2nd Annual Steel Tube & Pipe Conference

PERSONAL

Languages Complete command of Russian, English, French, Spanish and German. Adequate Italian.

Can read and understand other Slavic and Latin languages.

Born 1955 in Argentina to White Russian parents

Citizen Austria

Status Married with children

Education

1976 MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Received the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with a specialization in design, materials and analysis.

1978 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Graduate course work in economics and accounting in the Master of Business Administration Program.

1977-1980 Seminars and short courses in Instrumentation Technology and Applied Electronics.

1990-1991 Seminars and short courses in Investments and Sales Techniques.

Directorships

DanSteel A/S, Frederiksvaerk, Denmark

Member of the Board

NEK, Moscow, Russia

Member of the Supervisory Board

Logistics

„The Village Church“ restoration program,

Moscow, Russia

Chairman of the Board

Regional Charity Organization “Rehabilitation of the Child. Dr. G.N. Romanov”, St. Petersburg, Russia

Member of the Board

“Russian Women’s Microfinance Network, Moscow, Russia

Employment

2008 – present TMK IPSCO, Chicago

OAO TMK Moscow – Chairman, Deputy General Director, American Division and Business Development.

Responsible for integrating the pipe manufacturing business of TMK IPSCO into OAO TMK, the world’s largest steel pipe and tube company. Oversight over technology and best business practice transfer between USA and Russia. Government and public relations responsibility in the Americas. In change of improving and increasing regional coverage, cooperative projects and mergers and acquisitions.

2004 – 2008 BASF AG representation in Russia and CIS, Moscow

Chief Representative

ZAO BASF

General Director

2001- 2004 Galitzine Consulting Ltd., Moscow

Director General

1993-2001 Mannesmann AG representation in Moscow -

Chief representative, Russia and the CIS.

1992-1993 Mannesmann Marktforschung, Düsseldorf

Project Leader Market research on behalf of Mannesmann?s daughter companies.

1991-1992 Federated International Management Ltd Luxembourg

Consulting Marketing Manager, European Operations

1990-1991 Michelman SNC Aubange, Belgium

Consulting Managing Director

1984-1990 Cochlea Aubange, Belgium

Vice President, International operations

1984 – 1987 Cochlea San Jose, California

Project Engineer

1981-1984 Dialight Corp./North American Philips New Product Engineer, New York City, New York

1978-1981 Avitech Corp Port Chester, New York

Project engineer

1976-1978 Hydrotechnic Corp. New York City, New York

Design Engineer

Field Engineer

PUBLICATIONS

1984 „A Unique Ultrasonic Inspection System“, CNC West

1981 „Cylinder Deplacement Monitors Ultralow Flow“, Design

News

1979 „Calculate Flood routing with ease“, Water & Wastes Engineering

John Anton is manager of IHS Global Insight’s Steel Service and the ferrous metals industry analyst for the firm’s Cost Information Service. The outlook for steel production is formed by close monitoring of the industry and contact with executives at steel makers and end users. In addition to producing regular forecasts of steel production, demand and price, Mr. Anton is also responsible for managing Global Insight’s relationship with major steel clients, including the some of the largest mills in the United States, Japan, and Europe.

Anton’s specific issues and areas of expertise include:

• Supply, demand, and prices of a broad range of steel product grades and end markets

• The effects of higher steel prices on downstream supply chains

• Steel industry consolidation, and the impact on supply and prices

• The growing internationalization of steel producers and consumers

• The effects of trade actions and tariffs on the steel industry

Professional and Educational Background:

Mr. Anton joined Global Insight in 1995. Prior to that time, he was in the private practice of law, specializing in small business representation and in criminal defense work. Before attending law school, Mr. Anton worked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as an Economist/Statistician.

He received a B.S. in economics from the Florida State University and a J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary.

Public Profile:

In addition to his work with Global Insight clients, Mr. Anton regularly provides steel industry analysis to magazines and dailies such as Purchasing Magazine, Investor’s Business Daily, American Metal Market, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bloomberg, and Engineering News Record.

German Curá was appointed Managing Director, North America, in October of 2006. He is based in Houston, TX.

