-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, D3R21N6YQ1nvHTB8UNPYempyyL6jDh1GPaaHuEX3W0A1GwCoawA6d44TJM4PJMX2 m6Zq/rrbteXWpJXL+MbGjA== 0000004285-06-000008.txt : 20060427 0000004285-06-000008.hdr.sgml : 20060427 20060427165735 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000004285-06-000008 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 3 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20060427 ITEM INFORMATION: Regulation FD Disclosure ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20060427 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20060427 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ALCAN INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000004285 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: PRIMARY SMELTING & REFINING OF NONFERROUS METALS [3330] IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: A6 FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-03677 FILM NUMBER: 06785968 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1188 SHERBROOKE ST WEST CITY: MONTREAL QUEBEC CANA STATE: A8 ZIP: 00000 BUSINESS PHONE: 5148488000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1188 SHERBROOKE STREET WEST CITY: MONTREAL QUEBEC CANA STATE: A8 ZIP: 00000 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: ALCAN ALUMINIUM LTD /NEW DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19930519 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: ALUMINUM CO OF CANADA LTD DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19870728 8-K 1 form8k.htm FORM 8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 27, 2006

Alcan Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Canada
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

1-3677

Inapplicable

Commission File Number

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

     
     

 

1188 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 3G2
(Address of principal executive offices, including postal code)

 

 

(514) 848-8000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[   ]      Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[   ]      Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[   ]      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[   ]      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 



Item 7.01              REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE.

Alcan Inc. (''Alcan'' or the ''Company'') held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on April 27, 2006. Alcan's Chairman of the Board, L. Yves Fortier, provided remarks, followed by Alcan's President and Chief Executive Officer, Richard B. Evans, who discussed the Company's business and financial performance. The presentations are attached hereto as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2 and are incorporated by reference.

The information included in Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, shall not be deemed to be "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Certain slides accompanying Mr. Evans' presentation will be posted on Alcan's website at www.alcan.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in the exhibits hereto which describe the Company's or management's objectives, projections, estimates, expectations or predictions of the future may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of securities laws, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "expects", "may", "will", "should", "estimates", "anticipates" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon.  All statements that address the Company's expectations or projections about the future including statements about the Company's growth, cost reduction goals, expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. The Company cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty and that the Company's actual actions or results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements or could affect the extent to which a particular projection is realized.  Reference should be made to the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for a summary of factors that could cause such differences.

Item 9.01               FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(c)   

Exhibits

              

 

99.1

Presentation by L. Yves Fortier, Chairman of the Board of Alcan Inc.

 

99.2

Presentation by Richard B. Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan Inc.

 



SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

ALCAN INC.

 

 

BY:

/s/ Roy Millington

Roy Millington

Corporate Secretary

Date: April 27, 2006



EXHIBIT INDEX

EX-99 2 ex991.htm PRESENTATION BY L. YVES FORTIER, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF ALCAN INC. Notes for remarks by

Exhibit 99.1    Presentation by L. Yves Fortier, Chairman of the Board of Alcan Inc. 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Notes for remarks by

 

L. Yves Fortier

Chairman

 Alcan Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the 104th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

 

 

 

 

Montreal, Canada

April 27, 2006

 


 

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.  

I'd like to begin my remarks today by congratulating our former President and CEO Travis Engen for leading Alcan to another successful year in 2005. 

I'm sure all of you know that Travis retired from the executive suite last month. However, like they say, Travis may be gone but he is certainly not forgotten. Mr. Engen has left an indelible mark on the Company. Among his many achievements, he led two particularly noteworthy and successful initiatives: the acquisition of Pechiney and the spin-off of Novelis. He also oversaw the implementation of AIMS, the Alcan Integrated Management System. And he has been a tireless champion of sustainability, both within and outside of Alcan. 

