Ruth Mack to Run Alcoa Packaging and Consumer Business

NEW YORK--Nov. 1, 20042, 2004--Alcoa announced today that its Board of Directors elected Ruth J. Mack, 49, a vice president of Alcoa and Group President of Packaging and Consumer Products effective immediately. She succeeds William E. Leahey, Jr., 54, who recently retired.

Ms. Mack had been president of Alcoa Consumer Products, the Alcoa business responsible for well-known brands such as Reynolds Wrap(R) Aluminum Foil, Reynolds Plastics Wrap, Reynolds Cut-Rite Wax Paper and BacoFoil in the U.K. Her successor has not yet been named.

In her new position, Ms. Mack assumes accountability for all of Alcoa's packaging businesses - consumer, flexible, food service and protective packaging, as well as Alcoa KAMA, the world's largest producer of light gauge material for the thermoforming industry, and the company's closures and graphics businesses. Alcoa's Packaging and Consumer Products group has approximately $3.2 billion in revenues and will be based in New York City.

Mario Longhi, 50, who runs the company's Global Extruded and End Products business will now also oversee Alcoa Home Exteriors, the company's residential building products business.

Separately, the Alcoa Board of Directors elected Helmut W. Wieser, 51, a vice president of Alcoa. He is head of the company's North American and European Mill Products organizations. In addition, Bernt Reitan, 56, and Paul Thomas, 48, were both elected executive vice presidents of Alcoa. Reitan runs Alcoa's global Primary Products businesses, and Thomas was recently named to a new post responsible for People, ABS and Culture.

Following is biographical information on Ms. Mack:

Ruth Mack joined Alcoa in 2000 as President of Alcoa Consumer Products. Before joining Alcoa, she was vice president and general manager of Reynolds Consumer Products for Reynolds Metals Company, which Alcoa acquired in 2000. Alcoa Consumer Products is a global leader in the consumer packaged goods industry, manufacturing and marketing foil, film and paper products to the retail and foodservice markets. ACP operates 10 plants and numerous sales offices worldwide.

Ms. Mack has more than 20 years experience in multiple consumer products goods industries, as well as the consulting industry. She has held a series of marketing, sales, product development, distribution, logistics and general management positions in a variety of companies, including General Mills, Pepsi, Nestle, Pillsbury and WLR Foods.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Ms. Mack earned a B.S. degree in business in 1976 from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and an MBA degree in 1980 from University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges and the Board of Directors of the Reed Foundation. Ms. Mack is also a member of the Business Advisory Council of the University of Richmond School of Business, a member of the Richmond Management Roundtable and a member of the Industry Affairs Council of the Grocery Manufacturers Association.