Since joining Tenaris in 1988, Curá has served the company in several roles. He held the position of Executive Commercial Director until 2006, overseeing global sales and implementing strategic commercial initiatives. Prior to this, Curá was President of TenarisAlgomaTubes in Sault Ste. Marie, the company’s Canadian seamless manufacturing facility, after playing a leading part in the purchase initiative. Other key positions held include Sales and Marketing Manager for the Middle East, based in Dubai, as well as Commercial Director for Tenaris’s operations in Mexico.

Curá was active in Tenaris’s recent expansion in North America, through its strategic acquisitions of Maverick Tube Corp. and Hydril Company. Through these mergers, Tenaris now operates 16 industrial plants in North America, ranging from OCTG and line pipe production to coiled tubes and conduit tubing.

Curá, graduated with a degree in Marine Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires. He holds an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and is a member of the API Board of Directors.

Michael Cowden is an editor and reporter for AMM’s new weekly newsletter, Perspectives: Steel Tube and Pipe. He has previously worked as a reporter for AMM’s daily publication, covering everything from steel long products to the automotive sector. Cowden has also reported for the Associated Press in Pittsburgh and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Chicago.

Tony has 20 years of strategy consulting experience, mostly in the steel industry. He has worked with senior management teams, chief executive officers, and boards of directors to improve business performance through the development and implementation of competitive strategy, both at the business unit and corporate level. Although his client base is predominately North American, he has also worked with companies in Europe, South America and Asia. In addition to his work with senior managers of operating companies, Tony has acted as an advisor to private equity funds, hedge funds, unions, and governments.

Work Experience

1998-Present

First River Consulting, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Founding partner of First River Consulting, a strategy consulting firm focused on steel and other capital intensive manufacturing industries.

1988 – 1998

Beddows & Company, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Principal Consultant, Co-Manager of Pittsburgh Office, Member Board of Directors

1985 – 1988

Mellon Bank, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

International Economist

Education

1985 MA (Economics), Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

1983 BA (Economics), Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA, USA

Other

• Speaker on topics of business unit & corporate strategy to industry & management conferences sponsored by American Metal Market, Metal Bulletin, Steel Business Briefing, and the Steel Manufacturers’ Association. A noted steel industry expert, Tony has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, and has appeared on CNBC.

David Britten is President of SSAB North American Division. This business unit consists of two steel mills located in Montpelier (Iowa) and Mobile (Alabama), and three cut-to-length facilities in Houston (Texas), St. Paul (Minnesota) and Scarborough (Ontario).

Britten has almost 25 years of proven leadership experience in the North American steel industry. In 1985, Britten joined IPSCO, and moved quickly through the organization. He held a variety of positions including product development, tubular sales, business development, quality assurance and operations management. In 1999, Britten held the position of Vice President and General Manager of IPSCO’s Tubular business. Under Britten’s leadership, the business unit achieved significant improvements in sales, profitability and operational efficiency. In 2004, Britten was promoted to Vice President of Corporate Development. With SSAB’s acquisition of IPSCO in 2007, Britten was named Senior Vice President of Steel for the IPSCO Division of SSAB. In 2008, Britten was named President of SSAB North American Division and serves as Executive Vice President on SSAB’s Group Executive Committee.

Britten holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University at Kingston (Ontario) and has completed executive education courses at Northwestern University.

Britten also serves as a Director for the American Iron and Steel Institute and the Steel Manufacturers Association.

About SSAB

SSAB, a global niche producer of high strength steel with a leading market position and productivity, develops solutions in order to increase the competitiveness of its customers.

