Mining company Ferrexpo with assets in Ukraine has reshuffled its board of directors, changing the scope of responsibility and status of some of its members, the company said in a press release on Friday.
In respect of the role of Senior Independent Director, the Board has elected to appoint Independent Non-executive Director Fiona MacAulay into this role in place of Vitalii Lisovenko, who has completed two and half years in this position.
In turn, Lisovenko will remain as an Independent Nonexecutive Director of the Group, and maintains a strong presence in Ukraine for the Board.
In addition, Independent Non-executive Director Ann-Christin Andersen has been appointed as Chair of the Group’s Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC) Committee, with this change effective as of today.
According to the press release, the Board announced the appointment of Natalie Polischuk as an additional Independent Non-executive Director, increasing the Group’s Independent Non-executive Directors to five. As part of the changes announced Friday, Polischuk has been appointed as a member of both the Audit Committee and HSEC Committee.
Chairman of the Board of Directors Lucio Genovese welcomed McAulay’s appointment as Ferrexpo’s Senior Independent Director amid an uncertain backdrop of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
“As part of the rotation of roles announced today, Ann-Christin Andersen is appointed to the role of Chair of HSEC Committee, which we feel is an excellent fit given Ann-Christin’s background in renewable energy, circular economy sectors and industrial digitalisation. Finally, we are pleased to confirm the appointment of Natalie Polischuk to the Audit and HSEC Committees, who brings a wealth of experience of the Ukrainian business environment,” Genovese said, quoted in the press release.
Ferrexpo is an iron ore company with assets in Ukraine.
Ferrexpo owns 100% of the shares of Poltava Mining, 100% of Yeristovo Mining and 99.9% of Belanovo Mining.
Ferrexpo mining group with assets in Ukraine has appointed Natalia Polischuk, a member of the advisory board of the Dobrobut network of private medical clinics in Ukraine, as independent non-executive director to the Group’s Board of Directors.
According to the company’s press release on Thursday, Polischuk is an economist based in Kyiv, Ukraine, with over 25 years of experience working in the finance sector in both Ukraine and more widely in Eastern Europe, with a number of senior roles at private equity funds in the region, as well as directorships.
Most recently, Polischuk spent seven years heading up the Ukraine office of Advent International, a global private equity firm, developing transactions for the firm’s $1 billion fund focused on Central and Eastern Europe.
Since 2018, Polischuk has served on the Advisory Board of Dobrobut (Ukraine), a private healthcare clinic network provider in Ukraine, and until 2020 she was also a board member and treasurer of Lycée Français Anne de Kyiv, a public co-educational international day school in Kyiv. In recent years, Polischuk has acted as an independent advisor on a number of M&A and due diligence projects in Ukraine.
Polischuk holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School, Boston, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv (Ukraine).
Chair of Ferrexpo Lucio Genovese pointed to Polischuk’s rich financial experience, as well as a strong understanding of the business landscape within Ukraine.
“Following the appointment of Polischuk, the Group’s Board will comprise eight directors, three of which are female, with this appointment also increasing the Group’s number of independent directors to five,” Genovese said.
Ferrexpo is an iron ore company with assets in Ukraine. According to the company’s presentation, as of October 31, 2020, Fevamotinico S.a.r.l., controlled by Kostiantyn Zhevaho, owns 50% of Ferrexpo, BlackRock holds 4%, Schroders – 4%, Acadian – 3% and M&G also 3%.
Ferrexpo owns 100% of shares in Poltava Mining, 100% in Yeristovo Mining and 99.9% in Belanovo Mining.
Ferrexpo’s enterprises (Poltava Mining, Yeristovo Mining and Belanovo Mining) in January-September 2021 transferred more than UAH 6.6 billion in taxes and fees to the budgets of different levels, which is 2.7 times more than in the same period in 2020, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The increase in payments occurred in all items, but the largest one was income tax,” Ferrexpo told Interfax-Ukraine.
At the end of January-September 2020, the company reported an increase in taxes and fees paid to more than $2.45 billion.
