Sylvamo CEO Jean-Michel Ribiéras to retire; CFO John Sims named successor

USA – Sylvamo has announced that Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jean-Michel Ribiéras will retire on December 31, 2025.

In a planned leadership transition, John Sims, the company’s current Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer effective May 1, 2025, and will assume the role of CEO beginning January 1, 2026.

As COO, Sims will manage Sylvamo’s commercial and operational activities, while Ribiéras will continue to oversee corporate functions through the end of the year to ensure a smooth leadership handover.

To fill the CFO position, Sylvamo appointed Don Devlin as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective May 1.

Devlin brings extensive industry experience from International Paper, where he most recently served as Vice President of Transformation and Strategy Deployment.

Ribiéras has led Sylvamo since its inception in 2021, when the company was spun off from International Paper.

Under his leadership, Sylvamo established itself as a global paper producer with a strong presence in Latin America, North America, and Europe.

His distinguished career in the paper and packaging sector spans more than 35 years across three continents.

He currently serves on the boards of LP Building Solutions, the American Forest & Paper Association, and the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum. He has previously served on the Brazil Pulp & Paper Association board.

Ribiéras holds a bachelor’s degree in management from École Supérieure des Dirigeants d’Entreprise in France and a master’s in marketing from the University of Hartford.

John Sims has been Sylvamo’s CFO since the company’s formation. He previously held various executive roles at International Paper, which he joined in 1994 after serving as a U.S. Navy officer.

His past leadership roles include Vice President and General Manager for North American Papers, Senior Vice President and President for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Russia, and Head of Corporate Development.

He also served on the Confederation of European Paper Industries board between 2016 and 2019. Sims earned a mechanical engineering degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Incoming CFO Don Devlin joined International Paper in 1998 and has held various finance and operations roles in North America, Europe, and India.

His previous roles include President of International Paper India, Finance Director for European Papers, and Vice President of Finance and Strategy for North American Industrial Packaging. Devlin holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Siena College.

Sylvamo, which operates paper mills across three continents, reported $3.8 billion in net sales for 2024.

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