About SSAB North American Division

SSAB North American Division is the leading supplier of plate in North America. This division operates two steel mills located in Montpelier (Iowa) and Mobile (Alabama) together with three cut-to-length facilities in Houston (Texas), St. Paul (Minnesota) and Scarborough (Ontario). Combined, these facilities have an annual capacity of approximately 2.5 million tonnes of crude steel production.

www.ssab.com

Greg Eck joined GE in 2002 and has held various positions in risk, underwriting and sales focusing on metals/mining before being named Metals & Mining Industry Leader for Corporate Lending in 2005. In his current role Greg is responsible for providing senior secured debt to metals and mining companies throughout the Americas. Prior to joining GE, Greg was with Bank of America for fourteen years holding various positions in portfolio management and underwriting working with metals companies throughout North America. Greg has been lending to the metals industry for more than fifteen years and has been involved in over $9 billion of completed transactions. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Finance and Economics from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

The company is a sales agency, selling a variety of steel products on behalf of producers or trading companies, mainly to distributors.

At this time, tubulars account for better than 2/3 of what we sell, totalling approx. $ 50 million in 2008

Born in Germany in 1941, Peter started his career as an apprentice in a steel wire plant in Germany in 1957, moved to US in 1972.

Having worked for mills, traders and distributors, in sales and purchasing, gives him a uniquely broad and diversified background.

Past President of the Texas Association of Steel Importers and Vice President of the Gulf Chapter of the American Institute for

International Steel, on whose board Peter has served continuously since its inception in 1989.

Gerald Merfish is Executive Manager of Merfish Pipe & Supply and a partner at Pipe Exchange. Merfish Pipe & Supply Company is an 88-year-old family business which specializes in the master distribution of carbon steel pipe, fittings and flanges for the construction industry. Gerald has served as an executive of the company since 1978. In April 2004, Gerald, his sister and Dolty Cheramie purchased Pipe Exchange from Mitsui Trading Company. Pipe Exchange is a major distributor of API Line Pipe used for the gathering and distribution of Natural Gas.

Gerald began his career in the banking industry having worked as a commercial loan officer at Union Bank in Los Angeles and Central Park Bank in San Antonio.

Gerald has a long involvement with the National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors, serving as president from 2001-2003 and on the Board of Directors for many years. He has also been involved in the ASTM Standards Committee since 1990.

Gerald is active in the community, including having leadership roles at the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Family Service, the United Way, the American Leadership Forum, the Jewish Federation of Houston, his local synagogue, the Lone Star Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Mankind Project to name a few. He has received numerous awards for his communal and professional contributions.

Gerald Merfish is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, receiving both his BBA and MBA from the Universtiy. He is married with two daughters.

Mike Evans is the Vice President of Maurice Pincoffs Co.

Evans previously worked at Mitsubishi International, Intsel / Daval and Commercial Metals Co.

Currently, he’s the committee Chairman & member of the Board of Directors at the National Association of Pipe Distributors and Vice chairman of the Gore/Mbeki Bi National Commission.

He was the past president of Texas Association of Steel Importers (TASI) and vice president of the American Institute of International Steel (AIIS) Gulf region.

Evans graduated with a BA degree from Texas Tech University and a post graduate degree from the Thunderbird School of International Management in Arizona.

Practice Areas

Matthew Nolan’s international trade and business regulation practice encompasses customs regulations and disputes, import investigations, US export controls and trade sanctions, trade and investment disputes, trade policy and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. With over twenty years of experience, he has worked extensively on issues pertaining to trade and investment in the Americas, Europe, South Africa, Turkey and other countries. Matt also has experience in international commercial transactions, disputes and arbitrations.

Client Work

Matt has worked extensively in Canada and Mexico on issues related to the North American Free Trade Agreement; and has worked for major US and foreign corporations on export control and sanctions matters; antidumping, countervailing duty, safeguards and section 301 investigations; Customs audits and focused assessments; NAFTA verification audits by US, Mexico and Canadian authorities; civil and criminal investigations on export, import and FCPA issues; development, implementation and audits of internal compliance programs; and advising on trade policy initiatives. He has also worked with companies in a range of industries, including softwood lumber, steel, oil exploration and production, chemical products, beverage and snack foods, biotechnology, computer electronics, defense, airlines, textiles, tobacco, banking, telecommunications, and insurance.

Previous Work

Before joining Arent Fox, Nolan practiced at a nationally recognized law firm, where he was chairman of the International Department from 1999 to 2003.

