Sustainability in Action: The Forest Products Industry’s Path Forward

As the forest products industry embraces the global shift toward sustainability, it is important to translate ambitious goals into tangible action. The TAPPI Paper and Board Division's Papermaking Technology and Operations Committee (PTOC) has organized this timely and forward-looking webinar featuring a panel of experts from industry leaders including Graphic Packaging International, Siemens Energy and Valmet, as well as the leading international organization guiding forest resource use, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The live panel discussion will be moderated by Paper360° Magazine Editorial Director Jan Bottiglieri and will be followed by a Q&A session.

Topics of Discussion:

• Practical Sustainability Initiatives: Discover how suppliers and mills are actively implementing sustainability measures that reduce environmental impact while enhancing operational efficiency.
• Collaborative Success Stories: Learn from case studies of successful collaborations between suppliers and mills that have led to significant sustainability gains, demonstrating the power of industry partnerships.
• Guidance from Industry Leaders: Gain valuable insights from FSC. Graphic Packaging and Siemens-Energy will offer guidance on how to align operations with the latest sustainability benchmarks and certifications, ensuring that your practices meet or exceed industry expectations.
• Future Pathways: Explore the practical steps and innovations that are shaping the future of sustainability in the pulp and paper industry, from circular economy principles to the adoption of eco-friendly materials.

Mike Farrell is the Executive Vice President of the Mill Division at Graphic Packaging.  In this role he is responsible for 6 paper mills, 3 integrated virgin mills and 3 recycled mills totaling 4.0 million tons of annual production and annual sales of $4.5 Billion.

Mike has been in leadership positions with Graphic Packaging for 18 years.  Mike was promoted to EVP Mill Division in Sept 2018.  Prior to Graphic, Mike worked for The Newark Group in their mill division for 13 years in Mill Management roles.

Mike holds a degree in Pulp and Paper Engineering Technology from Sault College and a Master of Business Administration from Xavier University.

Mike is an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University and the past president of the Paper Technology Foundation.  Mike is on the Governance Board for NCASI and the Board of Directors for TAPPI.

Mike is married to Renee and together they have four sons and 2 beautiful grandchildren.  His interests include working on muscle cars, road cycling and hiking.

Daniel Boren is the Senior Process Engineer of Paper Technology at Valmet. Daniel has experience in paper mills ranging from process engineer to process manager. Daniel currently works with paper machine process optimization and performance audits in Valmet. 

During his tenure in the paper industry, he has held positions as Process Engineer, Project Engineer/Manager, and Quality Manager.  He has worked in mills for International Paper, Sonoco, and Georgia Pacific. 

He holds Bachelor degrees in Paper Science Engineering and Chemical Engineering from the North Carolina State University, a Bachelor’s degree in Paper Machine Technology from JAMK University of Applied Science, and a Master’s degree in Operations Management and Data Analytics from the University of Alabama. 

Daniel and Henna, his wife of 9 years, reside in Dacula, GA and have one four-year-old little boy named Damon.

Joshua Brooks is an Energy System Designer at Siemens Energy where he guides the selection, configuration, size, and dispatch of energy conversion and storage assets for helping industrial customers develop affordable, sustainable, and reliable energy systems. Prior to joining Siemens Energy, Joshua taught thermo-fluid sciences in mechanical engineering and conducted research in aerospace engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Before this, Joshua worked with an NGO to engineer clean water systems in Ecuador and Kyrgyzstan. Before this, Joshua worked as a field service engineer within refineries and petrochemical plants, managed an in-house pressure calibrator service business, and led the technical and commercial development of a flare emissions control solution at GE Oil and Gas. Joshua holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University as well as master’s degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering, and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech.

Shawn Collier is the Director of Marketing at Forest Stewardship Council. Shawn leads all aspects of the FSC US brand and marketing strategy, including marketing activation and creative, marketing effectiveness, member and stakeholder engagement, and media and strategic partnerships.

Prior to joining FSC US, Shawn served as the Chief Marketing Officer for a burgeoning healthcare system in Texas. Previously, he spent 14 years as the Strategy Director and Principal of the Houston-based brand and creative firm Origin where he led marketing and communications efforts that helped established brands grow and enter new markets.

Shawn is a graduate of the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and serves on the advisory board for the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication at his alma mater.

JAN BOTTIGLIERI is the Editorial Director for Paper360°, TAPPI's bi-monthly magazine. She has been writing about the pulp, paper, and allied industries since she joined the staff at PIMA in 1987 and has since enjoyed visiting mills and manufacturing facilities around the world. Bottiglieri is also the host of Paper360°’s “Better Together: Conversations with Innovative Leaders” podcast.