Commenting on the appointment, David Iakobachvili, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Sergei Plastinin, current CEO, said in a joint statement: “We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Maher as Chief Executive Officer.Tony is known in the market as a top professional, a capable strategist and a thorough hands-on manager. His 30 year track record within the Coca-Cola system was truly impressive, consistently delivering profitable growth as well as overseeing a significant number of acquisitions, including the purchase of the entire Coca-Cola franchise for Russa, and more recently, the Multon juice company. Mr Maher has demonstrated his talent for running a range of beverage and food businesses across a number of European markets, while relentlessly removing non value-added costs. We look forward to working with him to further build on the growth and expansion of the Wimm-Bill-Dann’s food business.” “I am thrilled at this new and challenging step in my career,” – Tony Maher said. “I have been working in the Russian market for more than a decade, witnessing Wimm-Bill-Dann growing from a small local manufacturer into a NYSE listed food conglomerate with strong brands and significant assets. I am looking forward to deploying at Wimm-Bill-Dann my extensive knowledge of running similar businesses, and working to enhance the company’s brands, sales and distribution systems and the overall effectiveness. I see exciting prospects for growth across all of Wimm-Bill-Dann’s businesses: dairy, juice, baby food and water. I am also looking forward to working with Wimm-Bill-Dann’s senior management and over 17,000 employees to continue the growth of this great company.” “I have known Tony reasonably well for quite some time now,” – Sergei Plastinin said. “We have been talking for almost a year, discussing our vision of the company today and in the future. I am confident that Tony is exactly the right person for the next stage of Wimm-Bill-Dann’s development and that his arrival here is positive news for the company and its shareholders.” Mr Iakobachvili added: “This transition takes place at an opportune time for the company. After strong results in 2005, new operational management will help us win further efficiency gains in 2006 and beyond. I believe Sergei Plastinin and his team have done a good job, particularly in turning around profitability growth over the last year, following the company’s rapid geographic expansion. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Sergei on the Board of Directors and benefitting from his experience and insight.” Mr Maher was born in Ireland and has worked in a variety of senior roles in Western, Central and Eastern European markets within the Coca-Cola system. He served as Region Managing Director for CCHBC, a company listed on the New York and Athens Stock Exchanges, where he was responsible for a region covering approximately half of the company’s business. CCHBC has a product portfolio of soft drinks, water, juice, ice tea, energy and sports drinks, including both its own brands and those of Coca-Cola Company.