Professional Activities

Matt is a member of the board of directors of the Canadian American Business Council and the Gulf States Partnership, and a member of the International Council for the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

Barry was born and raised in Windsor Ontario. He received his early education in Windsor and later attended York University in Toronto Ontario.

His University education was interrupted in 1986 with the sudden passing of his father, the late Harry Zekelman, when the ownership of Atlas Tube Inc. was assumed by Barry and his two brothers. Barry’s primary role at Atlas was the provision of strategic and commercial leadership. At that time Atlas Tube Inc. produced a limited range of Hollow Structural Steel Tubing.

Under Barry’s leadership the business has grown from sales of $2 million in 1986 to sales in excess of $1.2 billion in 2006. His Atlas’s Harrow, Plymouth, Chicago and Blytheville facilities combined employ over 600 people. The company has invested heavily in both increasing its size range and capacity, as well as modernizing its existing facilities. Today, Atlas is the largest producer of Hollow Structural Steel Tubing in North America.

Due to his progressive initiatives with employee motivational tools such as gain sharing and profit sharing programs, Atlas Tube Inc. has become the most efficient producer of Structural steel tubing in the World.

In October 2006, John Maneely Co., a maker of steel tubing that is owned by private-equity giant Carlyle Group announced a merger with Atlas Tube Inc. Barry decided to merge with JMC, he says, "because I want to make my company stronger by giving it a more powerful platform."

Today JMC the parent of Atlas Tube, Wheatland Tube and the former Sharon Tube produces over 2.4 million tons per year and employs over 2200 people throughout the United States and Canada.

Don, born in Los Angeles, began working in his family business, International Pipe & Supply, as a teenager. He has over 25 years of successful management and currently serves as President and CEO. He has built his own company from a 2-acre yard to a 38-acre operation with a full range of value added services. He is involved in several pipe joint ventures throughout the country. He is also engaged in the real estate industry in several states.

He has made a ppositive effort at giving back to the purpose of improving the industry. He has led many committees in the National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors, having served as its treasurer and elected as its youngest President in 1997. Don has received many honors within the industry including the prestigious Knowles-Rubenstein Award and is a lifetime Board Member of the NASPD.

In addition, he has published numerous articles and commentaries about the industry and is sought as a speaker and panel director on many subjects relative to the structural steel industry.

Don is active in the Oklahoma City area having served as a Board Member of the Temple B’nai Israel and as an active leader of Youth Service activities. He is involved with many civic organizations as well as with the Heritage Hall School.

Don Karchmer received his BA degree from the Business School of The University of Arizona majoring in Finance and Real Estate. He is married and lives in Oklahoma City with his wife Hilary and his two children, Sam and Haley.

• President/CEO of Mervis Industries, Inc., Danville, Illinois

Mervis Industries is a corporation that is made up of 16 divisions and 5 affiliated companies in 3 states and Mexico.

• Hopkins & Sutter. – 1986-1989 Associate Attorney specializing in corporate matters

• The Lawrenceville School, 1978

• Stanford University, A.B. in History, 1983

• Harvard Law School, J.D., 1986

• Married to Laurel Kroack. They have 3 children

• Adam believes that every citizen has a responsibility to make a difference in their community. He currently is involved in the following community & professional organizations:

Director, Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County

Illinois Business Roundtable

Institute of Scrap & Recycling Industries

President, Temple B’nai Abraham, Decatur, IL

Young Presidents Organization, Illini Chapter – since 2004

Bobby Kanz is President of Cierra Pipe, Inc. Cierra is a stocking distributor of API line pipe as well as structural carbon steel pipe, having sales offices and distribution yards in the Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio areas servicing the construction and agriculture industries as well as the related oil and gas industry.

Bobby has thirty-five years of experience in sales and the distribution of carbon steel line pipe. He began his career in steel pipe sales in 1974 with Gensco, Inc., later a subsidiary of Diamond Shamrock, supplying casing and tubing, new and used line pipe and structural tubular products. Bobby formed Cierra Pipe in 1982.

Bobby is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University, (now Texas State University), receiving his bachelor’s degree in Marketing.

