RISI, Boston, Mass., USA, has announced that Berry Wiersum, CEO of Sappi Europe SA, Brussels, Belgium, has been named RISI's 2017 European CEO of the Year. RISI will present this award at the European Conference, which will take place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, March 6-8, 2017.

RISI's European CEO of the Year Award is nominated by a group of investment analysts, industry consultants, and commentators covering the European and global pulp and paper industry.

Reasons cited by nominators of Wiersum to win the award were: "Berry Wiersum has performed very well at the head of Sappi Europe in what have been turbulent times for graphic papers. In fact, during his tenure this sector has undergone systemic and often painful change. Wiersum has shown real leadership in adapting to that change with the focus on cost control and the increase in the production of specialty papers."

Another said that "Wiersum has been a strong leader in the European pulp and paper industry for years, and has built Sappi Europe to be a powerhouse of graphic papers. Latterly he has led the company into the future by diversifying into specialties and paper for packaging. Wiersum has also been a great ambassador for the industry at large, continually pushing the sector to become more innovative, more politically astute, and more driven to listen to the needs of customers and stakeholders."   

Wiersum has been the CEO of Sappi Europe SA Group since January 2007. Prior to assuming this role, Wiersum was the president of Amoco Fabrics and then Amoco Chemicals; and when Amoco was taken over by BP, he assisted in the integration of the two groups in Europe. Following BP, he joined Pechiney S.A. in France and ran CEBAL packaging division until he was recruited as managing director of packaging of Kappa Packaging BV. Wiersum is currently the chairman of the board of directors of the European Association of Graphic Paper Producers.

Sappi Europe is a leading European producer and supplier of coated fine paper, packaging, and specialy papers. The European sector of Sappi consists of seven mills and 14 sales offices. Its high quality printing paper products include consumer magazines, catalogues, brochures, books, calendars, marketing material, and more. Sappi's packaging and specialty papers offer products in the area of flexible packaging, label papers, rigid packaging, containerboard, release liner, and functional papers. The company also has applied its knowledge of fibers to develop technology to produce fiber reinforced composites as well as establish a pilot plant to test the manufacturing of a nanocellulose product that can be used in composites, food, coatings, and barriers.