At Mercer, strong leadership is key to achieving operational excellence by maintaining a culture of operational discipline and continuous improvement. Our leaders develop employees by involving them in solution-based thinking and working together across functions to improve safety, reliability, and overall employee engagement.
At Mercer, we work to inspire and lead our people in an environment focused on continuous improvement. We provide opportunities for people to develop within our organization – personally and professionally. Our leaders manage their teams and responsibilities with high integrity and transparency. We know the core of Mercer’s success is the result of a strong team.
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Mercer
Juan Carlos Bueno joined Mercer as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director in May 2022. Since 2018 ...
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Juan Carlos Bueno joined Mercer as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director in May 2022. Since 2018, he has served as the Chairman of the Board and co-founder of Global Energy which produces novel green energy generation devices.
Mr. Bueno has extensive global industrial and product experience and a proven track record of achieving commercial and operational excellence over a 30-year career. Before his position at Global Energy, from 2011 to 2017, Mr. Bueno was Executive Vice President and Divisional CEO, Biomaterials for Stora Enso, where he designed and led their new biomaterials division, growing sales and profitability. Mr. Bueno created a vision and strategy to expand into new sectors, such as lignin and hemicellulose. He also has broad experience in investor relations, board interaction and other key CEO functions.
Mr. Bueno has also previously served in executive positions, including Vice President, Crop Protection, President Agar Cross, Commercial Manager, Global Financial Analyst and Business Consultant with EI DuPont de Nemours & Company in Brazil (now DowDuPont), UK, Argentina, Colombia and the USA.
Mr. Bueno holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a graduate degree in Negotiation & International Relations. He is a Director of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI).
Senior Vice President Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary
David K. Ure, Senior Vice President Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary of Mercer since July 2015 ...
David K. Ure, Senior Vice President Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary of Mercer since July 2015, has served as Senior Vice President Finance from 2013 to 2015 and Vice President and Controller from 2006 to 2010. Mr. Ure’s previous roles included Vice President, Finance of Sierra Wireless Inc. and Controller at various companies including Catalyst Paper Corp., Pacifica Papers Inc., and Trojan Lithograph Corp., as well as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Finlay Forest Industries Inc.
Mr. Ure has more than fifteen years of experience in the forest products industry. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from the University of British Columbia and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia. He currently serves on the boards of Semiahmoo House Society and Peninsula Estates Housing Society. He is also a Director of Performance Biofilaments Inc.
Chief Human Resources Officer
Guy Arguin, Chief Human Resources Officer, joined Mercer in January 2022. Mr. Arguin’s previous roles included ...
Guy Arguin, Chief Human Resources Officer, joined Mercer in January 2022. Mr. Arguin’s previous roles included Senior Vice President, Human Resources for the Global Resources sector of SNC-Lavalin and Senior Vice President Human Resources and Human Resources Director roles with British American Tobacco across the Middle East, Northern Europe, France and Canada. Guy started his professional career with Domtar in Montreal.
Mr. Arguin has diverse Human Resources experiences across several sectors, such as Engineering and Consulting Services, Oil & Gas, Mining, Consumer Products and Pulp and Paper. Guy holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the Universite du Quebec en Outaouais and a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Relations from McGill University. He is also a Certified Human Resources Professional and a certified Executive Coach from the Academy of Executive Coaching in the U.K.
Chief Operating Officer, Pulp Products
Adolf Koppensteiner, Chief Operating Officer Pulp Products of Mercer since 2017, has served as ...
Adolf Koppensteiner, Chief Operating Officer, Pulp Products with Mercer since 2017, has been the Managing Director, Operations and Technical of the Stendal mill since October 2013. He served as Mill Manager at the Rosenthal mill since joining Mercer in 2007. Previously, Mr. Koppensteiner served as Managing Director of Kvaerner Central Europe, responsible for Sales and Service for fifteen years. His entire career has been in the pulp and paper industry, where he has held various positions and gained significant experience in engineering, construction projects, and pulp mill start-ups, as well as in developing and optimizing operating processes.
Chief Operating Officer Wood Products
Dr. Carsten Merforth has been Chief Operating Officer, Wood Products with Mercer since 2022. In this role, he ...
