the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Bowater.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors and employees of AbitibiBowater, I would like to thank Bill for his valued counsel and dedication to the Company. Among other contributions, Bill played a critical role during the Company's restructuring. We wish him our very best in his future endeavors," added Garneau.

About AbitibiBowater

AbitibiBowater is a global leader in the forest products industry, producing a diverse range of products, including newsprint, commercial printing papers, market pulp and wood products. The Company owns or operates 18 pulp and paper mills and 24 wood products facilities located in the United States, Canada and South Korea. Marketing its products in close to 90 countries, AbitibiBowater is also among the largest recyclers of old newspapers and magazines in North America, and has third-party certified 100% of its managed woodlands to sustainable forest management standards. AbitibiBowater's shares trade under the stock symbol ABH on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

SOURCE ABITIBIBOWATER INC. - ENGLISH