Ilim Pulp Enterprise (IPE) said its restructuring program will continue according to schedule despite the recent departure of one of its main architects. The firm's director for strategy and development, Michael Moshiashvili, has left following a disagreement with IPE's shareholders over his future role in the Russian forest products firm. IPE's communications director, Slava Bytchkov, explained that IPE has begun to implement the reorganization of its operating units from geographic groups to product lines as proposed by Moshiashvili. The director of strategy asked the shareholders to appoint him to an executive position in the production sphere to oversee the implementation of his plan. But Bytchkov said IPE's shareholders were reluctant to appoint the strategy specialist to this role. "Moshiashvili has no hands-on experience in the pulp and paper industry or, in fact, in any industry," the communications director explained. On top of that, shareholders felt that the 29 year-old company director's request for a sharp increase in remuneration was unreasonable. Bytchkov was adamant that Moshiashvili's departure would not affect IPE's ambition to move to a single share structure and launch and initial listing on the New York Stock Exchange by the end of next year. "Michael is a brilliant businessman but a business is bigger than any one man," he said. "The shareholders did not want him to leave," the communications director added. IPE will not seek a replacement for the function of director of strategy and development. IPE's spokesman also confirmed that the company's chief operating officer, Canadian Frank Graves, is due to move to Switzerland shortly to head up the investor relations office. "Frank has done a great job working on the product plans and we have benefited from his know-how in the pulp and paper industry," Bytchkov said. "As a foreigner he cannot implement the plans at the mills but his knowledge of the industry makes him an invaluable in informing the investment community about Ilim Pulp," he explained.