CEOs from leading forest and paper companies shared their successes and how they are working to lower costs, improve returns on investments and adapt to changing market demands.
Panelists
Rick Holley President and CEO Plum Creek Washington, USA
Rick Holley was elected President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Plum Creek in 1994. Prior to assuming this role, he served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 1985.
Mr. Holley began his career at General Electric Company in 1974, where he served in a variety of financial management positions. In 1983, he joined Burlington Northern, Inc. where he worked as Assistant Vice President, Corporate Audit. He held that position until joining Plum Creek in 1985.
He received a bachelor of science in accounting and business administration from San Jose State University, California. He also completed an advanced education program at Northwestern University.
In addition to serving on Plum Creek’s board, Mr. Holley serves on various other boards, including the American Forest & Paper Association, the American Forest Foundation, the World Forestry Center and Children’s Hospital Foundation in Seattle. He is also a member of the Visiting Committee of the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Frank Graves Executive Vice President Ilim Pulp Enterprises St. Petersburg, Russia
Frank Graves became the Executive Vice President of Ilim Pulp in 2003. He is responsible for strategic, corporate and business development plans, capital structure, merger and acquisitions, strategic and financial investors including the transfer to a single share and IPO. He is also responsible for strategic marketing, investor and industry relations, public relations and branding. Formulation of government policy, the setting of technical and operating parameters for operations and evaluating performance as well as evaluation, approval and monitoring of investments, safety and ecological standards. He began his career with Ilim Pulp as Chief Operating Officer in 2002.
Ilim Pulp, founded ten years ago, directly controls over 60 % of the Russian pulp and paper industry. These include the major forest, pulp and paper complexes of Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk in Siberia and Kotlas in the North East. As well, the group owns the paperboard and graphic printing company KPK, the Kommunar paper mill and the corrugated packaging group – Ilim Gofropack. Annual Sales are in excess of 1 billion USD.
Mr. Graves has a degree in finance as well as marketing and started his career in the banking industry. His career in the pulp and paper business began on the manufacturing side of the pulp business, subsequently moving to the commercial side. He has worked for a number of companies both in Canada and overseas. Prior to joining Ilim Pulp, he spent 7 years with Tembec Inc. in Canada.
James Lopez President and CEO Tembec Inc. Temiscaming, Canada
James Lopez was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2006. He joined Tembec in 1989 and as a Manager in Corporate Development and was appointed Vice President and General Manager of the Chemical Products Group in 1994, followed by Vice President, Specialty Products Division of the Forest Products Group in 1996. In 1999, Mr. Lopez was appointed Executive Vice President of the Forest Resource Management Group, which included playing a key role in establishing the Ontario Living Legacy initiative and Ontario Forestry Accord.
Mr. Lopez was Executive Vice President and President of Tembec’s Forest Products Group from 2003 -2006. Previously, Mr. Lopez was with the Kellogg Company and the international consulting firm, Synergetics.
Mr. Lopez has been active in a number of industry trade and technical associations. He is a past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Forest Industry Association (OFIA), the Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC), and Woodworks, an organization that promotes the use of wood in residential and commercial construction. He is currently Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Forintek, a world-class research organization that specializes in the technological advancement of the Canadian wood products industry.
Born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, in 1959, Mr. Lopez is a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics.
Russell J. Horner President and CEO Catalyst Paper Corporation Vancouver, Canada
Russell J. Horner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Paper Corporation, brings international executive experience, a reputation for business innovation through partnerships, and a strong operational background to his current position as head of British Columbia’s largest pulp and paper company. Mr. Horner holds a degree in chemistry from the University of British Columbia with advanced management training from Harvard Business School and the University of Auckland. He is past chair of the Forest Products Association of Canada and is a director of several corporate boards including Catalyst Paper Corporation and Agrium Inc.
Moderators
Robert Barnden Partner, Global Leader Forest, Paper and Packaging Practice PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Stockholm, Sweden
Robert Barnden became the Global Leader, Forest, Paper and Packaging Practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on July 1, 2005. He is based in Stockholm, Sweden and is the lead audit partner on various forest, paper and packaging clients. He has numerous years experience in the sector and provides strategic direction to the Global Practice.
Kevin Bromley is a Partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global Forest, Paper and Packaging practice, specializing in audit and advisory services. He advises forest companies across North America on accounting, audit and business issues. He alo leads a team of specialists who manage the Forest Investment Account on behalf of the government of British Columbia. Kevin’s work as a Chartered Accountant—including a three-year secondment in London, England—has given him experience with the forest industry and the issues facing large public companies, particularly those relating to initial public offerings, prospectuses and Canadian and U.S. securities work.
Kevin Bromley graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia in 1986.
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