Dr. Carsten Merforth has been the Chief Operating Officer, Wood Products with Mercer since 2022. In this role, he leads the development and execution of strategic business plans covering all solid wood products mills within Mercer reporting to him. He partners with cross-functional and business colleagues to meet all relevant organizational and project goals. In addition to supporting the growth and development of the teams and leaders reporting to him, the COO ensures the health and safety of all employees are paramount across all facilities under his supervision.
Since its acquisition in April 2017, Dr. Merforth was the Managing Director of the Friesau sawmill, Mercer Timber Products. Before that, he was the Managing Director of several high-capacity sawmills for Rettenmeier Holding AG and Pfeifer Holz GmbH. Dr. Merforth has more than 20 years of experience in the industrial sawmilling business and has extensive experience operating both saw and planing mills in Germany and Eastern Europe.
Dr. Merforth holds a Master of Forestry degree from Georg August University and a Doctorate of Forestry Economics degree from Albert Ludwigs University.
Chief Information Officer
Christoph Grewe-Franze, Chief Information Officer of Mercer since 2018, has served as Chief Information Officer of ...
Christoph Grewe-Franze serves as Chief Information Officer for Mercer’s global operations and has considerable expertise in technology infrastructure, applications, and operations. Mr. Grewe-Franze is the former Chief Information Officer of Schütte, a large German machining equipment manufacturer. He has held similar roles in a diverse list, including Able Management GmbH, Weleda AG, and the Tengelmann Group. Mr. Grewe-Franze has also held numerous consulting roles for such companies as Centogene AG, Deutsches Milchkontor, Konica Minolta, Ruhrkohle AG, and Dennree.
Mr. Grewe-Franze has a degree in Economic Sciences from Bergische Universität, Wuppertal, Germany.
Senior Vice President, Global Wood Sourcing
Wolfgang Beck, Senior Vice President, Global Wood Sourcing since 2022, served in ...
Wolfgang Beck, Senior Vice President, Global Wood Sourcing since 2022, has served in different leading functions in Mercer’s German wood business since 2005, and most recently, he was Managing Director of Mercer Holz since 2016. In the past, Mr. Beck worked for a German state forest organization and in the German financial sector at the beginning of his career. He has been Managing Director of wood2M since 2016, a Joint Venture Company of Mercer and another Pulp and Paper Manufacturer.
Mr. Beck is a committee chairman or member of various wood industry associations.
Senior Vice President, Innovation & Government Relations
Wolfram Ridder has served as Senior Vice President, Innovation & Government ...
Wolfram Ridder has served as Senior Vice President, Innovation & Government Relations since 2023. Starting in 2005, Mr. Ridder served as Vice President, Business Development, and from 2001 to 2005 he served as Managing Director at our Mercer Stendal mill. Mr. Ridder has also served as Vice President Pulp Operations, Assistant to Chief Executive Officer from 1999 to 2005 and Assistant Managing Director of the Rosenthal mill from 1995 to 1998.
Before joining Mercer, Mr. Ridder worked as a scientist for pulping technology development at the German Federal Research Center for Wood Science and Technology in Hamburg from 1988 to 1995.
Mr. Ridder holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Master of Wood Science and Forest Product Technology degree from Hamburg University.
Vice President, Corporate Development
Brian Merwin, Vice President, Corporate Development of Mercer since 2009, has served as ...
Brian Merwin, Vice President, Corporate Development of Mercer since 2009, has served as Director, Strategic and Business Initiatives and Business Analyst since joining Mercer in 2005.
Mr. Merwin holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia. He has over 15 years of industry experience, including M&A, corporate development, strategy, capital projects, innovation, and business integration. He currently serves as a Director of Cariboo Pulp & Paper Company and as Chairman of Performance BioFilaments Inc.
Vice President, Sustainability and Innovation
Bill Adams, Vice President, Sustainability and Innovation of Mercer since 2019, has worked in a wide range of ...
ill Adams serves as Vice President, Sustainability & Innovation for Mercer’s global operations. Mr. Adams has worked in various leadership roles in Canada and the United States over the past 33 years, focusing on engineering, manufacturing, and corporate development. These roles took place with Weyerhaeuser and Domtar before joining Canfor in 2014, where Bill served as the Sr. Director, Sustainability, Strategy & Innovation based in Vancouver. Before this role, Mr. Adams served as Engineering & Strategy Planning Manager at Domtar’s Kamloops mill in British Columbia.
