Sappi has announced two senior leadership appointments in North America, naming Kirk Ross President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2027, and Matt Archambeau Vice President Manufacturing effective October 1, 2026.
Ross, who currently serves as Vice President Manufacturing, will succeed Mike Haws, who will retire in February 2027 after a 40-year career in the pulp and paper industry, including 14 years with Sappi and seven years as President and CEO of Sappi North America.
Steve Binnie, Chief Executive Officer of Sappi Limited, credited Haws with guiding the business through several major developments, including the integration of the Matane Pulp Mill, the COVID-19 pandemic and a return to record profitability in 2021 and 2022.
Haws also oversaw the development and implementation of the strategic conversion of paper machine No. 2 at Sappi’s Somerset Mill in Maine. Project Elevate, the conversion and expansion of PM2 for packaging-grade products, forms part of Sappi’s broader strategy to grow its packaging and specialty papers business.
Ross brings operational and commercial experience
Ross brings nearly 30 years of industry experience and about two decades of leadership within Sappi.
He was appointed Vice President Manufacturing for Sappi North America in July 2025, taking responsibility for manufacturing operations across the region. Before that, he served as Project Director for Project Elevate at Somerset Mill.
His previous positions at Sappi have included Director of Marketing and Brand Management, Director of Research and Development, and Director of Manufacturing Services, giving him experience across manufacturing, technical and commercial functions.
Binnie said Ross has played an important role in shaping and executing Sappi’s Thrive strategy and advancing investments in packaging and specialty papers in North America.
Ross holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maine, where he was a UMaine Pulp and Paper Foundation scholarship recipient. He also participated in the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program in 2024.
Archambeau joins manufacturing leadership
Sappi North America has also appointed Matt Archambeau as Vice President Manufacturing, effective October 1, 2026. He joins the company’s leadership team and reports to Ross, who is serving as CEO-designate ahead of his January transition.
Archambeau brings more than 30 years of pulp and paper industry experience. A chemical engineer by training, he has led mill operations and brings experience in safety, reliability, productivity, cost management, strategic planning and major capital projects.
He also has ties to regions where Sappi operates. Archambeau grew up near Duluth, Minnesota, close to Sappi’s Cloquet Mill, and began his papermaking career at Bucksport Mill in Maine, later returning there as mill manager.
The appointments complete a leadership transition that will see Ross become CEO in January, while Archambeau takes on the Vice President Manufacturing role. The transition comes as Sappi continues to develop its packaging-grade capabilities at Somerset Mill and pursue growth in packaging and specialty papers.
Sappi produces woodfibre-based packaging and specialty papers, graphic papers, pulp and biomaterials. The company has manufacturing operations on three continents and sells its products in more than 150 countries.
