Alcoa Appoints Max Laun Vice President and General Counsel; Announces Changes in Office of Corporate Secretary

 

 

"Max is the clear choice for this role," said Alcoa Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld. "He has coordinated the delivery of legal services on some of the Company's most important and visible transactions, including the formation and growth of Alcoa's joint venture in Saudi Arabia."

 

 

Kleinfeld thanked Dabney for her years of service to Alcoa. "Donna has effectively managed a wide range of critical board and corporate governance matters during her 12 years as Alcoa Corporate Secretary, and has built strong relationships with members of the Alcoa Board. We thank her for a job well done."

 

 

Alcoa also announced today it has named Audrey Strauss Chief Legal Officer, effective May 1. Strauss will also hold the titles of Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary.

 

 

The Company also announced other changes in the Office of Corporate Secretary and Legal group. Brenda Hart is promoted to Assistant General Counsel in the Legal Department. In addition to her current role as leader of the Securities and Finance legal function and Assistant Corporate Secretary, Hart will assume the additional responsibility of Corporate Governance Counsel. In this role, she will provide counsel on corporate governance and proxy materials and work on governance issues relating to the Board of Directors and its committees. Hart joined Alcoa in 2000 as Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary.

 

 

In addition, Esra Ozer is promoted to Assistant Corporate Secretary effective May 1. In addition to her new duties managing coordination and communications with the Alcoa Board, she will continue in the role of Director of Executive Communications, a position she has held since joining Alcoa in December 2008.

 

 

Biographical information:

 

 

Max Laun

 

 

Max Laun began his career as an attorney in Alcoa's Legal organization in Pittsburgh more than 20 years ago. During this time, he has practiced law in several areas, most notably mergers and acquisitions, energy, and general commercial counseling. He has served as Alcoa's lead counsel on several highly visible mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, including the sale of Alcoa's Packaging business in 2008, and transactions in China, Russia, Latin America, Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Laun was named Counsel/General Attorney in 1994, progressing to Senior Counsel in 2001 and Assistant General Counsel in 2009.

 

 

In 1988, he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. While there, he served as Articles Editor of the Law Review. He is a member of The Order of the Coif and Order of the Barristers, two national, honorary scholastic societies recognizing high distinction for scholarly accomplishments and for excelling in advocacy programs.

 

 

Brenda Hart

 

 

Brenda Hart leads the Securities Law Practice Area in the Legal Department and has responsibility for providing advice and legal counsel on corporate finance transactions as well as securities law matters, and SEC regulatory filings.

 

 

Hart joined Alcoa in 2000 as Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary, and was named Senior Counsel in 2004. Prior to joining Alcoa, she worked for Reynolds Metals Company for 18 years, where she held a series of positions in the Reynolds Legal Department, including Chief Securities and Finance Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Reynolds.

 

 

Hart obtained her law degree in 1982 from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William & Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia. While in law school, she was Notes Editor for the William & Mary Law Review.

 

 

Esra Ozer

 

 

Esra Ozer joined Alcoa in 2008 as Director of Executive Communications. She continues in this role, while also serving as Assistant Corporate Secretary.

 

 

Before coming to Alcoa, Ozer worked at Siemens Corporation where she held a series of leadership communications positions including Senior Director of External Relations. During her decade-long tenure at Siemens, she held diverse communications roles including Director of Corporate Communications, Director of Management and Internal Communications, and Director of Communications for Siemens' non-profit foundation.

 

 

Ozer is a graduate of the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

 

 

About Alcoa

 

 

Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and 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 ten consecutive years and approximately 75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 31 countries across the world.