Alcoa Names Sigurdsson President, European Region and Global Primary Products Europe

NEW YORK--December 27, 2011: Alcoa announced today that Tómas Már Sigurdsson, Managing Director Alcoa Fjardaál, is appointed President, European Region and Alcoa Global Primary Products (GPP) Europe effective January 1, 2012. Sigurdsson succeeds Marcos Ramos who has assumed new responsibilities as President of GPP in Latin America and the Caribbean. Sigurdsson's successor will be announced at a later date.

“As a fully integrated aluminum company in Europe, representing and coordinating Alcoa's wide array of Primary, Rolling and downstream businesses is an important role. Tomas is the ideal leader to take on that vital task”

As European Regional President, Sigurdsson will be responsible for coordinating the activities of all of Alcoa's nearly 50 locations throughout Europe, reporting to Chris Ayers, Alcoa Executive Vice President and President, Alcoa Global Primary Products, who is overseeing Europe as a member of Alcoa's Executive Council. In his role as head of GPP Europe, Sigurdsson will report to GPP Chief Operating Officer Bill Oplinger and will have direct accountability for Alcoa's smelters and refinery in Iceland, Italy, Norway and Spain.

"As a fully integrated aluminum company in Europe, representing and coordinating Alcoa's wide array of Primary, Rolling and downstream businesses is an important role. Tomas is the ideal leader to take on that vital task," said Klaus Kleinfeld, Alcoa Chairman and CEO.

"Tómas brings to our European Primary business solid operational experience having been responsible for the start-up and current ongoing operations of the Fjardaál smelting facility in Reydarfjordur, Iceland -- the largest and newest smelter in the Alcoa system," said Ayers. "He has driven improvement across the operation and proved to be a vital force in the community."

Sigurdsson joined Alcoa in March 2004 from Nordurál, a primary aluminum manufacturer in Iceland, where he held various management positions since 1997. Early in his career he was an engineer/project manager for Hönnun Ltd. Consulting Engineers and the Icelandic Public Road Administration. A graduate of the University of Iceland, ReykjavĂ­k, Sigurdsson has a bachelor's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a master's degree in Development Planning in 1995 from Cornell University, in the United States.

About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world's leading producer of primary and fabricated aluminum, as well as the world's largest miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral part of Alcoa's operating practices and the product design and engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 10 consecutive years and approximately 75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 59,000 people in 31 countries across the world. More information can be found at Alcoa.