UC Rusal's European aluminium, alumina sales team moving to Zug

London - Following several staff changes to UC Rusal's North American metal sales and marketing team and the resignation of two Sual traders in Europe over the last few weeks, the group is now believed to be relocating its Cypriot sales team to Zug, Switzerland. A source close to the move said UC Rusal's Director of Sales and Marketing Peter Finnimore had already made the move and the rest of the team will relocate during October. "The team is in the process of moving," the source said, adding that the group's European aluminium, alumina and silicon sales would be done out of the new office. "It is a transition period and there is lots of chopping and changing," the source said. But, UC Rusal spokeswoman Vera Kurochkina told Platts Tuesday that a decision had not yet been made on whether or not the team was moving. She also again declined to comment on the resignations of two of the group's European traders, Luca de Marco and Marco Musetti, of Sual's trading arm ASM. "UC Rusal does not respond to market rumors," she said. In response to market concern conveyed to Platts last week that UC Rusal might not be able to cope with metal sales demand following the departure of the two traders, Kurochkina said the group was "fully capable of responding to the demand of the aluminium and alumina industries." She noted that when a decision on the move or confirmation of the resignations had been received, the market would be informed. UC Rusal announced Friday last week that Rusal America's president Bruce Markowitz would leave the company and had been replaced by Sergey Bubnov of Ferromin Limited. The group said in his role as president Bubnov would oversee the company's continued expansion in the North American market. It also announced that Richard Kellner would assume the new role of chief operating officer of Rusal America, where he would be responsible for running the business, including finance accounting and internal control. He will work closely with existing CFO Sergei Korshin. Rusal said Sual's Mark Bodner had been appointed sales director and would be responsible for sales and marketing strategy and customer relations. Both Kellner and Bodner will report to Bubnov, the company said. Bubnov is expected to be in place in the New York City office in about 60 days. Bubnov will report to Finnimore. Finnimore will continue to report to Vladimir Kremer, director of sales and marketing, UC Rusal. The rest of the New York team was expected to remain in place.