Domtar announces CEO transition

Domtar has announced its President and CEO John Williams will retire June 30, 2023, after 14 years in the position. Steve Henry, current senior vice president of packaging, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective immediately, and will succeed Williams as CEO upon his retirement.

Williams has served as president and CEO of the Fort Mill, South Carolina-based paper manufacturer since 2009, growing its presence in pulp, engineered materials, thermal paper and containerboard markets, according to Domtar.

“He joined the company during a recession and has navigated ever-changing industry dynamics and economic fluctuations to transform Domtar into the strong pulp, paper and packaging company that it is today,” Henry says of Williams. “I am honored to build on his legacy and continue serving our stakeholders.”

Henry is a 27-year veteran of the forest products and paper industries and held various roles and corporate positions at Georgia-Pacific, Weyerhaeuser and International Paper before joining Domtar in 2011.

He served as mill manager in multiple locations during his career at Domtar, and his most recent assignment has been to lead the company’s entry into the packaging business, which includes Domtar’s $350 million conversion of its Kingsport, Tennessee, paper mill to produce 600,000 tons per year of 100-percent-recycled containerboard. The project is expected to start up by the end of the year.

“Steve has been a smart and dependable leader during his career at Domtar,” Williams says. “I have relied on his expertise over the years, most recently as he engineered Domtar’s entry into the packaging business.”

Domtar will mark its 175^th year in business in 2023.