This morning marked the Board's last meeting with Travis as a Director after 10 years. His presence at the Boardroom table and his friendship will be greatly missed. We honoured and toasted Travis at our off-site meeting earlier this year. Today, on behalf of the Board, I simply want to thank him for his outstanding contribution to Alcan. 

Incidentally, unlike many retiring CEOs, I suspect this is not a case of Travis giving up "life in the fast lane". Rather quite the contrary. With the arrival of spring, I expect my friend is relishing the fact that he'll have more time to indulge his passion for racing vintage sports cars. (Pause) At any rate, I'm sure you all join me in wishing him good health - and good racing luck. Au revoir Travis.  

I am also pleased this morning to formally welcome Travis's successor as President and Chief Executive Officer, Dick Evans. 

Dick began his aluminum-industry career in his native United States. He joined Alcan in early 1997. At different times, he has overseen each of Alcan's four business groups. As Executive Vice President and a member of the Office of the President, he also participated in the overall strategic direction of the Company and in the integration of Pechiney and algroup. Immediately prior to assuming the CEO's role, Dick had taken on interim responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer to help ensure a smooth change of command. 

Alcan is fortunate to have an individual of Dick's calibre at the helm, someone with proven business acumen, a deep knowledge of Alcan's businesses and strategy, and who embodies the Company's values. I should note as well that, from my perspective as Chairman, the seamless transition we have witnessed here over the past few months reflects Alcan's legacy of strong governance, particularly in the crucial area of succession planning. 

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I spoke a moment ago of how our new CEO embodies Alcan's values and approach to business: this is certainly evident with regard to AIMS and, in particular the EHS FIRST component, which introduced common standards, procedures and a commitment to excellence in the area of environment, health and safety. Dick was in fact a co-sponsor of EHS FIRST and, now, one of his first actions as CEO has been to update the EHS FIRST policy to put his own imprint on it.  

One of the first statements set out in the policy is that Alcan "values human life above all else". That pretty much says it all. 

Of course, there is more to the policy, which also spells out how the Company will support EHS FIRST throughout the organization. Alcan's unwavering vision, which I know is whole-heartedly embraced not only by the Board but also by Dick and the members of his management team, is - quote - "to be a recognized leader in EHS excellence in everything we do and everywhere we operate." In other words, EHS FIRST is for everyone in the Alcan family, whether they are in China or Australia or North America or Iceland. It transcends cultures. It impacts everyone, everywhere. 

The path to EHS excellence is a journey of continuous improvement and I am pleased to note that, in 2005, the Company made further progress in almost all of its key EHS FIRST metrics. For instance, between 2001 and 2005, the rate of Recordable Injuries has been reduced from 5 in 100 employees to 1.5. Over that same time period, greenhouse-gas emissions have been reduced by 3.5 million tonnes. 

So as we look back at our performance in 2005, we see conclusive evidence that the Company's investment in EHS FIRST is delivering impressive results and contributing in a major way to the creation of sustainable value for our stakeholders. Those results reflect tremendous commitment by members of the Alcan family around the globe, and I would like to formally congratulate them. I should caution, however, that the Board will expect to see further improvement in this crucial area over the next five years. This will require a sustained effort by every member of the Alcan family.

EHS is just one element of Alcan's commitment to sustainability - a commitment that earned the Company more kudos in 2005. Recent sustainability milestones include:

  • Travis serving as Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), both of which promote responsible business practices on the international stage;

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  • Dan Gagnier serving as Chairman of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

  • Participation in the G8 Climate Change Roundtable;

  • Selection as one of two Canadian companies on the Carbon Disclosure Project's 2005 Climate Leadership Index;

  • Hosting the Executive Forum on Climate Change, convened to provide the government of Canada with private-sector input on climate-change issues;

  • Joining the Business Environmental Leadership Council of the U.S.-based Pew Center on Global Climate Change;

  • Capturing the 2005 Globe Award for Corporate Competitiveness, in recognition of our leading role in the implementation of a sustainable business model;

  • Selection as one of the top companies for Corporate Social Responsibility in the annual Globe and Mail rankings - rated Number One in its sector and chosen as one of the "World Leaders" for continued international recognition in this field.

