James Rubright, chairman and CEO of RockTenn, Norcross, Ga., USA, has been named 2011 North American Forest Products CEO of the Year by RISI, Bedford, Mass. Rubright was chosen for the award by a group of investment analysts and portfolio managers covering the forest products industry.
Criteria for the award nomination included leadership, vision, and strategic accomplishment. Rubright was selected as the winner due to his significant achievements and overall leadership of RockTenn. Specifically noted in his nomination was the recent acquisition of Smurfit-Stone by RockTenn. Both competitors and independent converters have responded positively to the recent acquisition, which has brought RockTenn to a new level in the industry as one of the most respected and profitable integrated paperboard and packaging companies in North America.
Responding to the announcement, Rubright said that "this award recognizes the success and global competitiveness RockTenn has accomplished through the hard work and innovative solutions of our 26,000 dedicated employees."
Before joining RockTenn as CEO in 1999, Rubright served as EVP of Sonat Inc., a diversified energy company headquartered in Birmingham, Ala. Prior to 1994, he was a partner in the law firm of King & Spalding. He also was named RISI's North American CEO of the Year in 2008 and he won the Global CEO of the Year Award at the PPI Awards in 2009.
TAPPI
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