Ferrexpo said that Poltava Mining paid UAH 4.87 billion (a year earlier it was UAH 1.92 billion), Yeristovo Mining paid UAH 1.8 billion (UAH 0.51 billion) and Belanovo Mining paid UAH 0.03 billion (UAH 0.013 billion).
Taking into account the previously published data for 9M 2020 and excluding Belanovo Mining for 9M 2021, payments to local budgets grew by 19.3%, to UAH 333.6 million, to regional budgets by 2.6 times, to 784.1 UAH million, and to the state budget by 3.4 times, to UAH 5.22 billion. The social security contribution payments grew by 3.2%, to UAH 328.1 million.
Ferrexpo said that (excluding Belanovo Mining) income tax increased 4.7 times, to UAH 4.95 billion, environmental tax rose by 37.6%, to UAH 158.5 million, personal income tax grew by 5, 2%, to UAH 293.7 million, subsoil use royalties by 65.1%, to UAH 792.5 million.
Ferrexpo is an iron ore company with assets in Ukraine, which each owns 100% of Poltava Mining and Yeristovo Mining and 99.9% of Belanovo Mining.
Ferrexpo in January-September 2021 increased its total pellet production by 0.3% compared to the same period in 2020, to 8.158 million tonnes.
In the first half of 2021, the company increased its revenue by 74.3%, to $1.353 billion, and net profit by 2.7 times, to $661.43 million.
Ferrexpo completed second course of Fe_munity corporate women’s leadership platform for middle-level employees.
During the 4 months of training, 86 Ferrexpo employees upgraded skills in negotiating, conflict management, change management, financing, time management, reputation and constituencies.
The project architecture also includes increasing the level of self-confidence (“dismantling of glass ceilings”), the desire and ability to be materialized professionally, without losing control over the work/life balance.
The course was taught by top speakers and coaches, such as Vache Davtyan – founder and owner of Promkabel-Electric, PanElectro network, LeaderWay; Daniil Vakhovsky – Managing Partner of Havas PR Kyiv; Olena Yuzkova – General Director, Era of International Education; Ivetta Delikatna and Olena Lobova – partners of the Old School training project; Dina Nemyrivchi – head of SalesCapital AG Ukraine; Marina Romanenko – practicing psychologist, certified international coach, founder of the Academy of Professional Parents.
Dmitriy Spatar, FPM First Deputy Chairman of the Board, Ambassador for Gender Issues at Ferrexpo:
“Fe_Munity Ferrexpo was opened in 2020 and we continue to pursue our Company goals of achieving gender balance. To date, more than 160 of our employees have gained knowledge, inspiration and motivation for their personal and professional development. We celebrate the unequivocal success of our initiative and this is confirmed by the achievements of our graduates. In 2022, Ferrexpo plans to expand the scope of our educational platform for women throughout Ukraine. In our country there are many talented women who work in various fields, and with proper support – this is a powerful force for the development of Ukraine’s economy.”
Iryna Rubis, co-author of the concept and curator of Fe_munity, co-founder of Biasless
“For the second time, Fe_Munity is ending with the writing of a final project with very clear and measurable KPIs. And the public defense of these works showed us that the graduates started thinking higher and wider, and the transformation took place not only professionally but also personally. The effect of raising at least 10 potential gender equality activists in the company and the town was unexpected. We also managed to introduce the participants of the project to educational thirst: the vast majority of graduates decided to join the educational Ferrexpo School of Inclusion project, which will start soon.”
Information about the company:
Ferrexpo – Swiss iron ore company with assets in Ukraine. The main activity of the company is the production and export of high-quality iron ore pellets used in steel production. Ferrexpo is the largest producer and exporter of pellets among the countries of the post-USSR states. Current production assets are FPM and FYM. Ferrexpo plc owns 100% of the shares of Ferrexpo AG, which, in turn, owns 100% of FPM shares and 100% of FYM shares. In 2020, the company produced 11.2 million tons of iron ore pellets. Steel enterprises from Austria, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Vietnam and the USA became the main consumers of the products. Ferrexpo is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Board under the FXPO ticker. More information can be found on the website www.ferrexpo.com.