  • And finally, selection as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the fifth time in six years - and named "super-sector" leader for basic materials companies, as well as the leading aluminum sector company on the index.

In February 2006, Alcan was named best in class in the metals and mining industry for the second year in a row on CERES' "2006 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations" list. And just last month, Alcan was selected as one of the top three companies overall - and the leading company in the metals and mining industry - in a Ceres investor coalition report that rates 100 global organizations on their governance practices for handling the risks and opportunities posed by global climate change. We should to be very proud of Alcan's leadership role in this area.

I would like to take this opportunity to formally congratulate the 2005 winner of the US-one-million-dollar Alcan Prize for Sustainability. This year's prize was awarded to the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services in Pakistan for its efforts to improve Pakistan's urban infrastructure, including water and sanitation facilities. The independent adjudication panel also awarded Alcan Grants worth $US15,000 each to five other finalists. I should note as well that, this past November, the first annual Alcan Prize for Sustainability Conference brought together representatives from 22 non-governmental organizations that had been short-listed over the past two years to exchange best practices on sustainability. 

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Whether the focus is on sustainability or profitability, there is no question that, from a governance perspective, the Alcan Integrated Management System has contributed in a very meaningful way to the progress we are witnessing throughout Alcan. Having played a leadership role in the algroup and Pechiney integrations - the period during which AIMS was developed - our new CEO has a first-hand appreciation of the discipline that AIMS brings to decision-making and value creation. 

Acknowledgements 

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to fellow members of the Board of Directors for their wise counsel during the past year. Particular thanks are due Bill Loomis and Travis, who are leaving the Board. They will be missed. Bill was a most valuable Director who provided great experience and insight to the Board. He has decided not to stand for re-election because of his other commitments of a personal and business nature. I would also like to formally welcome Gwyn Morgan, who joined our Board effective January 18, 2006. Mr. Morgan, who was selected Canada's Outstanding CEO of the Year for 2005 and Canada's most respected CEO for 2005, is Executive Vice-Chairman of Encana Corporation, where he formerly served as President and CEO. Gwyn's proven business acumen and specialized knowledge will be very welcome at our boardroom table. 

Finally, on behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I wish to thank all of the committed, hard-working Alcan employees across the world, without whose support and dedication, the Company would not succeed.

 

Thank you very much.

5

EX-99 3 ex992.htm PRESENTATION BY RICHARD B. EVANS, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF ALCAN INC.  

Exhibit 99.2    Presentation by Richard B. Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan Inc. 

 

  

 

 

AN EVOLVING ALCAN -
AN EXCITING FUTURE 

 

 

Notes for Remarks by

 

Richard B. Evans

President and Chief Executive Officer

Alcan Inc.

 

 

 

To the

104th Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Alcan Inc. 

 

 

 

 

Montreal

April 27, 2006

 


 

Thank you, Yves.good morning ladies and gentlemen.

 

I would like to add my welcome to that of our Chairman. It is always a pleasure to meet our fellow shareholders, employees, retirees and other stakeholders at Alcan's AGM.

 

I would also like to echo Yves' words by offering my own personal congratulations and thanks to Travis for his contributions to Alcan over the past five years. He truly has played a pivotal role in Alcan's evolution and I am sure that he will continue to follow our future with interest. Travis, thank you and I wish you all the best in your retirement.

 

The year 2005 was a year of consolidation and accomplishment for Alcan - and a year of building for an exciting future.

 

It was a year in which we:

 

  • Successfully completed the Pechiney integration, achieving a run-rate of US$400 million in annual synergies - US$40 million above our original US$360-million target;
     

  • Spun off and launched the world's leading aluminum rolled-products company, now known as Novelis;
     

  • Fully deployed the Alcan Integrated Management System, or AIMS as we know it, worldwide; and
     

  • Established Alcan as a leading global benchmark for sustainability within the mining and metals sector.

