OREANDA-NEWS. On August 05, 2008 Alexander Popov was appointed First Deputy General Director of OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel (hereinafter - MMC Norilsk Nickel or the Company), reported the press-centre of Norilsk Nickel.

In his capacity of First Deputy General Director Mr. Popov will be responsible for economic and financial matters, investment policy, internal control, investor relations and Norilsk Nickel International overseas operations.

"It is great honor for me to join the highly professional team of MMC Norilsk Nickel once again at the time when the Company intends to address new ambitious objectives. I hope that my knowledge and experience will contribute to building a major international mining and metallurgical company on the basis of MMC Norilsk Nickel", - Alexander Popov said.

BIOGRAPHY:
Mr. Popov was born in 1970 in Moscow. In 1991 he graduated from the Moscow Plekhanov Institute of National Economy as Specialist in Finance and Credits.

From 1991 to 1995 Mr. Popov worked at Incombank as Economist, Head of Department, and Head of Foreign Currency and Financial Operations Division. From 1995 to 1998 he was member of the Management Board and Head of Treasury at ONEXIM Bank. In 1998-2000 he worked as Director of Treasury Transactions Division, and in 2000 he took the post of Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of JSCB Rosbank. From 2001 to 2003 Mr. Popov worked as Chief Treasurer and Deputy General Director of OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel.

In the period between February 2003 and August 2008 he was Chairman of the Management Board of JSCB Rosbank.

ABOUT MMC NORILSK NICKEL:
MMC Norilsk Nickel, a corporation incorporated under the laws of the Russian Federation, is the largest diversified mining and metals company in Russia, the world's largest producer of nickel and palladium and one of the world's largest producers of platinum, rhodium, copper and cobalt. In addition to this, Norilsk Nickel produces a large number of other by-products, including gold, silver, tellurium, selenium, iridium and ruthenium. The Norilsk Nickel group is involved in prospecting, exploration, extraction, beneficiation and metallurgical processing of minerals; and in production, marketing and sales of base and precious metals.

The key production units of the Group in Russia are the Polar Division and OJSC Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company. MMC Norilsk Nickel International Nickel Business includes operations in Finland, Australia, Botswana and South Africa. Detailed information on these operations is available at the website www.norilsknickel.ru/en in the “Operations” section.