Abitibi Names Weaver President and CEO
Abitibi-Consolidated's board of directors appointed John Weaver as its new company president and CEO, effective April 27, the date of the its annual general meeting. At that time, James Doughan, current president and CEO, and Ronald Oberlander, operating chairman, will relinquish their executive responsibilities.
Weaver is currently an executive VP of Abitibi-Consolidated and president of newsprint operations and sales. In that capacity, he is responsible for more than three million m.t. of production and $2 billion-plus in sales.
"Late last spring we engaged an international search firm to address the matter of succession in advance of the planned retirements of Ron Oberlander and Jim Doughan," said John Tory Sr., chairman of the human resources and compensation committee of the board. "We gave this firm a mandate to screen both internal and external candidates under strict criteria. The board wanted a successor who would bring to Abitibi-Consolidated extensive operational and strategic experience, as well as a demonstrated ability to build and maintain organizational excellence. John Weaver's track record of success and his commitment to deliver results and achieve the company's vision won the board over. He is the right person to lead Abitibi-Consolidated in this new era of the company's growth."
Prior to the 1997 merger of Abitibi-Price and Stone-Consolidated, Weaver was chairman of the operating committee for Abitibi-Price. In that position, he led many successful initiatives which continue today as part of Abitibi-Consolidated's corporate structure, including the implementation of the cornerstone strategy to ensure low-cost operations, championing a merger study in advance of consolidation efforts, as well as designing a consistent high performance and closely watched numbers program that delivered significant year-over-year operational improvements. His experience in the pulp and paper industry also includes time at Continental Can Co., Smurfit Newsprint, and the Augusta Newsprint Co.
Abitibi-Consolidated is a manufacturer and global marketer of newsprint and a leader in uncoated groundwood papers. Operating 19 mills throughout North America and the UK and selling product into more than 50 countries, the company's vision is to be the world's preferred marketer and manufacturer of papers for communication.