British-based Ferrexpo plc, which controls in Ukraine, in particular, Poltava and Yeristovo mining and processing plants (GOK), in January-October this year, according to recent data, increased production of pellets by 0.1% compared to the same period last year – up to 9.19 million tonnes.A representative of the company informed Interfax-Ukraine in October production of pellets amounted to 1.035 million tonnes.At the same time, the company produced 12.18 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate, which is 5.9% higher than in the same period last year, in October it produced 1.24 million tonnes.According to the company’s presentation, in November the daily production of pellets will increase in comparison with October and September to almost 35,000 tonnes per day, which will allow to increase the overall production of pellets in the fourth quarter.In 2022, the company predicts an increase in pellet production above the level of 2021, in particular pellet production through direct reduction with a 67% iron content will be in the range of 0.5-1 million tonnes.Ferrexpo is an iron ore company with assets in Ukraine.Ferrexpo owns 100% of the shares of Poltava GOK, 100% of Yeristovo GOK and 99.9% of Belanovo GOK.
Ferrexpo entered the top 4 family-friendly companies in Ukraine and topped the rating in Mining and Metallurgical Industry. On November 23, 2021, the official presentation of the research results and the announcement of the winners took place. The survey was conducted by the Center for the Development of Corporate Social Responsibility at the request of the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine. 50 companies from 16 economy sectors took part in the survey.
Ferrexpo Group Business Units (Poltava Mining, Yeristovo Mining, Belanovo Mining) implement a policy aimed at supporting male and female workers with their families. The company uses best practices to create favorable conditions for meeting the needs of people in the company.
For a balance between work and personal life, at the level of corporate culture, mutual respect for a person’s personal time is maintained, so it is not customary to bother a colleague after the end of the working day, on weekends or during holidays, with the exception of emergency production situations. For the third year in a row, the Employee Well-Being Program has been in operation, training webinars on physical and mental health, financial literacy have been held. There is a hotline of psychological support on an ongoing basis, to which every male or female employee can apply.
To preserve and improve the physical health of the staff, Ferrexpo operates an expanded medical life and health insurance program, conducts medical examinations at its own medical and sanitary base with the latest equipment, provides free access to the swimming pool, preferential vouchers for health improvement and classes in a sports complex.
Ferrexpo is a leader in Ukraine in the implementation of the gender equality and inclusion principles. The women of the company are provided with comprehensive support for maximum self-realization both at home and at work. More than 160 women are trained at the Fe_Munity Women’s Leadership School, where they receive support and motivation. For women on maternity leave, remote or flexible working hours are possible. The Paternity leave program has been implemented is if a married couple works at the Business Unit, and the man’s salary are higher, with participation in the program, the wife will receive compensation in salary while the man is on paternity leave, so that the family budget does not suffer.
Ferrexpo has a number of benefits in accordance with the terms of the collective agreement, in addition to what is assigned by law. For example, a material payment in connection with marriage, to the parents of a first-grader, New Year’s gifts and preferential health-improving vouchers for children, financial assistance to employees who find themselves in difficult life circumstances.
Anna Adom, HR Director of Ferrexpo Poltava Mining
“A family-friendly attitude on the part of the employer has a positive effect on labor productivity. We understand that comfortable working conditions for employees with family responsibilities contribute to increased loyalty to the employer. And the well-being of our employees, generally, has a positive effect on the efficiency of our company.”
About Ferrexpo:
Ferrexpo is a Swiss headquartered iron ore company with assets in Ukraine. It has been.mining, processing and selling high quality iron ore pellets to the global steel industry for over 40 years. In 2020, the Group produced 11.2 million tonnes of iron ore pellets, a 7% increase on the prior year. The Company is ranked as the world’s 3rd largest exporter of pellets to the global steel industry with a market share of approximately 9%. Ferrexpo has a diversified customer base supplying steel mills in Austria, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Vietnam and America. Ferrexpo has a premium listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker FXPO. For further information, please visit www.ferrexpo.com.