Deepa Poduval is a Principal Consultant with the Enterprise Management Solutions Division of Black & Veatch Corporation. Her responsibilities at Black & Veatch include project management and strategic analysis. These responsibilities extend over a range of activities including the valuation of energy industry assets; analysis of oil & gas marketing strategies; evaluation of asset portfolios; financial modeling and fundamental analysis using natural gas industry structural models.

Ms. Poduval’s client engagements focus on strategic analytical services supporting portfolio optimization, asset acquisition, risk management, and business strategy development. Examples of this work are the real option valuation of storage fields and interstate pipelines for developing optimization strategies and supporting contract negotiations. She has worked on extensive projects to analyze natural gas markets and develop business strategies to optimize asset portfolios. A recent client engagement involved assisting the State of Alaska by estimating the expected returns to various stakeholders from the proposed natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to Canada, providing strategic analysis and making presentations and testifying before the state legislature on the project’s economics.

Prior to joining Black & Veatch, Ms. Poduval obtained a Masters in Engineering Management from Dartmouth College. Prior to Dartmouth, Ms. Poduval obtained a Bachelors degree in Engineering and a Masters degree in Economics from BITS, Pilani in India.

George leads the BP Gulf of Mexico Materials Management Team for BP GoM Drilling, Projects and Operations.

He has 30 years of oil/gas experience with a strong background incorporating financial, marketing and operational expertise in distribution, supply chain and materials management.

He is a graduate of Northern Arizona University.

Personal:

Paul lives in St Louis, Missouri with his wife Mary Lee. They have 2 grown sons.

Education:

Paul has a PHD in Economics with an emphasis on statistics. He is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Business:

Has 33 years experience in,

Credit analysis Lending resourcing

Economic research International Trade

Forecasting Purchasing

Business Plans Supply Chain management

Sales Management Distribution Inventory management

Site Selection Publishing & Consulting

Experience:

My 28 years in the pipe and tubing industry has been spent with both distribution and manufacturing companies. While in the distribution business time was spent on the purchasing, inventory management, supply chain side of the business and then a switch to sales and site selection. While in manufacturing focus was on business plan development, forecasting, international trade and sales issues. Currently a partner in Preston Publishing, the Pipe and Tube industry’s premier resource for industry data and consulting services.

Roger Schagrin, a native of Florida, received his B.A. from Yale University, graduating magna cum laude with special honors in History, and he obtained his J.D. with a concentration in international law in 1981 from the University of Virginia. Roger practiced with the Washington office of Thompson, Hine and Flory from 1982 through 1984, when he left to start Schagrin Associates. Roger has become widely recognized in the international trade community, testifying on numerous occasions before committees of Congress, and he has published "Result-Neutral Efficiencies by the Department of Commerce in an Era of Budget Austerity," 25 L. & Pol'y Int'l Bus. 115 (1993). On April 7, 1995 he was on the faculty of “Changes in the U.S. Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Laws” for the D.C. Bar/George Washington University National Law Center Continuing Education Program. In January 2002, he was again on the D.C. Bar/Georgetown University faculty CLE Program on the subject “Advising Clients on Choosing Between 201 and Dumping Remedies.” In June 2003, he was on the faculty of Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business Washington Symposium on International Trade. In March 2005, he was asked to serve on the Trade Law Advisory Group of the U.S.-China Economic Security and Review Commission. His bar memberships include the District of Columbia, Florida, the Federal District Court of the District of Columbia, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Court of International Trade. The Chambers 2007 Legal Directory said “Roger Schagrin of Schagrin Associates is much in demand among petitioners. He is described as ‘the current dean in the area’ and ‘a true scholar who is ahead of the rest.’” He is fluent in Spanish, French, and Portuguese and has worked in each of these languages.

Dr. Peter Koenig is both a lawyer and a PhD Economist at a prominent Washington DC law firm Miller & Chevalier. He has been involved in antidumping and countervailing duty (subsidy) trade remedy and safeguard disputes for over 20 years, representing domestic and foreign companies. He was centrally involved in the last major U.S. OCTG trade remedy case, as well as the China safeguards case against OCTG imports into China. He has represented major U.S., Chinese and EU pipe and other producers in various trade remedy proceedings over the years.

