New Chairman and Board member proposed for Ratos

2015-11-12

This information is disclosed pursuant to the Swedish Securities Market Act, the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act or requirements stipulated in the listing agreement.

According to a decision by Ratos's Nomination Committee, Jonas Wiström has been proposed as new Chairman and Ulla Litzén as a new Board member of Ratos ahead of the 2016 Annual General Meeting. Ratos's Chairman Arne Karlsson and Board member Staffan Bohman have informed the Nomination Committee that they will decline re-election at the Annual General Meeting.

The Nomination Committee has decided to propose the election of Jonas Wiström as new Chairman of Ratos at the Annual General Meeting in 2016. Jonas Wiström, born in 1960, holds a degree in engineering from the Stockholm Royal Institute of Technology. He has been President and CEO of ÅF since 2002 and in this role, he has led the development of ÅF to its current strong global market position.

The Nomination Committee has also decided to propose Ulla Litzén as a new Board member of Ratos at the next Annual General Meeting in 2016. Ulla, who was born in 1956, has a degree in business administration from the Stockholm School of Economics and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. She has extensive experience of Board work and is currently a Board member of companies that include Atlas Copco, Boliden, Alfa Laval, NCC and Husqvarna.

"We are very pleased to be able to propose the election of Jonas Wiström as Chairman of the Board of Ratos," says Jan Andersson, Chairman of the Nomination Committee. "Ratos's core operation focuses on corporate development and, during his time at ÅF, Jonas Wiström has accumulated documented broad experience of acquisitions and value-generating business development."

"In Ulla Litzén, the Board of Ratos will gain a highly skilled member with extensive experience of various industries and solid knowledge of strategy work and corporate transactions," Jan continues.

Arne Karlsson, who was CEO of Ratos between 1998 and 2012 and subsequently Chairman of the Board, has declined re-election ahead of the 2016 Annual General Meeting. Staffan Bohman, who has been a Board member since 2005, has also declined re-election.

"Arne and Staffan have been enormous assets to Ratos for many years. During Arne's nearly 18 years with the company, today's Ratos was formed, with a focus on investments in unlisted, medium-sized Nordic companies.  As principal owner, we consider that the future for Ratos lies in continuing to develop the role of company developer and we have strong confidence in Jonas's ability to drive this activity in cooperation with the Board," say Per-Olof Söderberg and Jan Söderberg, Board members of Ratos and representatives of principal owner, the Söderberg family.

The Nomination Committee comprises Jan Andersson (Chairman and appointed by Ratos's principal owner and a number of Swedish institutions), Ulf Fahlgren (appointed by Akademiinvest), Arne Karlsson (Chairman of the Board of Ratos), Jan Söderberg (representing own and related parties' holdings), Maria Söderberg (appointed by the Torsten Söderberg Foundation) and Per-Olof Söderberg (representing the Ragnar Söderberg Foundation, as well as own and related parties' holdings). Other proposals from the Nomination Committee will be announced in the notification well in advance of the Annual General Meeting, which will be held on 14 April 2016 at the Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, Stockholm.

For further information:
Jan Andersson, Chairman of the Nomination Committee, +46 76 139 55 00

Financial calendar from Ratos:

Year-end report 2015	17 February 2016
Annual General Meeting 2016	14 April 2016
Interim report January-March 2016	10 May 2016

Ratos owns and develops unlisted medium-sized Nordic companies. The company's goal as an active owner is to contribute to the long-term and sustainable business development of its companies and to conduct value-generating transactions. Ratos's portfolio comprises AH Industries, Aibel, ArcusGruppen, Biolin Scientific, Bisnode, DIAB, Euromaint, GS-Hydro, HENT, HL Display, Jøtul, KVD, Ledil, Mobile Climate Control, Nebula, Speed Group and TFS. Ratos is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has a total of approximately 17,000 employees.