Sappi Europe, Brussels, Belgium, has appointed Thomas Kratochwill its new sales and marketing director for specialty papers. Austrian-born financial and corporate strategist Kratochwill took over January 1 from his predecessor Rosemarie Asquino who, after 38 successful years at Sappi, is entering retirement.

 

Beginning in 2001, Asquino played a vital role in the growth of Sappi Specialty Papers. Her deep trade knowledge and many years of experience, as well as her ability to develop and nurture strong partnerships, was valued by the Sappi team and its clients, the company notes.

 

In taking over this role, Kratochwill will continue to expand the Specialty Papers Division at Sappi and further strengthen Sappi Europe's position as a leading competence center for specialty papers and boards, Sappi pointed out. Asquino will be available until the end of July 2015 as an advisor on strategic issues.

 

"We thank Rosemarie Asquino for her outstanding work. She has revolutionized the Specialty Papers Division at Sappi. Recently she was critical in designing and implementing the EUR 60 million expansion of PM 2," said Berry Wiersum, CEO at Sappi Europe. "As we move into the future, we will be placing our full trust in her successor, Thomas Kratochwill. With his natural vigor and expertise, he will take the Specialty Papers Division at Sappi to a new level and implement the agreed-upon strategy in full."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the photo above are (l-r) Berry Wiersum, Rosemarie Asquino, and Thomas Kratochwil.

 

Kratochwill said that "my personal motto is: first listen, understand the customer, and then implement together. In this way, we can be an approachable and innovative partner in the tailor-made customer solutions sector, providing top quality and the highest service level. Packaging manufacturers, brand owners, designers, and print finishers are set to profit even more intensively from the fact that Sappi is more than just a packaging material manufacturer." 

 

Kratochwill joined Sappi in 1995 in the finance department, following his studies at KPMG. He soon became involved in financial systems and process optimization methods, where he managed several system migration projects as a result of business expansion. In 2010, he succeeded Alex Thiel as project director, and in this role successfully led and implemented significant transformation initiatives for the group. Kratochwill is known for his pursuit of efficiency and his very structured approach to achieving objectives on time.

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