Akzo Nobel Management Ensures Management Continuity.

Business Editors/Health Writers

ARNHEM, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2002

Akzo Nobel (EURONEXT:AKZ)(NASDAQ:AKZOY), the international pharmaceuticals, coatings and chemicals group, today announced that the Supervisory Board of Akzo Nobel plans to submit proposals for management succession to the General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 24 next.

At this meeting, Lo C. van Wachem (70) will resign from the Supervisory Board in view of statutory age requirements. Alain Merieux (63) presently President of the bioMerieux Company, France, and Karel Vuursteen (60) presently Chairman of the Executive Board of Heineken N.V., will be proposed to join the Supervisory Board effective May 1, 2002.

In order to guarantee continuity in the Board of Management, it has been decided to spread the retirement dates of the present members. Consequently, Paul K. Brons (60) will retire as per July 1, 2002, and it will be proposed that he is succeeded by Toon (A.) Wilderbeek (51), presently General Manager of Akzo Nobel's veterinary business unit Intervet.

As per May 1, 2003, Cees J.A. van Lede (59) will retire as Chairman of the Board of Management. Hans (G.J.) Wijers (51), presently Senior Vice President with the Boston Consulting Group and Chairman of the Dutch office, will be proposed to join the Board on October 1 of this year to succeed Cees J.A. van Lede (59) as Chairman per May 1, 2003. Mr. Wijers will act as an adviser to the Board of Management starting July 1, 2002.

To further provide for a gradual transition of management responsibilities, Dag Stromqvist (60) has agreed to postpone his retirement date beyond May 2004 to the end of that year, if so desired at that point in time.

Note for the editor

Akzo Nobel, based in the Netherlands, serves customers throughout the world with healthcare products, coatings and chemicals. Consolidated sales for 2001 totaled EUR 14 billion. The Company currently employs approximately 66,000 people in 80 countries. The 2001 annual report will be available in English on the Internet as of February 28. Financial results for the first quarter of 2002 will be published on April 23, 2002.

Internet: http://www.akzonobel.com

Alain Merieux (1938)

Mr. Merieux studied in Lyon (Dr. Pharmacy) and received a PMD from Harvard Business School. He created the bioMerieux company in 1963 and has been its president since that date. bioMerieux now is one the 10 leading diagnostics firms in the world. From 1968 until 1994 Mr. Merieux was president of the Institut Merieux, producer of human and veterinary vaccines, having acquired in 1985 the former Institut Pasteur Production (France) and in 1989 Connaught Laboratories in North America. In addition, he has been the President of Transgene since 1992, a biotechnological company specializing in gen therapy. Mr. Merieux holds various non-executive functions in the public and private sector and has been decorated for his achievements in many countries.

Karel Vuursteen (1941)

Mr. Vuursteen studied at the Agricultural University in Wageningen, the Netherlands (Agricultual Engineer). He started his career with Philips Electronics in the Netherlands in 1968. From 1979 until 1991 he held management positions for Philips respectively in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria and the United States. In 1991, Karel Vuursteen joined Heineken N.V. and was appointed member of the Executive Board, responsible for marketing. He became Chairman in 1993. Mr. Vuursteen holds a number of non-executive functions.

Hans Wijers (1951)

Mr. Wijers holds an MA in Economics with honors from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and a PhD in Economics from Erasmus University in Rotterdam.

After a short academic career, Mr. Wijers was active in consulting since 1984 to become a Managing Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Amsterdam in 1990. From 1994 - 1998 he was the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs with responsibilities for coordination of macro-economic policies, trade and industry, competition policy and technology (including e-commerce). During the Dutch presidency of the European Union he chaired the Council of Ministers for industry, research and energy.

Mr. Wijers returned to his consulting practice in 1999 to become Chairman of the Dutch office and Senior Vice President with BCG, a function he holds until today. He is an advisor to many international companies and holds several non-executive functions.

Toon Wilderbeek (1950)

Mr. Wilderbeek studied Veterinary Medicine at the Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht in 1976 (Drs. Veterinary Medicine). Between 1976 and 1980 he worked in Tunesia as a field officer for the Ministry of Development Aid. He joined Intervet, the veterinary subsidiary of Akzo, in 1980 as an Assistant in the Veterinary Service department. Subsequently, he held various management functions to become Manager R&D/Manufacturing and Member of the Business Unit Management in 1991. In 1994 he was appointed General Manager of Intervet.