Mr. Shiels was appointed Assistant Director of Investor Relations in April of 2004. Prior to that he served as Assistant Treasurer of Baker Hughes, and has served in other finance positions since joining Baker Hughes in 1998. Mr. Shiels holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from Southern Methodist University.

J. Boyd Heath, chairman and CEO, joined Network International in 1999 as the VP of corporate development. He has played an integral role in the development and adaptation of Network International’s business model to meet the needs of the ever-changing energy industry. Mr. Heath’s leadership was behind the effort to focus on the core, growth business of an online marketplace, and in the process, the company divested several non-core business lines.

Before joining Network, Mr. Heath was with EnCap Investments L.C., where he was responsible for structuring and managing private equity investments in the oil and gas industry. He also worked for Koch Industries where he focused on acquisitions in the midstream, petrochemical and power sectors.

Mr. Heath serves on the board of trustees and executive committee for the ESCAPE Family Resource Center, the board of directors for the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation, and the Carousel Advisory Board for Texas Children’s Cancer Center.

He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

Maria Guzzo is a steel correspondent for AMM, and primarily has been covering stainless and specialty steel since 2005. She has been a reporter in and around the Pittsburgh area for nearly 20 years, including stints with the Pittsburgh Business Times, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Butler Eagle, Dynamic Business magazine and Pittsburgh magazine. Her work also has appeared in the Washington Post and on BBC radio. She is a graduate of Point Park University in Pittsburgh.

As a Senior Consultant in the North American Steel Practice, Lynn Lupori-Gray has worked on a wide range of assignments covering specialty and commodity steels in long and flat products as well as steelmaking raw materials. The focus of most of her work has been in the areas of wire rod and wire products, MBQ and SBQ bar products, iron ore and coke. Her work has been wide ranging, but with particular interests in determining strategic growth opportunities for integrated and minimill steel producers as well as raw material producers. She has worked with both global and North American companies on issues of capital investment plans, marketing and competitive strategy. Ms. Lupori-Gray holds a BSBA from Duquesne University in International Business.

Vivek Kashyap is Sales and Accounts Manager – North America for Welspun, which manufactures long seam DSAW pipe, spiral weld pipe, ERW pipe, steel plates and steel coils. Welspun has recently commenced spiral pipe production at its new mill in Little Rock, AR. Vivek joined Welspun in December 2008.

Vivek began his career as production planning executive in a cold rolling mill in India and soon moved to line pipe industry in year 2000. He has since taken up international sales of large diameter line pipe in South East Asia, Middle East, West Africa, North Africa and Europe. Vivek has been catering to the North American market for sales of large diameter line pipe since 2005.

Vivek is a Metallurgical Engineer from Punjab Engineering College, India and has Executive MBA in International Business from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, India.

BIOGRAPHY

After graduating from Alfred University 24 years ago with a degree in Ceramic Engineering, I began my

career in the steel industry, accepting a position with Weirton Steel. In my initial position as General Turn

Supervisor in the Masonry Department, I enjoyed successfully applying my engineering skills. Early on,

Weirton Steel recognized my quantitative analysis and problem-solving abilities and appointed me to

function as the Acting Superintendent in the Masonry Department in the absence of the regular

Sup~rintendent. This experience afforded me increased exposure to "hands-on" supervision of a greater

number of employees. The challenge exhilarated me, and I recognized my strength as being able to

effectively motivate and direct people. I came to the realization that leadership and management at a

higher level within the organization was "my calling." I truly believed that I could make my greatest

contribution at Weirton Steel Corporation in a managerial capacity at a much higher level.

My family upbringing and values instilled in me a strong work ethic and the desire to succeed in whatever

endeavor I undertook. My goal was rapid upward mobility at Weirton Steel to the highest managerial

capacity possible. With this goal in mind, I worked hard to understand the management process ofthe

company. As Weirton Steel is an employee-owned corporation, I was able to develop a keen awareness of

the need to balance profitability and employee satisfaction. I became proficient in motivating employees

and promoting a sense of pride through employee involvement. This resulted in not only satisfied,

committed employees, but also ultimately in bottom-line improvements. My ability to successfully lead

and motivate employees to achieve optimal results was recognized by upper management. The Chief

Executive Officer of Weirton Steel gave me the opportunity to develop and implement a Total Quality

Management Practice facility wide. I directed a cross-functional group of managers in the development of

a key segment of Weirton's Total Quality Management Program and established an effective working

relationship with executive management.