Bill Adams is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia, and an MBA in International Management from APIU. He has been a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia since 1987.
Vice President, Controller
Richard Short, Vice President, Controller of Mercer since 2014, has been the Controller from 2010 to 2014 and ...
Richard Short has served as Vice President, Controller since February 2014. Before this, he served as Controller from November 2010 to February 2014 and as Director, Corporate Finance since joining Mercer in July 2007. His previous roles include Controller, Financial Reporting from 2006 to 2007 and Director, Corporate Finance from 2004 to 2006 with Catalyst Paper Corporation, and Assistant Controller at the Alderwoods Group Inc.
Mr. Short holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia.
Vice President, Treasurer
Genevieve Stannus, Vice President, Treasurer of Mercer since 2021, has served as Treasurer from 2005 to 2020 ...
Genevieve Stannus, Vice President, Treasurer of Mercer since 2021, has served as Treasurer from July 2005 to 2020 and was the Senior Financial Analyst when joining Mercer in August 2003. Before her role at Mercer, Ms. Stannus held Senior Treasury Analyst positions with Catalyst Paper Corporation and Pacifica Papers Inc.
Ms. Stannus is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia, Canada.
Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Logistics for Asia and North America
Eric X. Heine, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Logistics of Mercer for Asia and North America since June 2005 ...
Eric X. Heine has served as Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Logistics for Asia and North America since June 2005. Mr. Heine was Vice President, Pulp and International Paper Sales and Marketing for Domtar Inc. from 1999 to 2005.
Mr. Heine has extensive experience in the international pulp and paper industry, including developing strategic sales channels and market partners to build corporate brands. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry (Wood Science) from the University of Toronto.
Vice President, Pulp Sales and Marketing for Europe; Managing Director, Mercer Pulp Sales
Uwe Bentlage has been Vice President, Pulp Sales & Marketing Europe and Managing Director ...
Uwe Bentlage has been Vice President, Pulp Sales & Marketing Europe and Managing Director of Mercer Pulp Products in Berlin since 2017. He joined the company in 2004. Mr. Bentlage is distinguished by over 25 years of international market experience with wood-based products and the paper and pulp industry.
Mr. Bentlage’s professional career began in 1994 at EGGER Holzwerkstoffe, Austria, in a sales role focused on Poland and Russia. Managerial responsibilities in sales, product management, and PMI after acquisitions soon followed, rounding off his station with the company. In 1999, he moved to Ekman, one of the leading global trading houses for pulp and paper. From their Brussels location, he took over responsibility for various paper and pulp agencies and marketing products in Germany and other European countries.
Mr. Bentlage graduated in business administration from the Universities of Applied Sciences in Bielefeld and Rotterdam (HES), Netherlands.
Nils Hegerding, Vice President, Pulp Sales and Marketing Europe since 2017and Managing Director ...
Nils Hegerding, Vice President, Pulp Sales and Marketing Europe since 2017. He joined Mercer as a Sales Director in 2006, before which he worked for GUSCO Handel, a pulp and paper agent in Hamburg as a sales manager for pulp and paper products from various regions and suppliers.
Mr. Hegerding has more than 20 years of experience in the sale of pulp, paper, pigments and biochemicals in various markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Nils Hegerding holds an Executive Master in General Management degree from SGMI, St. Gallen.
Vice President, Health and Safety
Mark Goebel, Vice President, Health and Safety at Mercer since 2021, has served as Director, Health and Safety ...
Mark Goebel serves as Vice President, Health and Safety for Mercer International Inc. Mr. Goebel joined Mercer in 2016 as the Health and Safety Manager of the Celgar Mill and more recently served as Director, Health and Safety overseeing global operations.
Mr. Goebel has over 30 years of experience in Emergency Response and Health & Safety Management, previously holding positions with Weyerhaeuser Canada, Norske Skog, and Catalyst Paper Corporation. Mr. Goebel’s experience includes ten years guiding emergency response and prevention programs for underground and open pit mining operations in remote regions of northern Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
Mr. Goebel currently serves as Chairperson for the Pulp and Paper Advisory Group of BC (PPAG) and maintains professional designations as a Canadian Registered Safety Professional and a Certified Health and Safety Consultant.
VICE PRESIDENT, PROCUREMENT
Stefan Duda has been Vice President of Procurement at Mercer since 2023. He first joined the company in 2005 ...
