Mike Fallon and Frits Beurskens to Join Sappi Limited Board

JOHANNESBURG, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Sappi Limited
Registration Number 1936/008963/06
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
Share Code : SAP      ISIN : ZAE000006284  NYSE code SPP
NYSE Code : SPP
("Sappi" or the "Company")

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090826/NE66332LOGO )

Sappi Limited (NYSE: SPP), the global pulp and paper group, announced today that following the retirement in December 2010 of Mr H Mamsch, and in line with Sappi's succession planning, two new independent non-executive directors will join the board later this year.

Mr Mike Fallon will join the board with effect from 01 September 2011. An executive director of the Tokyo-listed Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (NSG Group), Mr Fallon is President of the group's global automotive division. With annual sales of around euro 5 billion the NSG Group is one of the world's largest manufacturers of glass and glazing products for the building, automotive and speciality Glass sectors. His management and leadership experience extends across a wide range of functions from plant management, sales and marketing and supply chain to general management, including M&A experience. He has been a director and chairman of companies in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Finland. He is of British nationality and holds a First Class Honours BSc in Physics.

Mr Frits Beurskens will join the board with effect from 01 October 2011. Mr Beurskens is a non-executive director of the Smurfit Kappa group, a euro 7-billion global leader in paper-based packaging. He was president and CEO of Kappa Packaging for ten years prior to their merger with the Smurfit group. He oversaw the establishment of Kappa Packaging as a top performer and one of Europe's largest companies operating in the production, development and sale of containerboard, corrugated board, solid board packaging, graphic board and speciality board. He also held various management positions in KNP BT, the forerunner of Kappa Packaging. He is a past chairman of CEPI (the Confederation of European Print Industries) and of ICCA (the International Corrugated Case Association). He also serves on a number of supervisory boards. He is of Dutch nationality and holds BSc Mechanical Engineering, MSc Industrial Engineering and Management Science degrees.

In December 2007 he was appointed by the Dutch Queen as officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau (Knighthood).  

Commenting on the appointments, Dr Danie Cronje, chairman of Sappi Limited, said "We are pleased to be able to welcome people with such broad experience as Mike Fallon and Frits Beurskens to the board. Their track records, as well as global experience, will further strengthen the Sappi board."

SOURCE Sappi Limited