Canada Carbon Appoints Former President of Industrial Materials at GrafTech Intl Dr. Pieter J. Barnard to Its Board of Directors
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Oct. 30, 2015) - Canada Carbon Inc. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:CCB)(OTC PINK:BRUZF)(FRANKFURT:U7N1) is pleased to announce that Dr. Pieter J. Barnard, Ph.D., MBA, B.Sc. (Hons) who retired in November 2014 as President for the global Industrial Materials division of GrafTech International Holdings Inc. (formerly NYSE: GTI), has agreed to join the Board of Directors of Canada Carbon. As GrafTech's President of Industrial Materials, Dr. Barnard increased sales of the division from US$600 million to over US$1 billion, and grew EBITDA from US$130 million to US$350 million. On August 17th, 2015, Brookfield Asset Management Inc. completed its acquisition of GrafTech International Holdings Inc. for US700 million, taking the Company private.
Dr. Barnard began his professional career at EMSA Pty. Ltd. (a 50/50 joint venture between Samancor and Union Carbide) as a Quality Assurance Engineer, after receiving his BSc (Geology) and Hon.BSc (Geomorphology) from Potchefstroom University, in South Africa. He held various positions of increasing responsibility, and in 1991 he was appointed Managing Director at EMSA, which produced graphite electrodes and specialty graphite products. During this period, he continued his academic pursuits, and was awarded a Masters of Business Administration from Potchefstroom University in 1986, and a Ph.D. in Business Economics from Rand Academic University, in 1991.
In 1994, Dr. Barnard moved to Paris, France, where he held a variety of senior management positions with UCAR International (a division of Union Carbide; UCAR later became GrafTech International in 2002). In 1997, Dr. Barnard and his family moved to the United States, where he took the position of Vice President and Director of Operations (Americas) for the Graphite Electrode business. This was followed by a number of senior management positions, including: Executive Vice President, Global Electrode Supply Chain (2000); President, Advanced Carbon Materials (2003); President, Graphite Electrodes (2004); and, his final position, President, Industrial Materials from 2008 to 2014.
During the last 25 years, Dr. Barnard has served on numerous company affiliate boards, as well as those of non-profit community organizations and trusts. He is a recipient of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow Award for his contributions to community projects.
Dr. Pieter Barnard remarks, "Since my retirement from GrafTech International in November 2014, I have been looking for an opportunity to apply my extensive international business experience, so that I can provide assistance in business growth, strategic planning and implementation. I've monitored news from the high-technology graphite sector, and Canada Carbon's name came up more and more frequently, in recent months. I studied the Company's web-site, and I was impressed with both the quality of the natural graphite and the technical advances made by the Company. I contacted Mr. Duncan, and we agreed that we should join forces, and work to grow the Company. I am very pleased to join the Board of Directors of Canada Carbon."
Executive Chairman and CEO Mr. R. Bruce Duncan stated, "We are very pleased to appoint Dr. Pieter Barnard to Canada Carbon's Board of Directors. His lifetime of experience in the graphite sector, bringing with it knowledge of the potential markets and end users coupled with his extensive international business management and development expertise, will be invaluable as Canada Carbon grows its business."
In connection with today's appointment, Dr. Pieter Barnard has been granted 1,000,000 stock options at an exercise price of $0.245 per share expiring five years from issuance, subject to the terms and conditions of the Company's stock option plan.
CANADA CARBON INC.
R. Bruce Duncan, CEO and Director
"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).
Contact
Canada Carbon Inc.
Email inquiries: info@canadacarbon.com
(604) 685-6375
(604) 909-1163
www.canadacarbon.com