Stefan Duda has been Vice President of Procurement at Mercer since 2023. He first joined the company in 2005 at the Mercer Rosenthal mill in Thuringia. Throughout his career with Mercer, Mr. Duda held various leadership positions in both Germany and Canada. Among other positions, he was Director of Procurement at Mercer Celgar, leader of the Mercer-wide health and safety program “Road to Zero”, and Mercer’s Continuous Improvement Coordinator.
Mr. Duda graduated from the University of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, with a Master’s degree in Forestry Sciences and completed a Master’s of Business in International Management (MBA) degree at the Nürtingen-Geislingen University of Applied Sciences.
Managing Director, Mercer Peace River
Roger Ashfield, Managing Director of Mercer Peace River since February 2022, has over 30 years of ...
Roger Ashfield, Managing Director of Mercer Peace River since February 2022, has over 30 years of strategic leadership experience across multiple industries such as oil and gas, automobile manufacturing, pulp and paper, and consumer products.
Before obtaining his current role at Mercer Peace River, Roger served for 12 years in the oil and gas sector as a Director for Suncor Energy Corp. in production, maintenance, and projects. Roger’s previous role had him seconded to Syncrude Canada Ltd., directing large-scale maintenance activities across the upgrading areas. He has developed exceptional leadership skills throughout Roger’s career, transforming cultures using tools like Operational Excellence, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma.
Mr. Ashfield holds an international MBA and Graduate degree in Management from the Australian Institute of Business and a Mechanical Engineering Technologist degree specializing in Robotics and Automation, obtained in Ontario, Canada. Additionally, Roger is a board member of the Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA), working to enhance the forestry industry’s future.
General Manager, Mercer Forestry Services
Marty Hiemstra, General Manager of Mercer Forestry Services since 2020, has over 25 years of experience ...
Marty Hiemstra has served as the General Manager for Mercer Forestry Services since February 2020. With most of his experience falling within timber harvesting and transportation, Mr. Hiemstra has over 25 years of experience in the forest industry.
Mr. Hiemstra completed his Forest Technology Diploma from the College of New Caledonia, followed by his Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of British Columbia and Executive MBA from the University of Northern British Columbia. Mr. Hiemstra has also been a Registered Professional Forester within the Association of BC Forest Professionals since 1998.
Managing Director, Mercer Rosenthal and Group Controller for Europe
Leonhard Nossol, Group Controller of Mercer Europe since 2005 and Co-Managing Director ...
Leonhard Nossol has been the Group Controller for Europe since August 2005. He has also been the Co-Managing Director of Rosenthal since 2020. Between 2005 and 2020, he was the sole Managing Director of Rosenthal, and from 1997 to 2005, he was already the Co-Managing Director of Rosenthal. Before joining Mercer, Mr. Nossol was Director, Finance and Administration for a German household appliance producer from 1992 to 1997. Before this, he was Operations Controller at Grundig AG (consumer electronics) in Nürnberg, Germany.
Mr. Nossol has been a member of the German Industry Federation’s (BDI) Tax Committee since 2003. He was elected President of the German Wood Users Association (AGR) in 2013 and still holds this post. He has also been a board member of the German Papermaker’s association from 2013 onwards. Mr. Nossol holds a Political Science degree from Freie Universität Berlin, Germany and a degree in Business Management from the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, Germany.
Managing Director, Mercer Rosenthal
Dr. Christian Sörgel, Co-Managing Director of Mercer Rosenthal since 2020, has served as Mill Manager ...
Dr. Christian Sörgel has been the Co-Managing Director of Rosenthal since 2020. He joined Rosenthal in 2007 and held various positions in different areas of the mill in the following years. In 2013 he was appointed mill manager responsible for production and maintenance, including investments.
Mr. Sörgel holds a Ph.D. in Wood Science and Forest Product Technology from Hamburg University.
Managing Director, Mercer Stendal
André Listemann, Managing Director, Finance and Administration, of Mercer Stendal since 2012, has served ...
André Listemann has served as Managing Director, Finance and Administration of the Stendal mill since November 2012. Before this, he served as Director, Finance and IT of Stendal since joining Mercer in 2012. In the past, Mr. Listemann was Regional Controller, Europe for Avery Dennison Corporation, a global labelling and packaging company, where he served for more than eleven years in several finance positions. Mr. Listemann started his career at Coopers & Lybrand as an external auditor and spent three years in a management position at a local bank.
