Umicore

Board/Management Information • Mar 15, 2012

Press release 15 March 2012 CP-2012-07-R 12:00 CET

Mr. Rudi Thomaes nominated to join Umicore's Board of Directors

Upon proposal by the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, Mr. Rudi Thomaes has been nominated to join Umicore's Board of Directors. The nomination will be presented for approval by Umicore's shareholders at the Annual General Meeting of 24 April. Mr. Thomaes will effectively replace Guy Paquot, who will retire from his Board position at that date.

Mr. Thomaes, who is 59 years old and of Belgian nationality, studied law at the University of Antwerp. Since 2004 he has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Belgian employers' federation (FEB-VBO). He previously served as Managing Director and Chairman of the management committee of Alcatel Bell. He is currently Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and is a member of the Board of Regents of the National Bank of Belgium. His other mandates include being a Board member of RESTORE, an Antwerp-based energy technology start-up company as well as serving as President of Healthcare Belgium, a non-profit organization promoting the internationalization of the Belgian medical sector.

Thomas Leysen, Chairman of the Board, commented: "I am delighted Mr. Thomaes has accepted to join Umicore's Board. He has a distinguished track record and brings qualities and experience that are both relevant to Umicore and also highly complementary to those of our existing Board members. I would also like to express my gratitude to Guy Paquot. He was an early believer in Umicore's transformation and growth story and has made a very valuable contribution to our Board over the past seven years."

Umicore Group Communications

Naamloze vennootschap/Société Anonyme phone +32 2 227 71 11 VAT BE0401 574 852 Broekstraat 31 Rue du Marais fax +32 2 227 79 00 Company number 0401574852 B-1000 Brussels e-mail info@umicore.com Registered office Broekstraat 31 Rue du Marais Belgium web www.umicore.com B-1000 Brussels

For more information

Investor Relations:
Geoffroy RASKIN	+32 2 227 71 47	geoffroy.raskin@umicore.com
Media Relations:
Elcke VERCRUYSSE	+32 2 227 71 29	elcke.vercruysse@umicore.com

Umicore profile

Umicore is a global materials technology group. It focuses on application areas where its expertise in materials science, chemistry and metallurgy makes a real difference. Its activities are centred on four business areas: Catalysis, Energy Materials, Performance Materials and Recycling. Each business area is divided into marketfocused business units offering materials and solutions that are at the cutting edge of new technological developments and essential to everyday life.

Umicore generates the majority of its revenues and dedicates most of its R&D efforts to clean technologies, such as emission control catalysts, materials for rechargeable batteries and photovoltaics, fuel cells, and recycling. Umicore's overriding goal of sustainable value creation is based on an ambition to develop, produce and recycle materials in a way that fulfils its mission: materials for a better life.

The Umicore Group has industrial operations on all continents and serves a global customer base; it generated a turnover of € 14.5 billion (€ 2.3 billion excluding metal) in 2011 and currently employs some 14,600 people.