Brussels, 2 December 2009

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Berry Wiersum as the next CEPI chairman. Mr Wiersum will start his chairmanship in the beginning of January 2010 and will hold the post until the end of 2012. Mr Magnus Hall, the current CEPI chairman, will take the post of Vice-chairman for the next two years to guarantee a smooth transition.

Berry Wiersum who joined SAPPI in January 2007 started his career at ICI Fibres, became President of Amoco Fabrics (Europe), then the President of Amoco Chemicals (Europe), and when Amoco was taken over by BP, he moved to BP to assist with the integration of the two groups in Europe. He subsequently left BP and joined Pechiney SA in France and ran the CEBAL packaging division until he was recruited as Managing Director of the Packaging division of Kappa Packaging BV and member of the Management Board responsible for paper manufacture and packaging in the Kappa group. He holds a Master of Arts degree with Combined Honours in Mediaeval and Modern History and subsidiaries in French and Music from the University of St Andrews in the UK

On being presented as the next Chairman of CEPI at European Paper Week, Mr Wiersum remarked: “I am pleased to take the reins from Magnus who has steered a strong and straight course for the industry over the last two years. We still have some tough challenges ahead but I have a great belief that our industry will meet them and prosper. CEPI is working very hard to show that the paper industry is part of the solution to climate change with a clear vision that shows how competitiveness and sustainability can really go hand in hand.”

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For more information or photo requests, please contact

Martyn Griffiths, Communications & Public Affairs Director:

m.griffiths@cepi.org, +32 2 627 49 26

or

Daniela Haiduc, Communications & Public Affairs Manager :

d.haiduc@cepi.org, +32 2 627 49 15