Steppe Cement Ltd announced the appointment of Xavier Marcel Hervé Blutel - Guilloud de Courbeville to its Board of Directors, with immediate effect, as a non-executive director.

Xavier Blutel (60) is currently the senior adviser, Wagram Corporate Finance, president and founding partner of SAS Baudrimont and a Conseiller du Commerce Extérieur de la France.

Mr Blutel brings significant experience to Steppe Cement having spent 33 years as an international executive in capital intensive industries such as the cement industry, with Italcementi Group and Ciments Français Group, and the petrochemicals industry. Besides managing various operations in numerous countries, he was actively involved in screening approach, negotiation and integration of new acquisitions, disposals of non-core businesses and potential mergers.

Mr Blutel, also spent six years (2002-2007) in international lobbying and developed and implemented the Sustainable Development approach in Italcementi Group.