OREANDA-NEWS. On July 06, 2007 Evraz Group S.A. (LSE: EVR) ("Evraz") announced that at its meeting held earlier the Board of Directors of Highveld Steel and Vanadium Corporation Limited ("Highveld" or "Corporation"), in which Evraz is a major shareholder, has approved the appointment of Walter Ballandino as Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation effective immediately, reported the press-centre of Evraz.

Mr. Ballandino succeeds Andre de Nysschen who leaves Highveld after three and a half years in which he led the Corporation.

Walter Ballandino was born in 1951 in Salisbury, Zimbabwe, and lived there until he was 16 years old having finished primary and secondary schools.

Mr. Ballandino has a broad international knowledge and experience related to the steel sector: he graduated from the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, as a specialist in mechanical engineering for the steel processes and later held top managerial positions in both steel companies and companies involved in the engineering, manufacturing and supply of capital equipment and turn-key projects in the steel industry in Italy, Germany, the USA, Japan, Russia, Ukraine.