 

Those were the major headlines of 2005 for Alcan. But behind the headlines, other equally important activities were under way - important strategic initiatives that will drive the headlines of 2006 and beyond.

 

Here is a brief glimpse of three of these initiatives:

 

  • The 40 percent owned Alouette Smelter in Sept-Isles Quebec, now the largest and most modern in the Americas, completed its US$1.1 billion expansion on budget and ahead of schedule in 2005 - and in time to fully capitalize on the strong market fundamentals for primary aluminum in 2006.

  • Our Ravenswood rolling complex in West Virginia successfully turned around its fortunes with a renewed focus on the aerospace market and a new five-year labour pact. Through Ravenswood and its sister plant in Issoire, France, Alcan has become a leading global manufacturer in the aerospace market, supplying the newest and most advanced civil aircraft programs in the world, including the Airbus A-380 and the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner.

 

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  • Meanwhile, in the Northern Territories in Australia, Alcan's single largest capital project of 2005 -the expansion of the Gove alumina refinery - was moving forward on schedule for start-up at the end of this year. This US$1.5 billion project is a key element of Alcan's strategy to bring over 50 percent of our alumina capacity into the first quartile on the world cost curve.

 

These are only three out of dozens of initiatives under way in our four business groups that will underpin Alcan's ongoing growth and value creation in future years. In a few minutes, I will discuss several others.

 

But first, I would like to review our progress over the past year starting with our share performance.

 

As you can see on this chart of Alcan's share price in 2005, we underperformed the S&P 500 during the first half of the year while concerns prevailed about the world aluminum supply/demand balance.

 

However, the shares recovered strongly in the fourth quarter and through this year's first quarter as industry fundamentals improved and the benefits of Alcan's strategy became increasingly apparent - a strategy that included the spin-off of Novelis, through which we effectively freed Alcan and Novelis to pursue their respective business models independently.

 

The strategic value of this move has been highlighted with the recent strength in aluminum prices.

I should note that, while a similar pattern of improvement is evident in Toronto, our share price has not kept pace with the TSX Composite Index in Canada, which is more heavily weighted toward energy and commodity issuers.

 

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Given that we have substantial numbers of shareholders in both the United States and Canada, we fully recognize the importance of communicating effectively with investors in each market.

 

In that respect, we are very encouraged by our 2006 YTD share price performance, which reflects the positive impact of our hard work in 2005, coupled with strong primary aluminum fundamentals.

 

It is evident that investors on both sides of the border are beginning to appreciate the earnings power, the organizational strength and the attractive pipeline of new investment opportunities represented by today's Alcan.

 

EHS FIRST and Sustainability

Our Chairman has already mentioned Alcan's commitment to EHS excellence, as demonstrated on this chart. I would like to add my voice to Yves' in congratulating Alcan employees on our improved environment, health and safety record in 2005.

 

Yves also commented on our continued leadership on the sustainability front during 2005 - and the widespread recognition those efforts brought to us.

 

In my view, this has a direct link to long-term shareholder value. Every day, we see opportunities for attractive investments being brought to us due to our favourable reputation for sustainable practices.

 

2005 Financial Results

Now let's look briefly at the financial highlights for 2005:

  • Sales and operating revenues were US$20.3 billion, a decrease of US$4.6 billion, which reflected the spin-off of rolling assets to Novelis.

  • On a pro-forma basis, taking the spin-off into account, 2005 sales and operating revenues increased by 4 percent.

  • Income from continuing operations was lower than the prior year, mainly due to significant restructuring and impairment charges.

  • However, we saw a sharp improvement in operating earnings as the year progressed that reflected both improved aluminum market fundamentals and solid operating execution across all four of our businesses.

  • Operating earnings were up by 40 percent, after adjusting prior year results for the Novelis spin-off.

