Newell to Succeed Howatt as President, CEO of Wausau Paper

Print this article | Send to Colleague

Wausau Paper, Mosinee, Wis., USA, this past week announced that Thomas J. Howatt, president and CEO of the company, will retire at the end of 2011 and that Henry C. Newell, currently EVP and COO of the company will succeed him, effective Jan. 1, 2012. Additionally, Howatt will succeed San W. Orr Jr. as non-executive chairman of the board of the company, effective Feb. 15, 2012. Orr will retire from the company’s board of directors as of the company’s annual meeting in April 2012 upon the conclusion of his present term on the board, having reached mandatory retirement age.

Newell joined Wausau Paper in 2007 as VP, business development and was promoted to the position of SVP Specialty Products in January of 2009 and to the role of SVP Paper when the company consolidated its specialty products and printing and writing business segments in January 2010. He was promoted to his current role in March of this year.

Newell, with a Master of Business Administration degree from Wake Forest University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, brings more than 25 years of experience in the paper industry to his new role. He will stand for election to the company’s board of directors at its April 2012 annual meeting.

The Wausau Paper board of directors, the company says, has been actively engaged in succession planning matters for an extended period of time and has been overseeing development activities in anticipation of the planned leadership changes announced this past week.

"Hank Newell’s leadership capabilities, vision, and extensive industry experience ideally position him to lead Wausau Paper at this time. The company’s extensive executive talent development and succession planning efforts over the past several years have provided an orderly and seamless leadership transition that best positions Wausau Paper for the future," Howatt said.

Wausau Paper produces specialty papers for industrial, commercial, and consumer end markets as well as a complete line of away-from-home towel and tissue products.