Mr. Listemann holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Jena.
Managing Director, Mercer Timber Products
Torsten Kröger has been the Managing Director of Mercer Timber Products GmbH since September 2022 ...
Torsten Kröger has been the Managing Director of Mercer Timber Products GmbH since September 2022. Joining Mercer in December 2019, Torsten Kröger led the development of major investment projects at various Mercer sites in Germany. As of November 2021, Mr. Kröger was the mill manager at Mercer Timber Products in Friesau.
Before that, Torsten Kröger held various management positions at Pollmeier Massivholz for more than 20 years, including Technical Manager of three large German hardwood sawmills, Authorized Representative, and Managing Director. He has extensive technical knowledge and years of experience developing sites in the wood processing industry.
Torsten Kröger has a degree in mechanical engineering and is a trained carpenter.
Managing Director, Mercer Torgau
Christian Pospiech is the Managing Director of Mercer Torgau GmbH & Co. KG, formerly HIT Holz ...
Christian Pospiech is the Managing Director of Mercer Torgau GmbH & Co. KG, formerly HIT Holz, acquired by Mercer International in October 2022. Mr. Pospiech, an engineering graduate, has led the company’s transformation process since 2018 and is responsible for Sales, Operations Logistics and Technology.
Mr. Pospiech began his career in 1998 at Deutsche Börse in Frankfurt, where he helped to establish the European Energy Exchange. Before joining Mercer Torgau, he worked for several portfolio companies of funds advised by Orlando Management, most recently as Managing Director at nox NachtExpress, Germany’s leading overnight express provider. Before that, he worked for nine years in various management positions at General Electric, among others, as Master Black Belt, Senior Post Merger Integration Manager, and most recently as Global Operations Leader. At McKinsey, he gained experience as a project manager for strategic and operational studies for clients from various industry sectors.
Christian Pospiech studied electrical engineering at the RWTH Aachen and Engineering at the Ecole Centrale Paris. He completed the double degree program of the universities as Diplom-Ingenieur and Diplôme d’Ingénieur des Arts et Manufactures.
Managing Director, Mercer Holz
Martin Stöhr has been Managing Director of Mercer Holz since September 2022. Since joining Mercer ...
Martin Stöhr has been Managing Director of Mercer Holz since September 2022. Since joining Mercer in 2005, he has managed various departments of Mercer’s wood purchasing organization in Germany. Most recently, Mr. Stöhr was responsible for all wood purchasing for Mercer locations in Germany and served as Deputy Managing Director. Before joining Mercer, he held a senior position in a state forestry administration for many years.
Martin Stöhr holds a degree in forestry and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.
General Manager, Mercer Mass Timber
Jason Herman has been the General Manager of Mercer Mass Timber since 2021. He has served in the ...
Jason Herman has been the General Manager of Mercer Mass Timber since 2021. He has served in the timber products industry for 27 years, including Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), Remanufacturing, Sawmill, Planer, Plywood and CLT. His experience has been honed through prior involvement with Plum Creek, Smartlam, Vaagen Timbers, Katerra and Mercer International.
Managing Director, Santanol
Holly Birch has been Managing Director of Santanol since 2023. Ms. Birch is responsible for leading the team to produce ...
Holly Birch has been Managing Director of Santanol since 2023. Ms. Birch is responsible for leading the team to produce 100% sustainable, fully traceable sandalwood oil for use in fragrance, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. From its 2,500-hectare plantation in Kununurra, Western Australia, to its production facility in Perth, Santanol has full control of the supply chain from seed to the final distillation.
Ms. Birch brings to the Mercer Group broad experience at the executive level, with a strong focus on people and communication in high-growth organizations. Before joining Santanol, she was General Manager, Australia at Little Green Pharma, a pioneer medicinal cannabis company growing and manufacturing medicinal cannabis. Her diverse professional experience includes roles in business development at Optus Communications, as Client Director at Vantage Performance, and as a certified coach and Human Resources consultant.
Ms. Birch graduated from the University of Birmingham with a Bachelor of Arts and holds accreditations as a Certified Coach (ICF and PRINT).
Executive Chairman of the Board
Jimmy S.H. Lee, Executive Chairman of the Board since July 2015 and Director since May 1985, has served as ...
