Tony Smurfit, Group President & CEO of Smurfit Westrock, Named PaperAge's Executive Papermaker of the Year

PaperAge selects its Executive Papermaker based on corporate vision, strategic objectives and strong leadership within the individual's company and in the paper industry as a whole. The award has been an industry tradition since 1988.

On July 5, 2024, the combination of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock officially came to fruition, creating Smurfit Westrock, a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging.

The mega-deal was first announced in September of 2023. At that time Mr. Smurfit said, "This incredibly exciting coming together of our two great companies is a defining moment within the global packaging industry."

John O'Brien, managing editor at PaperAge, noted, "Tony Smurfit's vision, leadership and stick-to-it attitude played a vital role in bringing together two highly complementary paper packaging companies — collectively the scale of which is extraordinary."

With operating facilities in many regions around the world, Smurfit Westrock has over 500 paper converting facilities, along with 62 mills producing a wide range of sustainable packaging papers and specialty papers. To support many of those mills with raw materials, Smurfit WestRock processes over 14 million tonnes of recovered paper and has some 300,000 acres of planted forests, mostly in Brazil and Colombia (South America).