 

 

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Balance Sheet

As well, we were able to strengthen Alcan's balance sheet during 2005, reducing our debt-to-total-capital ratio to 40 percent at year's end, down from 46 percent at the beginning of the year. This was a result of the Novelis spin-off, a disciplined approach to capital spending, and attention to working capital. We expect further substantial improvement in 2006.

 

Looking Forward

As you can see, 2005 was a year of important accomplishments.

However, capital markets, as we know, are inherently forward-looking; therefore, what really matters to all of us as shareholders, is what lies ahead.

 

In that respect, I think it would be appropriate to take a quick look at the financial targets and key performance indicators that we adopted last September at our annual investor day in Toronto.

 

At the Alcan enterprise level, these include:

  • Our number one priority of meeting and exceeding our cost of capital by 2008.

  • An average 15 percent annual growth in operating earnings per share over the cycle;

  • US$2 billion minimum annual cash from operations in 2006 and onward; and

  • A debt-to-total-capital ratio of approximately 35 percent.

 

In addition, I should note that a corporate-wide SG&A initiative is already under way. With the compliance and transition challenges of major acquisitions and divestures behind us for now, we are working to streamline our management processes, which will enable us to redirect attention and resources to higher value-adding activities.

 

Upstream: Primary Metal and Bauxite & Alumina

In our two upstream businesses, we have set targets to position 50 percent or more of our capacity in the lowest quartile of the alumina and primary metal global cost curves by 2009.

 

The near-term market fundamentals for our upstream businesses are strong, with the LME price of primary aluminum at an 18-year high in nominal terms. This is being driven by steady growth in demand, especially in China and other developing economies, while there are limited new additions of low-cost supply.

 

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Chinese primary capacity additions - which had previously outstripped demand growth and put a damper on LME prices - now appear to be moderating, while higher-cost capacity in the U.S. and Europe is being retired.

 

Alumina prices have also been at cyclical highs for two years now, reflecting the "short" position of Chinese, Russian and Middle Eastern smelters, which have been driving up alumina demand on the open market.

 

This scenario has had only minimal positive impact on Alcan in  2005, since we are also are a physical net buyer of alumina - that is until the Gove expansion comes fully on stream at the end of 2007, at which point we will be approximately in balance.

As is the case with primary metal, high prices have driven a number of new expansions of alumina supply in China, Australia and elsewhere.

 

In both the alumina and primary-metal markets, it is important to realize that although prices will likely moderate from current highs, they are unlikely to return to the levels of the 1990s. This is because the world cost curves have shifted upward significantly in both cases, primarily driven by two factors: 1) the weak U.S. dollar, and 2) a structural shift upward in energy prices.

 

This is, in fact, good news for Alcan. We have been working aggressively to position our alumina and smelting capacity at the lower end of the world cost curves. As previously mentioned, our target is to position over 50 percent of Alcan's bauxite and alumina and primary metal production capacities in the lowest quartile of the respective global cost curves by 2009. When it comes to primary metal, Alcan already enjoys a significant competitive edge, in that we self-generate approximately 50 percent of the power required to run our worldwide network of smelters.

 

Attractive Project Pipeline

I believe that the capital markets are beginning to recognize the benefits of Alcan's upstream strategy, the attractive cost profile of our existing core primary-metal assets and the quality of our pipeline for potential new refinery and smelter expansions and new projects.

 

On the primary-metal side, these include attractive brownfield expansion opportunities in Canada - in both Quebec and British Columbia - Cameroon, China and Iceland, as well as the Coega greenfield joint venture in South Africa.

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In addition to Gove, our bauxite-and-alumina project pipeline includes an approved expansion of the 10 percent-owned Alumar alumina refinery in Brazil, as well as potential greenfield projects in Guinea, Cameroon, India, and a potential expansion at QAL in Australia.

 

I would like to take a moment to elaborate on two of these projects:

 

The first is the US$1.7-billion Sohar joint-venture smelter in Oman, which represents our Company's first major investment in the Middle East, with its competitive energy resources.