Nine months later, my company further recognized my work ethic and commitment to achieving expected

results. I was promoted to Manager of Ironmaking Operations. This position became my greatest

challenge. Never in the history of Weirton Steel had an individual become Manager ofan Operation

without first spending a significant portion of his or her career within that operation. I had been given this

opportunity solely because ofmy succeSs to date in managing employees to produce results. I was flattered

by my promotion, and expectedly nervous in my new role as Manager over 300 people with a $120 million

budget but determined as always to rise to the challenge. With lots of extra hard work acquiring new skills

and knowledge as well as a devotion to the goals of the department, I was able to succeed in this

challenging new position. In eighteen months, I was able to reduce a t1p"ee-furnace operation to a twofurnace

operation while increasing production by 14% and decreasing operating costs by $14.5 million.

Much ofthis success can be attnbuted to the training ofemployees with respect to their roles and

responsibilities in achieving performance goals and satisfYing internal and external customers.

Three years later, because ofmy performance in the Ironmaking Department coupled with a need to change

practices to improve operational performance in the Steelmaking area ofthe facility, I was promoted to

Manager of Steelmaking. Again, I was moving into ''uncharted territory" in that I had not spent the

majority ofmy career in the operation that I would lead. I was faced with earning the respect ofmy

subordinates and gaining the credIbility required to effectively lead the organization. Past experiences

taught me that ifyou were able to produce results, employees would respect yourjudgement and leadership

abilities. This helps them to gain confidence in their own ability to successfully achieve goals that they

may have otherwise considered unrealistic. In order to effect change, you must motivate employees to

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support the change to guarantee success. In Steelmaking, the operating costs improved by $9 million and

the production level increased by 12%. Most gratifying during my term, as manager of Steelmaking was

the management team's newly acquired confidence and optimism when faced with challenging objectives.

In October 1996, another first occurred. I was offered the position of General Manager of Operations for

Weirton Steel. In receiving this promotion, I jumped an organizational level and bypassed the position of

Area Manager. I appreciated the vote of confidence by my superiors but now had the task of managing

4000 people with an operating budget of over $800 million. However, my philosophy is that there is no

challenge that is ever insurmountable. I tackled the position with enthusiasm and conviction. Myjob

responsibilities were many and my decision-making and leadership of employees had a strong impact on

Weirton Steel's success. It was an ever-changingjob with new problems to be faced daily. It allowed me

the opportunity to analyze problems, form a creative solution and set the direction for the operations that

ultimately affected the short term as well as long-term viability ofthe corporation. In this position, I was

responsible for the manufacturing of approximately 2.8 million tons of steel annually consisting ofhot roll,

cold roll or coated products including hot dipped and Electro gavalnized and tin product. My role included

implementation and maintenance of Weirton's quality system to ensure a high-quality product that met or

exceeded our customer's expectations. Other responsibilities included controlling manufacturing costs

within budgets, administrating and maintaining corporate safety programs to ensure a safe work

environment, and developing and implementing yearly business plans for operations.

In the position of General Manager, I made a significant contribution to Weirton Steel's initiatives of

reducing operation costs, increasing efficiency, improving product quality and enhancing customer service.

I was able to provide the leadership and direction to the operating organization that reduced operating costs

by $87 million in the period of 1997 to 1998. I received the Citizen of the Year Award from West Virginia

Northern Community College for my leadership in the development and implementation of Weirton's

quality system that achieved ISO-9002 Certificate of Registration in September 1997. This accreditation is

an internationally-recognized standard of superiority and consistent quality. It meant that Weirton Steel

was now able to compete in certain international markets that were previously closed to us.

