Annual Report 2007 - Severstal

Clockwise from above:
We have sponsored the Mariisky Theatre since
2003 and joined its charity board in 2005.
We have forged close links with Newcastle
Business School and sponsored many Severstal
employees through MBAs.
Our sponsorship of the Detroit Institute of Arts
continues our tradition of supporting art and
culture in the regions where we operate.
Recently modernised, Severstal Dearborn’s
“C” Blast Furnace utilises state-of-the-art
technologies that make it among the most
environmentally friendly blast furnaces in
the world.
The health and safety of our employees
remains one of our fundamental priorities.
Personnel training expenditures in Severstal segments
Number of
people who Educational Educational
participated expenses, expenses per
in training US$ million person, US$
Russian Steel 33,971 6.70 196.1
Mining 13,087 2.10 163.5
Metalware* 4,196 0.38 90.4
Lucchini Group 7,167 3.30 454.9
Severstal
North America 2,153 2.70 1,254.1
*Does not include educational expenses at Dneprometiz JSC and Carrington Wire Ltd.
Charity
We continued our traditional charity work throughout 2007.
Highlights included the preservation of historical and cultural
heritage, support for modern culture and children’s organisations,
and promotion of sports.
Over the course of the last several years, we have co-operated
with Russia’s leading theatres and museums. In 2007, for
example, we helped to implement several exciting artistic projects
in the Tretyakov Gallery and Bolshoi Theatre, and participated in a
new charity project in the US.
The eight-year co-operation between Severstal and the
Bolshoi Theatre continued in 2007, with the staging of the
‘Corsair’ ballet. This performance became a hallmark, both for
Russia’s cultural life and for global theatre arts.
In October 2007, we served as the partner for the concert
in the memory of Mstislav Rostropovich, which took place in
Frankfurt am Main. The cash funds contributed by the patrons and
sponsors of the concert went to the Rostropovich Cello Fund, which
was founded by the musician to support young cello players.
Two months later, we announced our sponsorship of the
Detroit Institute of Arts – the next chapter in our continuing
tradition of supporting culture and the arts throughout the
regions we work in, and promoting Russia’s historical and
cultural heritage abroad.
2007 also saw us decide to undertake a more professional
approach to the management of charity projects. For example, we
introduced competition mechanisms for grants, and developed
co-operation with experts and professional charity organisations.
The successful launch of the “Museums of the Russian North”
programme – a continuation of our co-operation with the Russian
branch of the British charity fund “Charities Aid Foundation”
(CAF Russia) – was a result of this. In June 2007, as part of this
programme, we announced a grant competition between the
museums of the 12 regions of the Russian north west, with a total
budget of around 9 million roubles. This competition has been
recognised as the country’s largest charity project in support of
provincial art museums.
In the course of 2007, we also continued to implement the
“Road Back Home” programme in the city of Cherepovets, aimed
at offering a comprehensive solution to the issues of children’s
homelessness and neglect.
Support of sports also occupies an important place in our
charitable activities. We aim to encourage healthy living among
our employees (and members of their families), and support the
development of various athletic activities.
Cherepovets Steel Mill annually funds the maintenance of the
city’s athletic facilities. These include Almaz athletic complex –
with an ice rink, two football fields, tennis courts, volleyball and
basketball courts, and track-and-field facilities. About 170 health
groups are active at these facilities. In 2007, they were regularly
attended by more than 4,700 employees (a growth of 7.6% on
2006), and more than 20,000 people took part in various athletic
competitions throughout the year.
We also traditionally sponsor the Severstal hockey team, and
support the Dynamo women’s volleyball club and the Russian
Chess Federation.
Severstal’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility
will continue in 2008. We plan to fully take into account the interests
of all stakeholders, to use the most effective and competitive
management technologies, proven by the best global practices,
and to guarantee the openness and availability of information
about our social investments.
Severstal Annual Report 2007 63