Gerdau Ameristeel announces leadership changes

Gerdau Ameristeel Corp. has announced leadership changes.

Andre Johannpeter, currently chief operating officer for Gerdau Ameristeel, is returning to the Gerdau Group Corporate Office in Porto Alegre, Brazil in the second quarter of 2006 as executive vice president for Gerdau Group, where he will hold global responsibility for leading the Gerdau Group's processes of sales and marketing, raw materials, procurement and logistics, human resources, and organizational development. Johannpeter will remain on the Gerdau Ameristeel Board of Directors.

Paulo Vasconcellos, currently vice president of Northeastern Mill Operations for Gerdau Ameristeel, is relocating to the Gerdau Group Sao Paulo Office in Brazil as executive vice president, where he will have global responsibility for the specialty steel business unit for the Gerdau Group.

In a related announcement, Michael Mueller, currently vice president of the southeastern steel mill operations, is becoming president for all of the company's North American steel mill operation.