MeadWestvaco and Rock-Tenn name executive leadership

MeadWestvaco Corp. and Rock-Tenn Co. announced Friday that they have selected the executive leadership team for when the companies combine.

The team includes executives from both MeadWestvaco and Rock-Tenn. The deal, which is still subject to shareholder approval and regulatory approvals, is still expected to close in the second quarter.
The combined company, which would be the second-largest U.S. packaging company in the country, plans to be headquartered in Richmond.

As previously announced, Steve Voorhees will be the new company’s CEO, and John Luke will be non-executive chairman of the board.

The rest of the executive team and their roles include:

-Bob Beckler, president, Packaging Solutions, currently executive vice president, MWV, and president of packaging. Since joining MWV in 1987, Beckler has held a variety of roles in research, business development and leadership across specialty chemicals, industrial packaging and the company’s core packaging business.

-Nina Butler, chief sustainability officer, currently senior vice president and senior environmental counsel, RockTenn. Butler joined RockTenn in 2011 with the acquisition of Smurfit-Stone, where she served as senior environmental counsel.

-Ward Dickson, chief financial officer, is currently executive vice president and chief financial officer, RockTenn. Prior to joining RockTenn in 2013, he served as senior vice president of finance for the global sales and service organization of Cisco Systems.

-Pete Durette, chief strategy officer, is currently senior vice president of strategy, MWV, and leader of the Home, Health & Beauty segment. Since joining MWV as vice president and chief strategy officer in 2009, Durette has helped reshape the company’s portfolio, leading many of its major growth initiatives and investments. Prior to joining MWV, Durette was with Textron Inc. and Marakon Associates.

-Jennifer Graham-Johnson, chief human resources officer, is currently executive vice president, human resources, RockTenn. Graham-Johnson joined RockTenn in 1993 in risk management and has since served in a variety of leadership roles for the company, including director of benefits and senior vice president, employee services.

-Bob McIntosh, general counsel, is currently executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, RockTenn. He was senior vice president, general counsel and secretary from 2000 to 2008, and vice president and general counsel from 1995 to 1999.

-Jim Porter, president, Paper Solutions, is currently in the same role at RockTenn, leading the company’s containerboard, paperboard and pulp mills, as well as the forest resources organization, recycling business and sales of containerboard, paperboard, recycled fiber and pulp. Previously, Porter served as president of corrugated packaging. Porter joined RockTenn in 2008 with the acquisition of Southern Container Corp., where he was president and chief operating officer.

-Linda Schreiner, chief integration officer, is currently senior vice president, human resources, communications and the MWV Foundation, MWV. Schreiner oversees organization strategy and development, talent management and total rewards for MWV’s global workforce. Prior to MWV, Schreiner was with Arthur D. Little and Signet Bank.

-Ed Rose, president, Specialty Chemicals for MWV, and Ken Seeger, president, Community Development and Land Management for MWV, will continue in their current leadership roles.