Position: President and Chief Executive Officer
Jimmy S.H. Lee, age 52, has been a director since May 1985 and President and Chief Executive Officer since 1992. Mr. Lee holds a BaSc Degree in chemical engineering from the University or British Columbia, Canada. During Mr. Lee's tenure with Mercer, we acquired the Rosenthal mill, converted the Rosenthal mill to the production of kraft pulp, constructed and started up the Stendal mill and acquired the Celgar mill.
Position: Secretary, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer
David M. Gandossi, age 51, has been Secretary, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer since August 15, 2003. Mr. Gandossi was formerly the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice-President of Formation Forest Products (a closely held corporation) from June 2002 to August 2003. Mr. Gandossi previously served as Chief Financial Officer, Vice-President, Finance and Secretary of Pacifica Papers Inc., a North American specialty pulp and paper manufacturing company previously listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, from December 1999 to August 2001 and Controller and Treasurer from June 1998 to December 1999. From June 1998 to August 31, 1998, he also served as Secretary to Pacifica Papers Inc. From March 1998 to June 1998, Mr. Gandossi served as Controller, Treasurer and Secretary of MB Paper Ltd. From April 1994 to March 1998, Mr. Gandossi held the position of Controller and Treasurer with Harmac Pacific Inc., a Canadian pulp manufacturing company previously listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Mr. Gandossi is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Canada. From February 2007 to present, he has chaired the B.C. Pulp and Paper Task Force, a joint government industry and labor effort that is mandated to identify measures to improve the competitiveness of the British Columbia pulp and paper industry. He is also a member of the Working Round Table on Forestry.
Position: Chief Operating Officer
Claes-Inge Isacson, age 63, has been our Chief Operating Officer since November 2006 and is based in our Berlin office. Mr. Isacson brings over 24 years of senior level pulp and paper management to our senior management team, with a focus on kraft pulp. Mr. Isacson held the positions of President Norske Skog Europe, and then Senior Vice President Production for Norske Skogindustrier ASA between 1989 and 2004. His most recent position was President, AF Process, a consulting and engineering company working worldwide. He holds a Masters of Science, Mechanical Engineering.
Position: Vice President, Controller
David K. Ure, age 42, has been our Vice President, Controller, since October, 2006. Mr. Ure was formerly the Controller of Catalyst Paper Corporation from 2001 to 2006 and Controller of Pacifica Papers Inc. from 2000 to 2001. He also served as U.S. Controller of Crown Packaging Ltd. in 1999 and the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Finlay Forest Industries Inc. from 1997 to 1998. He is on the Board of Trustees of the Pulp and Paper Industry Pension Plan and has over fifteen years experience in the forest products industry. Mr. Ure is a member of the Certified General Accountants' Association of Canada.
Position: Group Controller for Europe
Leonhard Nossol, age 51, has been our Group Controller for Europe since August 2005. He has also been a managing director of Rosenthal since 1997 and the sole managing director of Rosenthal since September 2005. Mr. Nossol had a significant involvement in the conversion of the Rosenthal mill to the production of kraft pulp in 1999 and increases in the mill's annual production capacity to 325,000 ADMTs, as well as the reduction in production costs at the mill.
Position: Managing Director, Operations and Technical, Celgar
Alan Hitzroth, age 51, has held the position of General Mill Manager at Mercer's Celgar Operation since September 2006. Alan has a B.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering and a Diploma in Civil Engineering Technology. Prior to joining Mercer, Alan held several senior positions within the Tembec organization including VP & COO of the Marathon Pulp joint venture operation. He brings proven leadership and over 20 years of industry experience to our company.
Position: VP of Sales and Marketing for Europe
David M. Cooper, age 55, has been Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Europe since June 2005. Mr. Cooper previously held a variety of senior positions around the world in Sappi Ltd., a large global forest products group, from 1982 to 2005, including the sales and marketing of various pulp and paper grades and the management of a manufacturing facility. He has more than 25 years of diversified experience in the international pulp and paper industry.
Position: VP of Sales and Marketing for North America and Asia
Eric X. Heine, age 45, has been Vice President of Sales and Marketing for North America and Asia since June 2005. Mr. Heine was previously Vice President Pulp and International Paper Sales and Marketing for Domtar Inc., a global pulp and paper corporation, from 1999 to 2005. He has over 18 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry, including developing strategic sales channels and market partners to build corporate brands.
Position: Vice President of Business Development
Wolfram Ridder, age 47, was appointed Vice President of Business Development in August 2005, prior to which he was a managing director of Stendal. Mr. Ridder was the principal assistant to our Chief Executive Officer from November 1995 until September 2002.
Position: Fiber Procurement Manager
Michael Funk, age 52, holds a master of science in forestry from Göttingen University, Germany and has been Mercer's Fiber Procurement Manager since May 2003. Prior to Mercer he held several senior positions in forest management in Germany and other European regions including Sawmill Rettemeier, where he was a member of the board and responsible for human resources and procurement.
Position: Treasurer
Genevieve Stannus, age 39, has been our Treasurer since July 2005, prior to which she was a Senior Financial Analyst with Mercer from August 2003. Prior to joining Mercer, Ms. Stannus held Senior Treasury Analyst positions with Catalyst Paper Corporation and Pacifica Papers Inc. She has over 10 years experience in the forest products industry. Ms. Stannus is a member of the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada.