At the annual 2014 PPSA Conference in St. Petersburg, Fla., USA, this past week, Greg King, SVP and GM - Recycling at RockTenn, Norcross, Ga., USA, was awarded The Executive Eagle Award. This award is given annually to an outstanding executive in the paper industry who has made major contributions to the cause of accident prevention in his or her own company and beyond. In the photo are King (left) and Allan Bohn, PPSA Board of Directors.

 

King began his career with RockTenn in January 1989 as a safety engineer and developed risk control processes for the company’s operating locations. During his career, he has served in a variety of leadership roles throughout the company, including: VP, supply chain; director and later VP, risk management; treasurer; director, environmental, health and safety; SVP, safety and health; and chief procurement officer.

 

King started his studies in pre-med with the goal of being a physician. If you ask what motivated him to pursue a degree in safety, he will tell you a very personal story about his best friend being killed in a work-related incident. That experience changed him forever, and regardless of what his "official title" has been over the years, he has never given up his responsibility for safety and his desire to improve safety systems at RockTenn.

 

More information about the Pulp and Paper Safety Association is available online.