In April of 2000,1 was promoted to Vice President of Operations following the retirement of the Chief

Operations Officer. Within months ofmy appointment, I along with other members ofthe executive team,

developed and implemented a corporate restructuring plan that significantly reduced cost, improved

financial performance, and set a strategic path that would transform the business. One of the many focuses

was to "right size" the employment level within the organization. This required consolidation ofjob

functions for both hourly and management personnel. Within the executive ranks, eight Vice President

positions were reduced to three. I was named Vice President ofManufacturing. In addition to leading the

operations, I was also given the responsibilities ofthe Engineering, Analytical Services, Enviromental and

Human Resource departments as well as functioning as a Corporate Officer.

During the same period of time, I was completing my final semester of the Executive MBA program of the

Katz School of Business at the University ofPittsburgh. I investigated various business schools to identify

a program that would meet my individual needs. The Executive MBAprogram ofthe Katz school was well

equipped in preparing me for the future. It allowed me to balance my career and studies at a top-ranked

business school at a geographically accessible campus. The focus on international business perspective

prepared me to deal with the broad strategic issues that companies face and continue to face in an

international, globally changing environment. The emphasis on interpersonal and team-building skills

fostered the type ofenvironment in which I excel. I feel that my experiences contributed to the growth of

others in the program. The innovative curriculum provided me with exposure to other business

perspectives outside the Weirton Steel environment. It helped enhance my background in all management

issues including human resources, marketing, and financial management. My business education allowed

me to apply my strengths more effectively as an executive within the corporation.

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My pursuit of a master's degree also allowed me to continue my personal commitment to my family.

Because I was raised in an environment with the highest regard for education and hard work, I constantly

strive to instill these values in my two daughters. By pursuing higher education to advance my career, I

was setting a good example for my children. My advancements helped satisfy my primary personal goals

to provide for both of my daughters' future educational needs. I feel that myMBA afforded an opportunity

for me to accelerate my advancement towards these personal and professional goals.

The nature ofmy job has allowed me to become intricately involved in many community projects that were

sponsored by Weirton Steel. Partners in Education with Liberty Elementary School has allowed me the

opportunity to give back to the educational system that has played a significant role in my success. My

parpcipation in the annual fundraising campaigns for the United Way and as Chairman ofthe United Way

canipaign in 2003 has given me great personal satisfaction in knowing that my efforts helped many ofthose

less fortunate in our community. I have served as a committee member on the Weirton Chamber of

Commerce to enhance Weirton Steel's community relations. I served as a board member for the Center for

Excellence in Workplace Education. Additionally, I am very involved in my daughters' school and extracurricular.

activities. During the winter months, the majority ofmy free time is devoted to skiing. My

children compete on the Western Pennsylvania Race Team, and I assist the coaching staff during races.

In my career thus far, I have demonstrated the ability to overcome obstacles, acquire new skills and

knowledge, and successfully meet and exceed challenges. In my progression through increased levels of

responsibility, I have taken the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of all phases ofbusiness activity

and have applied my innovative leadership abilities in positions ranging from Process Engineer to Vice

President ofManufacturing. My short-term professional goal is to secure a position ofleadership where my

education and extensive operation/business experience can be utilized to significantly impact the overall

performance of a corporation. .

6

Personal:

Rick lives in St Louis, Missouri with his wife, Gayle and their 6 children.

Education:

Rick has a BS in Business with an emphasis in accounting. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri.

Business:

20 years experience in the pipe and tube industry and 27 years experience in:

Overall business management Accounting

Strategy International Trade

Start-ups, acquisitions and divestitures Logistics

Business Plans Human Resources

Investor relations Marketing

Site Selection Publishing & Consulting

Manufacturing management Information Technology

Experience represents all key functions of running a business and includes accounting, marketing, supply chain, human resources, information technology, logistics, startups, acquisitions and divestitures, investor relations, strategy and expansion and overall business management. Former roles include CEO, VP – Investor Relations and Business Development, VP – Shared Services, Marketing Manager and Controller. Currently a partner in Preston Publishing, the Pipe and Tube industry’s premier resource for industry data and consulting services.