 

Alcan has taken a 20 percent stake and a management role in this 350kt-per-year smelter, which will utilize our proprietary AP35 smelting technology and is expected to begin production in the third quarter of 2008.

 

The Sohar smelter will be the most technologically advanced smelter in the world and is expected to operate in the lowest quartile of the global cost curve.

 

The Sohar partnership exemplifies our strategy to leverage Alcan's leading technology, operational know-how and management expertise - together with project financing structures - by taking equity positions in attractive large-scale projects - and is a model we intend to pursue in the future.

 

The second project is the Utkal alumina mine and refinery, planned for India's Orissa state, which has sparked considerable debate.

 

Jacynthe Cote, President and CEO of our Bauxite and Alumina group, recently visited the Utkal site and reviewed the progress that is being made on the ground.

 

She returned confident that we are taking the appropriate actions to making this project a viable, value-creating opportunity for the Company, the local communities, our partners and the governments in question.

 

However, we have not yet made a decision to participate as an equity partner and are not yet convinced that the project meets Alcan's high standards from both financial and sustainability standpoints.

 

If and when Alcan decides to proceed, we intend to engage an independent and internationally recognized organization to conduct an assessment of the social and environmental impacts.

7


 

But I must reiterate - we have not yet taken the decision to participate.

 

Downstream: Engineered Products and Packaging

In the two downstream businesses, we have set targets of improving our operating BGP by 5 percentage points in each case.

 

These businesses, especially aerospace, have made substantial progress in creating shareholder value. In 2005, they focused their attention heavily on cost-reduction and portfolio-restructuring initiatives required to enhance their competitiveness, while maintaining their focus on industry-leading customer service and product innovation.

 

This was especially true in Western Europe, where a number of our key customers are moving to lower-cost manufacturing venues in Eastern Europe and Asia. Our downstream businesses also faced extremely stiff headwinds from high-double-digit increases in energy and energy-related input materials.

 

Despite these challenges, these businesses are now largely finished with their restructuring programs, which means lower restructuring costs going forward. In addition, energy-linked input costs, such as resins, have begun to stabilize, allowing us to begin recapturing our sales margins.

 

And while it may be premature to predict a broad-based economic recovery in Western Europe, there are clearly positive indicators beginning to come out of Germany, Europe's largest economy.

 

Our superior performance compared to other packaging companies was evident in 2005, where it is relatively easy to make direct comparisons to independent industry players participating in similar markets.

 

Alcan Integrated Management System (AIMS)

Alcan's improved operating results for 2005 and the enhanced outlook for 2006 have been driven by a combination of market fundamentals and solid execution.

 

Since we know that markets inherently fluctuate, it is essential that we continuously strive to improve our relative competitive position through the disciplined application of our business model - AIMS - the Alcan Integrated Management System.

 

As you can see from this graphic, our business model has three key elements:

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  • At the top, a governing objective of maximizing long-term shareholder value on a sustainable basis;
     

  • At the base, a solid foundation of fundamental values and ethics, as well as sound business practices for governance and compliance;
     

  • And linking the two - building on our foundation, helping us achieve our governing objective and differentiating us from our competitors - the Alcan Integrated Management System.

 

AIMS is the way that we seek to differentiate ourselves and outperform the competition. To that end, we have invested substantial money and time in training and deployment of AIMS over the past four years.

 

The first pillar of AIMS is Value Based management (VBM). This is a disciplined, EVA-based approach by which we make portfolio decisions and allocate our capital.

 

The second pillar is EHS FIRST, the method by which we embed environment, health and safety considerations as a top priority into everything that we do. I spoke earlier of the success we have achieved here.

 

The third pillar of AIMS is Continuous Improvement (CI), which incorporates the proven tools and techniques of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing. Our enterprise-wide CI initiative is already generating annual savings well in excess of $100 million per year - and growing rapidly.

