Alma Media > Releases > Stock exchange release > ALMA MEDIA REGROUPS INTO FOUR DIVISIONS

ALMA MEDIA REGROUPS INTO FOUR DIVISIONS

ALMA MEDIA CORP. STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 8.1.2003, 2.00 PM (1/2)

ALMA MEDIA REGROUPS INTO FOUR DIVISIONS

Alma Media is seeking greater organizational efficiency by
grouping Alprint and some of the Alma Media Interactive division’s
functions into a new division called Media Services. MTV-branded
Interactive services have been moved to the Broadcasting division.
These changes took effect on 1 January 2003. The Media Services
division is headed by Raimo Mäkilä. Erkki Kulmala has been
nominated as President of Alprint Oy from 1 March 2003.

Raimo Mäkilä to head Media Services division

Alma Media adopted a new organization based around four divisions
at the beginning of 2003. A new division called Media Services has
been formed from Alprint, the classified and new ventures
operations previously managed by Alma Media Interactive, and Alma
Media’s corporate R&D activities. A separate information systems
business unit, Alma Media Information Systems, has been
established in the Media Services division that pulls together all
Alma Media’s information systems as well as its interactive
technology services, i.e. Interactive’s Network Services. Net
sales of the Media Services division totals approximately MEUR 70
and it has about 450 employees.

Media Services is headed by Raimo Mäkilä, previously president of
Alma Media Interactive. Alprint, which specializes in magazine
printing, will be headed by Heikki Salonen until the end of
February 2003. Mr Salonen will continue to work for Alprint and to
sit on Alma Media’s Executive Committee, reporting to President
and CEO Juho Lipsanen, until his retirement in May 2003. Erkki
Kulmala has been named President of Alprint Oy from 1 March 2003.
Kulmala reports to Raimo Mäkilä. Mr Kulmala is currently president
of I-print Oy, the printing subsidiary of listed company Ilkka-
yhtymä Oy.

MTV-brand services moved to Broadcasting

The Broadcasting division was expanded at the start of 2003 to
include the MTV-brand business units MTV3 Internet, MTV3 Text
Channel and the MTV connection business. These units, previously
part of Alma Media Interactive, have been placed in a new
Broadcasting business unit called MTV Interactive which is also
responsible for developing the interactive functions of MTV Oy’s
digital television services and for MTV3-Tele. The new business
unit is headed by Heikki Vahala, who also sits on Broadcasting’s
board of management. MTV Interactive has net sales of approx. MEUR
13 and roughly 60 employees.

Sales growth with lower costs

The organizational changes will create higher efficiency and
greater scope for exploiting synergies, says Alma Media’s CEO Juho
Lipsanen. “Placing all the MTV-brand units within Broadcasting
enables us to use our media sales resources more efficiently and
to offer new services to the consumer and media markets.ö

2/2

The purpose behind the formation of the new Media Services
division, Lipsanen continues, is to target business growth
especially in the Alprint and in classified services units. The
support units will henceforth operate in a more business-oriented
way as profit centres. The new organization has been set the
target of achieving a clear improvement in profitability during
the current planning period, i.e. until the end of 2005. Since the
adoption of the new organization will affect the position of
certain employees in the parent company, Broadcasting and
Interactive, personnel negotiations have been started in the units
affected.

Further information:

Juho Lipsanen, President and CEO, +358 9 507 8714
Ahti Martikainen, VP, Corporate Communications and IR, +358 9 507
8514
Photo of Mr Erkki Kulmala at
http://www.almamedia.fi/eng/mediaserv_pers

New organizational chart at
http://www.almamedia.fi/eng/organization

ALMA MEDIA CORPORATION

Ahti Martikainen
VP, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations

Distribution: Helsinki Exchanges, Principal Media

  • Published: 8.1.2003, 08:00
  • Category: Releases, Stock exchange release

Share article