Paper company Sylvamo announced a series of C-suite shifts along with the upcoming retirement of CEO Jean-Michel Ribiéras.
Ribiéras will depart on Dec. 31. He was Sylvamo’s first CEO, beginning in 2021 when the company spun off from International Paper. His 35-year paper and packaging career has included roles on three continents, including as president of IP’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia division and as the company’s senior vice president of industrial packaging for the Americas.
As of Jan. 1, Sylvamo’s current senior vice president and CFO, John Sims, will replace Ribiéras. Starting on May 1, Sims will become COO and will remain in that position until transitioning to CEO. Don Devlin, who joins Sylvamo from IP, will become CFO at that time.
Sims joined International Paper in 1994 after serving in the U.S. Navy, and he became Sylvamo’s first CFO in 2021 following the spin off. He held various leadership roles at IP, including vice president and general manager of North American papers; senior vice president and president of Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia; and senior vice president of corporate development.
“It has been an honor to lead Sylvamo,” Ribiéras said in a statement. “I am so proud of all we have accomplished together and know John will continue to amplify Sylvamo’s success.”
In addition to manufacturing copy and printer papers and commercial printing papers, Sylvamo produces converting papers and specialty papers for packaging. These can be used for products such as bags, envelopes and food packaging.
In 2024, the company reported $3.77 billion in net sales, up 1.4% from 2023. In late 2023 it also launched a cost-reduction plan to streamline the company, which resulted in $144 million in run-rate savings by the end of 2024, surpassing the $110 million goal.
