David B. Sewell

Chief Executive Officer

David Sewell is chief executive officer and president of WestRock.

Previously, he was president and chief operating officer at The Sherwin-Williams Company, where he was responsible for all operating segments for the $18 billion global coatings company. He held leadership positions of increasing responsibility during his 14-year tenure at Sherwin-Williams and previously spent more than 15 years at General Electric.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Southern California.

Alex Pease

Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President

Alex Pease is chief financial officer and executive vice president.

Most recently, Alex served as the executive vice president and chief financial officer at CommScope Holding Company, an $8.5 billion leader in telecommunications and networking equipment. He previously held financial leadership positions at Snyder’s-Lance, Inc., and EnPro and served as a principal at McKinsey & Company. Alex served as a U.S. Navy SEAL from 1994 to 2000, eventually departing as a platoon commander.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Denise Singleton

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Denise Singleton is executive vice president, general counsel and secretary.

Denise joined WestRock from IDEX Corporation, where she most recently served as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, responsible for all legal, regulatory, compliance corporate governance matters. 

Prior to IDEX Corporation, she was senior vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary and chief compliance officer for SunCoke Energy, Inc. and its controlled company, SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P. She also held several positions with PPG Industries, Inc., including assistant general counsel, securities and finance, and corporate secretary. Prior to PPG, Denise was a partner at a Washington, D.C., law firm.

Denise earned a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Vicki Lostetter

Chief Human Resources Officer

Vicki Lostetter is chief human resources officer, and she is responsible for developing and executing WestRock's human resources strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the company.

Prior to joining WestRock, Vicki served as the general manager of Global Talent Management for Microsoft, Inc., and has held global human resources leadership roles with Coca-Cola, Honeywell and Gelco.

Vicki earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from the University of Phoenix.

Donna Owens Cox

Chief Communications Officer

Donna Owens Cox is chief communications officer, which includes responsibility for corporate giving programs. 

Previously she was vice president of global communications and brand for MeadWestvaco (MWV). Donna joined MWV's Forestry Division in 1996 and served in communications leadership roles across operations and corporate until being asked to lead the global Communications function in 2005.

Donna earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from the University of South Carolina and an MBA from The Citadel.

Amir Kazmi

Chief Information and Digital Officer

Amir Kazmi is chief information and digital officer, and he is responsible for developing and executing the global information systems and technology strategy. In addition, Amir is leading our digital transformation.

Previously he was chief executive officer for a nanomaterials startup. He has also held various leadership positions at Lockheed Martin in information technology, research and development, and strategic business growth.

Amir earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Mount Saint Mary's University and a Master of Science degree in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Patrick Kivits

President, Corrugated Packaging

Patrick Kivits is president, Corrugated Packaging, leading the converting sales and operations for the Corrugated Packaging business.

At WestRock, he was most recently president, Consumer Packaging, and was responsible for folding cartons and specialty packaging, including the Food, Beverage, and Home, Beauty & Health (HBH) businesses. Prior to this role, he was president of the former MPS business and executive vice president of operations for MPS for North America and China.

Prior to joining WestRock, Patrick was senior vice president, EIMEA and Global Packaging for H.B. Fuller, a global manufacturer of specialty chemicals.

He earned a master’s degree in mechanical process engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, and an MBA from Henley Business School in the U.K.

Sam Shoemaker

President, Consumer Packaging

Sam Shoemaker is president, Consumer Packaging, and is responsible for folding cartons and specialty packaging, including the Food, Beverage, and Home, Beauty & Health (HBH) businesses.

Previously, he was the president and general manager at The Sherwin Williams Company leading its Global Packaging, Coil and Coatings, Resins and Colorants businesses. He also held positions at Valspar Corporation, the Dow Chemical Company and Rohm and Haas Chemical Company. 

Sam earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in biology from the University of San Diego in California.

Tom Stigers

President, Mill Operations

Tom Stigers is president, Mill Operations, and is responsible for the combined operations of all WestRock mills.

He has more than 35 years of experience in the paper industry, including 20 years with WestRock and its legacy companies, most recently as the executive vice president of Containerboard Mills. He also served as executive vice president of corrugated paper solutions for WestRock; executive vice president, mill operations for RockTenn; and vice president of Solvay Paperboard for Southern Container Corp. Tom has also held various leadership roles with Champion International, Simpson, Donohue and Abitibi-Consolidated.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Clarkson University and a bachelor’s degree in paper science and engineering from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as well as an MBA from Adelphi University.

John O'Neal

President, Global Paper

John O'Neal is president, Global Paper, and is responsible for the combined sales and commercial operations for paperboard and containerboard.

At WestRock, he was most recently executive vice president of the Global Food & Beverage business and served as executive vice president of the Folding Cartons business. Prior to joining WestRock, John was senior vice president and chief commercial officer at Mirant Corporation.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and operations research from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

Peter Anderson

Chief Supply Chain Officer

Peter Anderson is chief supply chain officer and oversees a Supply Chain organization comprised of the Safety, Operational Excellence, Fiber Supply, Sales and Operations Planning, Logistics and Procurement teams.

Peter has more than 30 years of supply chain leadership experience. Previously, he was vice president, Global Supply Chain, for power leader Cummins, Inc., where he led transformation efforts for the company’s $17 billion supply chain. He also held positions at Ernst & Young (EY), Milk Industry Logistics, Bibby Distribution and IBM Consulting.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in transport and distribution from Huddersfield University in the U.K. and an MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School. 

Dr. Ben Patel

Chief Innovation and Science Officer

Dr. Ben Patel is chief innovation & science officer, and leads our research and development efforts, helping to drive innovation to enhance current products and develop new sustainable packaging solutions. 

Ben spent 12 years with General Electric in a variety of technology roles and started his eight-year career with Tenneco in 2011. In 2017, he became the senior vice president and chief technology officer at Tenneco, where he was responsible for innovation, engineering and intellectual property strategy. In 2019, he joined Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, where he served as senior vice president and chief technology officer.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Ottawa and a doctorate degree in chemistry from Yale University.

Nina Butler

Chief Environmental Officer and Deputy General Counsel

Nina Butler is chief environmental officer and associate general counsel. 

Previously she was senior vice president and senior environmental counsel for RockTenn. Nina joined RockTenn in 2011 with the acquisition of Smurfit-Stone, where she served as senior environmental counsel. Nina began her career as an environmental attorney with Hunton & Williams.

Nina earned a bachelor’s degree in urban and environmental planning from the University of Virginia and a law degree from Tulane University.