New Managing Director named for A-pressen’s printing operations in Russia

Oslo/Moscow, January 11, 2008: A-pressen has appointed Eirik Bogsnes as managing director for A-pressen Eastern Europe AS (AEE). His appointment is effective January 14, 2008. AEE is the mother company for all of A-pressen’s printing plants in Russia. The Russian printing plants have about €55 million in annual revenues and a workforce of around 370 people. Eirik Bogsnes will be in charge of all of A-pressen’s printing operations in Russia, and will report to A-pressen Group CEO, Even Nordstrøm

Managing Director Arild Engebretsen will continue to lead the printing operations in Norway.

- We split our print operations in two in order to put greater focus on the activity in Russia, which has reached substantial magnitude. Although the Russian organisation will continue to utilize resources and competence from Norway, it will become more autonomous. Our ambition in Russia requires that we increase our presence. As an important part of this we are now appointing a dedicated leader of the Russian operations, says A-pressen Group CEO, Even Nordstrøm.

Eirik Bogsnes (28) has worked at A-pressen’s Moscow office since fall 2006, as Vice President with responsibility for the Group’s media investments in Russia. Before joining A-pressen he worked for Schibsted and TV 2. Bogsnes speaks Russian, and has a business degree from the University of South Australia and officer and Russian language training from the Norwegian Defence Intelligence and Security School.

- A-pressen has great ambitions in Russia. I am humble in respect to the task ahead of me, but feel very confident to have an owner with a clear strategy for development of the business. A-pressen has acquired a good repute in Russia. That is a strength, comments Eirik Bogsnes

ABOUT A-PRESSEN IN RUSSIA:
Through AEE the A-pressen Group owns and operates six modern newspaper printing plants in Russia. The biggest is located in Moscow, but A-pressen also has operative printing plants in Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhniy Novgorod and Voronezh. In addition AEE is about to start production in a brand new printing plant in Chelyabinsk. The A-pressen Group board of directors has approved a growth strategy for building more printing plants in Russia. A-pressen has a representative office in Moscow.

Press contacts:
A-pressen Group CEO Even Nordstrøm: even.nordstrom@apressen.no / Tel: +47 22 00 90 12