Domtar executive Marie-Noëlle Watts has been named a recipient of the 2025 Women in Forestry Award by the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), recognizing her leadership in operational excellence and environmental stewardship.
Watts currently serves as General Manager of Domtar’s Saint-Félicien kraft pulp mill in Quebec, which employs approximately 250 people and produces about 357,000 tonnes of Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp annually. She assumed the role in December 2024, following her tenure as General Manager of the Dolbeau paper mill, where she oversaw specialty paper production and a workforce of roughly 150 employees.
A chemical engineer by training, Watts began her career in the forest products sector in 2006 and has held a series of leadership roles across pulp and paper operations. Her experience spans environmental management, mill restarts and continuous improvement initiatives, shaping a hands-on leadership approach grounded in operational discipline and employee engagement.
FPAC highlighted Watts’ commitment to fostering accountability, encouraging intrapreneurship and supporting inclusive workplaces within the forest sector. The Women in Forestry Award is part of FPAC’s broader Awards of Excellence program, which recognizes leadership, innovation and community contribution across Canada’s forest products industry.
Beyond mill operations, Watts has been actively involved in regional economic and community initiatives in Quebec’s Lac-Saint-Jean region and has been a visible advocate for greater representation of women in the forestry sector.
