Resolute Forest Products Inc., Montreal, Que., Canada, reports that its board of directors has nominated Michel P. Desbiens and Jennifer C. Dolan to stand for election as new board members. Desbiens and Dolan will join seven other current members of the board standing for re-election at Resolute's upcoming annual meeting of stockholders on May 16.
Richard B. Evans, currently the company's non-executive chairman, has determined that he will retire and not stand for re-election. The board has recommended Bradley P. Martin, a current member, to serve as Resolute's new (non-executive) chairman, and Alain Rhéaume, also a current member, as lead director.
Desbiens is a forest products industry veteran and an accomplished business leader. He has been an independent consultant since 2000, advising a number of clients in the forest products industry, during which time he served briefly as Quebecor World Inc.'s CEO (international) and CEO for part of 2002 and 2003. He had been president and CEO of Donohue Inc. since 1994 when it was acquired by Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. (a predecessor entity of Resolute) in 2000, after which he served briefly as its chairman and a special advisor. Before then, he held a number of executive positions with Donohue, Domtar Inc., Chapelle d'Arblay paper mill, and Abitibi-Price Inc. (a predecessor entity of Resolute). Desbiens is a mechanical engineer. He currently serves on the board of Rogers Sugar Inc.
Dolan retired from The New York Times Co. in 2012 after a 33-year career, the last 10 of which she spent as VP of forest products, where she managed paper procurement and oversaw its equity investments in two paper mills, including as a member of the board of Donohue Malbaie Inc., a joint venture with the company. Before then, she held a number of executive and senior finance roles. Dolan is a certified public accountant, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Martin currently serves as VP for strategic investments with Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited. He previously served as its VP and COO and corporate secretary. Before joining Fairfax, he was a partner with Torys LLP, a leading Canadian business law firm, specializing in mergers and acquisitions and securities laws. Martin currently serves as chairman of Ridley Inc. and Imvescor Restaurant Group Inc., and as a member of the board of The Brick Ltd. Rhéaume is founder and managing partner of Trio Capital Inc. Before then, he was EVP and president of Fido, a subsidiary of Rogers Wireless Communications Inc., a role he assumed when Microcell Telecommunications Inc. was acquired by Rogers.
Rhéaume was president and COO and previously served as CFO of Microcell. He has served as associate deputy minister of finance and deputy minister of finance in the provincial government of Quebec.. Rhéaume currently serves as a board member of the Canadian Public Accountability Board, the Canadian Investors Protection Fund, Boralex Inc., and Redline Communications Group Inc.
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