Jimmy S.H. Lee has served as Board’s Executive Chairman since July 2015. He served as a Director since May 1985 and as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1992 to 2015. During his tenure at Mercer, the Company acquired the Rosenthal mill and converted it to produce kraft pulp, constructed and commenced operations at the Stendal mill, and acquired the Celgar mill.
He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. Mr. Lee possesses particular knowledge and experience in finance and banking, credit markets, derivative risk management, and international pulp markets. Mr. Lee also serves as an Environmental, Health, and Safety Committee member.
Juan Carlos Bueno joined Mercer as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director in May 2022. Since 2018, he has served as the Chairman of the Board and co-founder of Global Energy which produces novel green energy generation devices.
Mr. Bueno has extensive global industrial and product experience and a proven track record of achieving commercial and operational excellence over a 30-year career. Before his position at Global Energy, from 2011 to 2017, Mr. Bueno was Executive Vice President and Divisional CEO, Biomaterials, for Stora Enso where he designed and led their new biomaterials division, growing sales and profitability. Mr. Bueno created a vision and strategy to expand into new sectors, such as lignin and hemicellulose. He also has broad experience in investor relations, board interaction and other key CEO functions.
Mr. Bueno has also previously served in executive positions, including Vice President, Crop Protection, President Agar Cross, Commercial Manager, Global Financial Analyst and Business Consultant with EI DuPont de Nemours & Company in Brazil (now DowDuPont), UK, Argentina, Colombia and USA.
Mr. Bueno holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a graduate degree in Negotiation & International Relations.
Lead Director
William D. McCartney, a Director of Mercer since January 2003 and Lead Director since June 2021 ...
William D. McCartney, a Director of Mercer since January 2003 and Lead Director since June 2021, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Pemcorp Management Inc., a corporate finance and management consulting firm, since its inception in 1990. From 1984 to 1990, he was a Founding Partner of Davidson & Company, Chartered Accountants, where he specialized in business advisory services. He has been involved with numerous capital restructuring and financing events involving several public companies and brings substantial knowledge of financial accounting and auditing processes.
Mr. McCartney is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has been a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants Association of British Columbia since 1980. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University.
Mr. McCartney also serves as Chair of Mercer’s Governance and Nominating Committee and a Member of Mercer’s Audit Committee. He also provides leadership to our Board on board practices, governance matters, and succession planning in his role as the Lead Director of the Board.
Director
Keith Purchase, a Director of Mercer since June 2012, has served as the Executive Vice President ...
Keith Purchase, a Director of Mercer since June 2012, has served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for MacMillan Bloedel Limited from 1998 to 1999, President and Chief Executive Officer of TimberWest Forest Limited from 1994 to 1998 and Managing Director of Tasman Pulp and Paper from 1990 to 1994. Mr. Purchase was previously a Director of Catalyst Paper Corporation and Chair of the Board of Directors.
As he has held several senior positions in the forestry industry, Mr. Purchase brings to the Board extensive senior executive experience relevant to the Company’s operations and significant board of director leadership experience from a wide variety of companies.
Mr. Purchase serves as Chair of Mercer’s Compensation and Human Resources Committee and a Governance and Nominating Committee member.
James Shepherd, a Director of Mercer since June 2011, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of ...
James Shepherd, a Director of Mercer since June 2011, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Canfor Corporation from 2004 to 2007 and Slocan Forest Products Limited from 1999 to 2004. He is also the former President of Crestbrook Forest Industries Limited and Finlay Forest Industries Limited and the former Chairman of the Forest Products Association of Canada. Mr. Shepherd has previously served as a Director of Buckman Laboratories International Inc., Conifex Timber Inc., Canfor Corporation, and Canfor Pulp Income Fund (now Canfor Pulp Products Inc.).
Mr. Shepherd holds an Applied Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University.
Mr. Shepherd also serves as Chair of Mercer’s Environmental, Health and Safety Committee and as a Compensation and Human Resources Committee member.
Alan Wallace, a Director of Mercer since June 2018, is currently Chief Executive Officer of Peloton Advisors Inc. ...
Alan Wallace, a Director of Mercer since June 2018., is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Peloton Advisors Inc., a financial advisory firm working with private and public companies on mergers and acquisitions and financial and strategic transactions, and he is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mr. Wallace was the Vice Chairman, Investment Banking, CIBC World Markets Inc. from 1987 to 2013, where he was also the Co-head of its Paper and Forest Products Group from 1995 to 2013.
