EXHIBIT 10.1

Exhibit 10.1

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

NOVELIS DIRECTOR EDWARD A. BLECHSCHMIDT APPOINTED ACTING CEO

ATLANTA, Dec. 29, 2006 - Novelis Inc. (NYSE: NVL) (TSX: NVL) today announced
that it has named Edward A. Blechschmidt, currently a member of its Board of
Directors, to become Acting Chief Executive Officer, effective January 2, 2007.
Mr. Blechschmidt succeeds Board Chairman William T. Monahan, who has been
Interim Chief Executive Officer since August. Mr. Monahan remains Chairman of
the Novelis Board.

"When I assumed the Interim CEO position in August, our ideal goal was to have a
new CEO by year-end, at which time I could return to my other commitments," Mr.
Monahan said. "However, finding the right CEO for Novelis will take a little
longer than expected, so I am passing the baton to Ed Blechschmidt, a Board
colleague with significant management experience and commitment to shareholder
value."

"Ed has been part of our three-person Office of the Chairman for the last four
months," added Monahan, "and he is the right person to move the company forward
in a hands-on manner during whatever period of time is needed to address new
day-to-day leadership. Novelis will continue its search for a permanent CEO."

Mr. Blechschmidt joined the Novelis Board in June. He is a former Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of Gentiva Health Services, Inc., a leading provider of
specialty pharmaceutical and home health care services that was spun off from
Olsten Corporation and taken public in 2000. He retired from Gentiva in 2002 and
remained a director until 2005. Before joining Gentiva, Mr. Blechschmidt served
as President and then Chief Executive Officer of Olsten. Prior to that, he
served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Nixdorf Americas and
Siemens Pyramid Technologies from 1996 to 1998, and spent more than 20 years
with Unisys Corporation, where he held positions of increasing responsibility
including Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Blechschmidt said, "I look forward to working with the talented employees of
Novelis at this exciting time. We continue to take important steps forward in
developing a world-class organization that delivers value to both shareholders
and customers. I am happy to have the opportunity to play a more meaningful role
in those initiatives."

Novelis is the global leader in aluminum rolled products and aluminum can
recycling. The company operates in 11 countries, has approximately 12,500
employees, and reported $8.4 billion in 2005 revenue. Novelis has the unrivaled
capability to provide its customers with a regional supply of technologically
sophisticated rolled aluminum products throughout Asia, Europe, North America
and South America. Through its advanced production capabilities, the company
supplies aluminum sheet and foil to the automotive and transportation, beverage
and food packaging, construction and industrial, and printing markets. For more
information, visit www.novelis.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT: INVESTOR CONTACT:
Charles Belbin Eric Harris
+1 404 814 4260 +1 404 814 4304
charles.belbin@novelis.com eric.harris@novelis.com