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Alcoa Board Elects Kurt Waldo Vice President and General Counsel; Alcoa Executives Jake Siewert and Bill O'Rourke Take New Roles
NEW YORK-(Business Wire)-September 25, 2008 - Alcoa announced today that the Alcoa Board of Directors has elected Kurt Waldo, 53, as Vice President and General Counsel, responsible for leading Alcoaโs global legal team. He had been Deputy General Counsel with responsibility for the antitrust, merger, acquisition and divestiture practice areas.
Alcoa also announced that Jake Siewert, 44, has been named Vice President, Business Development and Public Strategy. In his new position, Mr. Siewert will assume responsibility for Alcoaโs business and corporate development, including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and divestitures. He will continue to be accountable for Alcoaโs government affairs worldwide, and to serve on the company's Executive Council, the senior leadership group that sets strategy for the company. Previously, Mr. Siewert oversaw environment, health, and safety, communications and government affairs for Alcoa.
In addition, William J. (Bill) OโRourke, 60, will become Vice President for Sustainability and Environment, Health and Safety. Mr. OโRourke had been Vice President of Global Business Services for Alcoa and Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Biographical information follows:
Kurt Waldo
Kurt Waldo is responsible for leading Alcoaโs global legal team, crafting the companyโs legal strategies, enabling business transactions and managing internal and external legal resources. Most recently, he served as Deputy General Counsel with responsibility for the antitrust and merger, acquisition and divestiture practice areas of the Legal Department, a position he assumed in 2007
Mr. Waldo has 28 years experience with Alcoa. He joined the companyโs Legal Department in Pittsburgh in 1980, shortly after graduating with a law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. He served as European Regional Counsel from 1987 to 1991 based in Lausanne, Switzerland. As part of this assignment, Mr. Waldo was a key contributor to Alcoaโs Europe acquisitions, including Kรถfรฉm in Hungary and Inespal in Spain, as well as providing general law services across Europe. He returned to Pittsburgh as senior counsel in 1991, primarily leading the M&A practice area. In 1999 he was elected assistant general counsel, followed by appointment as deputy general counsel in 2007.
Mr. Waldo has a bachelorโs degree in political science from Pennsylvania State University.
Jake Siewert
Jake Siewert joined Alcoa in 2001 as vice president, global communications and public strategy responsible for overseeing and integrating the companyโs approach to the media, governments, local communities, and other stakeholders. In 2004, he created the companyโs first sustainability office, and one year later assumed accountability for Alcoaโs global environment, health and safety efforts in addition to continuing leadership of the companyโs communications and public strategy responsibilities. Over the past year, Mr. Siewert has participated in several of the company's acquisition initiatives in China, and he was a key member of the internal Alcoa team that planned and executed the effort to acquire Alcan. Prior to joining Alcoa, Mr. Siewert served as the White House press secretary from 2000-2001, where he was principal spokesperson for President Clintonโs foreign and domestic policy. Earlier, he was special assistant to the President for Economic Affairs for the National Economic Council at the White House.
He is a 1986 graduate of Yale University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in the Humanities. He also attended the law school of the University of California at Berkeley.
Bill OโRourke
Bill OโRourke has served in numerous leadership roles for Alcoa during his career with the company. Most recently he served as vice president of Global Business Services and Chief Information Officer. Prior to this role, Mr. OโRourke was President of Alcoa Russia, responsible for the substantial manufacturing assets Alcoa acquired in Samara and Belaya Kalitva in the Russian Federation. During the three years he was in Russia, he spearheaded efforts to bring the facilities up to Alcoaโs world class standards and oversaw an investment program that exceeded $500 million.
Mr. OโRourke joined Alcoa in 1975 as a patent attorney. During his Alcoa career, he has also served as vice president of Audit, and ran Alcoa's Business Services organization, which included corporate staff service areas such as Procurement, Financial Shared Services, Human Resources, Environment, Health & Safety, Administrative Services and Aircraft Operations. Earlier, he held positions in Alcoa's Intellectual Property organization as an assistant officer, corporate patent counsel, and as assistant general counsel.
He has a bachelor degree in both the science and arts from John Carroll University and received a law degree in 1975 from Duquesne Universityโs School of Law in Pittsburgh.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world leader in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina combined, through its active and growing participation in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components including flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, Alcoa also markets Alcoaยฎ wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems. The Company has 97,000 employees in 34 countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com
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