OREANDA-NEWS. RUSAL, one of the top-three world's leading producers of primary aluminium and alloys, has announced changes to the operations management team at the company's Alumina Division.

Yuri Ovchinnikov, formerly General Manager of NGZ (the Nikolaev Alumina Refinery), is now taking up the same post at AGK (the Achinsk Alumina Refinery).

Vladimir Zhmurkov, who earlier held the position of NGZ's Operations Manager, has been promoted to the post of Managing Director of NGZ.

Alexander Fedotov, Operations Manager of BGZ (the Boxitogorsk Alumina Refinery) will be a General Administrator in charge of RUSAL's Mining & Alumina Complex in Fria (Guinea-Conakry).

These appointments reflect RUSAL's programme of management rotation, intended to further the expansion of best practices in increasing labour productivity, introducing new production systems, and enhancing management and production efficiency.

Yuri Ovchinnikov and Vladimir Zhmurkov will take up their new duties on October 30th 2006, while Alexander Fedotov will take office on November 10th 2006.