 

I am pleased to announce that this year we will be adding a fourth pillar to AIMS - a pillar devoted to how we recruit, develop and empower our people, in order to provide us with an added crucial competitive advantage.

 

The reasoning behind this initiative is very straightforward: Alcan operates in 59 countries worldwide, in even more local cultures and dozens of languages. Ensuring that our people have the requisite skills - technical, commercial, leadership and linguistic - is essential to our success everywhere we operate.

 

Together, these four components of AIMS are the Company-wide platform supporting the development of best-in-class performance practices, aimed at establishing a sustainable competitive advantage in each of Alcan's four business groups.- the driver behind Alcan's governing objective of "Maximizing Value".

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Executive Committee

I believe that people really do constitute a competitive advantage for Alcan. People are the unique DNA of Alcan - - a DNA, I should note, that has been substantially enriched over the past few years with the addition of employees from algroup, Pechiney and other companies that have joined the Alcan family. Today, more than ever, our DNA - our people - are critical to Alcan's continued growth and success.

 

On that note, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce my colleagues on the Executive Committee. They are young but highly experienced and qualified, energetic and committed, and I would ask the team members to please stand as their names are called.

 

Jacynthe Côté is a Senior Vice President of Alcan Inc. and President and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan Bauxite and Alumina, headquartered in Montreal.

 

Cynthia Carroll is a Senior Vice President of Alcan Inc. and President and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan Primary Metal Group, also headquartered in Montreal.

 

Not in attendance is Christel Bories is a Senior Vice President of Alcan Inc. and President and Chief Executive Officer, Alcan Packaging, headquartered in Paris.

 

Also not in attendance is Michel Jacques, Senior Vice President of Alcan Inc. and President and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan Engineered Products, also headquartered in Paris.

 

The business-group leaders are joined on our 10-member Executive Committee by five senior functional executives from the corporate level. They are:

 

Mike Hanley, our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer;

David McAusland, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer;

 

Dan Gagnier, Senior Vice President, Corporate and External Affairs;

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Jean-Christophe Deslarzes, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, who was appointed on March 1, 2006, and,

 

Gaston Ouellet, Senior Vice President of Alcan Inc. and President of Pechiney S.A.

 

Mike, David, Dan and Jean-Christophe are all based at Corporate Headquarters here in Montreal and Gaston has his office in Paris.

 

Every member of the Executive Committee has played a key role in the transformation of Alcan over the past five years. Going forward, we are united in our commitment to continue to focus relentlessly on achieving operational excellence and delivering on our promises for Alcan's future.


Acknowledgements and Concluding Remarks

As the theme of the 2005 annual report expressed, Alcan is an evolving enterprise with an exciting future. Today's Alcan is a Company that's very much a global entity - dynamic, multicultural, value-driven, and ideally positioned to capitalize on new opportunities wherever they may exist in the world.

 

In conclusion, and on a personal note, I would like to thank the Board, my colleagues in senior management, Alcan employees around the world - and my fellow shareholders - for entrusting to me the stewardship of this exceptional Company. In addition, I would like to acknowledge the warm welcome that I and my wife, Gretchen, have received since our arrival here four years ago, not just from the business community but from virtually everyone we have met in Montreal.

 

With its rich cultural heritage, outstanding universities and high quality of life, Montreal is an ideal location for the corporate headquarters of a global enterprise like ours.

 

Moreover, with operations in some 59 countries worldwide and a steady influx of employees and visitors from around the globe, we are proud of the contribution Alcan makes to the diversity and economic vitality of the city of Montreal and the Province of Quebec.

 

Thank you. Merci.

 

I look forward to your questions later in this morning's meeting.

 

I will now turn the podium back to our Chairman.

11

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  Exhibit

              Description

  Number  
     
  99.1

Presentation by L. Yves Fortier, Chairman of the Board of Alcan Inc.

  99.2

Presentation by Richard B. Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan Inc.