Mr. Wallace has significant capital markets and mergers and acquisitions experience, including relating to debt and equity financings, corporate credit facilities and financial advisory assignments. He also has extensive forest products experience in financings and strategic transactions in the industry. He brings extensive experience in capital markets and corporate strategic review to the board.
Mr. Wallace holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Toronto.
Mr. Wallace also serves as Chair of Mercer’s Audit Committee and Compensation and Human Resources Committee member.
Linda Welty, a Director of Mercer since June 2018, currently serves as an independent director of GCP ...
Linda Welty, a Director of Mercer since June 2018, currently serves as an independent director of GCP Applied Technologies (NYSE: GCP), a global provider of specialty construction chemicals and building materials and has served in that role since 2020. She also serves as an independent director of Huber Engineered Materials, a global manufacturer of engineered specialty ingredients, a portfolio company of J.M. Huber Corporation and has served in that role since 2014. She is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Welty Strategic Consulting, LLC, an advisory firm focused on the development and execution of value-creation strategies.
From 2012 to 2019, she served as a director of the Atlanta Chapter of NACD and as Chairman from 2018-2019. The mission of NACD is the advancement of excellence in corporate governance. From 2010 to 2011, she served as a Director and Member of the special committee of Massey Energy Company. She served as an Independent Director of Vertellus Specialties, Inc., a global manufacturer of specialty chemicals, from 2007 to 2016.
Ms. Welty was President and Chief Operating Officer of Flint Ink Corp., a global producer of printing inks for packaging and publication from 2003 to 2005. From 1998 to 2003, she served as President of the Specialty Group of H.B. Fuller Company, a global manufacturer of adhesives, sealants, and coatings. She served over twenty years in global leadership roles for Hoechst AG and its former U.S. subsidiary, Celanese.
Ms. Welty brings to the Board extensive global industrial experience spanning more than 40 years in corporate governance, executive leadership, operations, sales, marketing, and manufacturing roles in the chemicals, specialty chemicals, and energy industries.
Ms. Welty holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kansas. Ms. Welty also serves as a Member of Mercer’s Governance and Nominating Committee and Environmental, Health, and Safety Committee.
Rainer Rettig, a Director of Mercer since February 2020, has served as head of the Circular Economy Program ...
Rainer Rettig, a Director of Mercer since February 2020, has served as head of the Circular Economy Program of Covestro AG (formerly known as Bayer Material Science, a subgroup of Bayer AG), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-tech polymer materials.
Mr. Rettig brings significant experience in sales, marketing and strategy development in the field of chemicals and plastics. He had several senior leadership roles in Germany, Japan, Hong Kong and China.
Mr. Rettig holds a Ph.D. in polymer chemistry and polymer processing from the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany.
Mr. Rettig serves as a member of Mercer’s Compensation and Human Resources Committee and a Member of the Environmental, Health and Safety Committee.
Alice Laberge, a Director of Mercer since February 2021, has recently retired from the board of the Royal Bank of Canada ...
Alice Laberge, a Director of Mercer since February 2021, recently retired from the board of the Royal Bank of Canada in January 2021, where she served for over 15 years.
Ms. Laberge is a member of the boards of directors of Nutrien Ltd. and Russel Metals Inc. Ms. Laberge is also a director of the BC Cancer Foundation and the Canadian Public Accountability Board. She was President and Chief Executive Officer of Fincentric Corporation until 2005 and was previously Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice-President of Finance for MacMillan Bloedel Limited.
Ms. Laberge holds an MBA from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta.
Ms. Laberge serves as a Member of Mercer’s Audit Committee and the Compensation and Human Resources Committee.
Janine North, a Director of Mercer since February 2021, currently serves as a Director for Conifex Timber Inc. ...
Janine North, a Director of Mercer since February 2021, currently serves as a Director for Conifex Timber Inc. and Imperial Metals Corporation. She is also a director of the BC Ferry Services Corp. and the Fraser Basin Council. Ms. North retired from the Northern Development Initiative Trust in 2016 after serving 11 years as the founding Chief Executive Officer.
Ms. North holds a Diploma in Management Studies from the Executive MBA Program at Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta.
Ms. North serves as a Member of Mercer’s Audit Committee and the Governance and Nominating Committee.