For 2011, PwC Russia once again supports the Director of the Year National Award

25 November 2011, Moscow - On 22 November 2011, a gala awards ceremony took place in Moscow for recipients of the VI annual Director of the Year National Award - 2011. The Award is given out to recognise the personal contributions made by outstanding corporate directors in promoting corporate governance systems, as well as in facilitating the spread of high professional standards and best corporate governance practices in the day-to-day work of Russian companies' boards of directors. Each year's Award programme is organised by the Association of Independent Directors (AID) and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), with support from PwC acting as a general partner.

RSPP President Alexander Shokin opened the awards ceremony with some words of welcome, followed by remarks by AID Supervisory Board Chairman Alexander Ikonnikov and PwC Russia Partner Alexander Chmel.

Chmel noted:

“Our firm has a history of cooperation with the AID and the RSPP going back many years, and so we’re very pleased to join them in presenting these awards to the top leaders in corporate governance, whose work is transforming Russian business.”

In his remarks, Shokin emphasised that

“Candidates for the Director of the Year Award must meet the highest criteria and exemplify the most advanced corporate governance standards. Thanks to this approach, we not only honour the personal achievements of the winners, but also set the agenda for successful business practices.”

Ikonnikov said:

“For the sixth consecutive year now, we’ve been presenting the Director of the Year National Award to acknowledge Russia’s best directors, who have relied on their extensive business experience, industry insight and knowledge of advanced governance standards to foster an overall improvement in the effectiveness of corporate boards and Russian business as a whole.”

The recipients of the VI annual Director of the Year National Award for 2011 were:

In the Contribution to developing the institution of independent directors category:

• Gleb Sergeevich Nikitin, Acting Head of the Federal State Property Management Agency

In the Chairman of the Board of Directors category: contribution to developing corporate governance:

• Dmitry Alexandrovich Pumpyansky, Chairman of the Board of Directors, OAO Pipe Metallurgical Company

In the Independent Director category, the winner was:

• Paul James Ostling, Independent Director of OAO Mobile TeleSystems and OAO Uralkali

And, in the Corporate Governance Director – Corporate Secretary category, the winner was:

• Igor Olegovich Petrov, Head of the Board of Directors Staff and Corporate Secretary, OAO AFK Sistema

Notes to editors:

For more information, please contact Olesya Kuzminskaya on +7 (495) 967 6013 or olesya.kuzminskaya@ru.pwc.com.

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