Leadership Team

Juan Carlos Bueno

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, 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).

David K. Ure

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, 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.

Guy Arguin

Chief Human Resources Officer

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.

Adolf Koppensteiner

Chief Operating Officer, Pulp Products

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.

Dr. Carsten Merforth

Chief Operating Officer Wood Products

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.

Christoph Grewe-Franze

Chief Information Officer

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.

Wolfgang Beck

Senior Vice President, Global Wood Sourcing

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.

Wolfram Ridder

Senior Vice President, Innovation & Government Relations

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.

Brian Merwin

Vice President, Corporate Development

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.

Bill R. Adams

Vice President, Sustainability and Innovation

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.

Richard Short

Vice President, Controller

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.

Genevieve Stannus

Vice President, Treasurer

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.

Eric X. Heine

Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Logistics for Asia and North America

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.

Uwe Bentlage

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 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 for Europe; Managing Director, Mercer Pulp Sales

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.

Mark Goebel

Vice President, 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.

Stefan Duda

VICE PRESIDENT, PROCUREMENT

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.

Roger Ashfield

Managing Director, Mercer Peace River

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.

Marty Hiemstra

General Manager, Mercer Forestry Services

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.

Leonhard Nossol

Managing Director, Mercer Rosenthal and Group Controller for Europe

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.

Dr. Christian Sörgel

Managing Director, Mercer Rosenthal

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.

André Listemann

Managing Director, Mercer Stendal

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.

Torsten Kröger

Managing Director, Mercer Timber Products

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.

Christian Pospiech

Managing Director, Mercer Torgau

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.

Martin Stöhr

Managing Director, Mercer Holz

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.

Jason Herman

General Manager, Mercer Mass Timber

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.

Holly Birch

Managing Director, Santanol

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).