Business News
Alcoa Re-Aligns Global Primary Products Business to Sustain and Accelerate Improvements, Seize Growth Opportunities
Friday 04. September 2009 - Alcoa (NYSE:AA) announced today a re-alignment of its Global Primary Products (GPP) business organization that will sustain and accelerate the many improvements the operations have made, and seize growth opportunities as the economy recovers.
Effective immediately, John Thuestad, 49, has been named to the new position of Chief Operating Officer for GPP Worldwide, reporting to Bernt Reitan, Alcoa Executive Vice President and President GPP. Thuestad was formerly President of GPP-United States.
Jean-Pierre Gilardeau, 57, has been appointed to the new post of President, GPP-North America and Iceland. He had been President, GPP-Canada and Iceland. He will report to John Thuestad and will be responsible for overseeing Primary operations in the U.S., Canada and Iceland.
Bob Wilt, VP of Operational Excellence in U.S. Primary, will replace Thuestad as President of GPP-United States. Pierre Morin, VP Operations GPP-Canada, will become President, GPP-Canada.
Bernt Reitan said, “These changes strengthen our Primary business on a both a global and regional basis, puts proven leaders in our key U.S. and Canadian markets, and further aligns our organization for continued success.”
Biographical information follows:
John Thuestad
John Thuestad joined Alcoa in 2008 as President, Global Primary Products – United States, with responsibility for Alcoas aluminum smelters in the U.S. and the alumina refinery in Pt. Comfort, Texas.
Before coming to Alcoa, John was President and CEO of Elkem AS of Norway, a metals and materials company, since 2005. Alcoas 45-year presence in Norway was established through a partnership with Elkem. Between 2000-2005, he was senior vice president, Aluminium Division and Managing Director of 50%-Alcoa owned Elkem Aluminium ANS.
John also held the CEO and President positions at Norzink, a zinc and aluminum fluoride producer owned 50/50 by Rio Tinto and Boliden. He was the Managing Director of Hydro Aluminium – Fundo Wheels, a producer of low pressure aluminum wheels for high end automakers such as BMW, Audi and Volvo.
John has held various production, marketing and project management positions at the Bremanger and Salten silicon plants, Sulitjelma copper smelter and Elkem Engineering Division in Norway. From 1988-1992 he was sales/marketing manager with Elkem Metals USA based in Pittsburgh.
John graduated from the Norwegian Technical University in 1983. He obtained an MBA degree from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, in 1990.
Jean-Pierre Gilardeau
Jean-Pierre Gilardeau became President, Alcoa Global Primary Products for Canada and Iceland in 2007. He had been president of Alcoas Primary Metals facilities in Canada, which include Baie Comeau, ABI (Aluminerie de Bécancour Incorporée), Bécancour Rod Plant, and Aluminerie de Deschambault (Lauralco). With the addition of Iceland, Jean-Pierre has accountability for Alcoas first new primary smelter in 20 years, the Fjardaal smelter in Iceland, and is overseeing the feasibility study to establish a second smelter in Bakki, North Iceland.
Jean-Pierre joined Alcoa in 1998 as works manager of Eastalco (Maryland) Works in the U.S. In 2000, he was named president of Alcoas Northeast Smelting Region, with responsibility for the companys Canadian and New York State aluminum smelters based in Quebec.
Prior to joining Alcoa, Jean-Pierre was general manager of the Alumax-owned Aluminerie Lauralco smelter in Quebec, a position he held for eight years. Alcoa acquired Alumax in 1998.
Earlier in his career, Jean-Pierre served in various management positions at Graybec Inc., a major lime and quarry operation in Joliette, Quebec, and was an engineer for the chemical division of Domtar, Inc.
Jean-Pierre holds an engineering degree from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal.