RISI on June 17 announced that it has named Suzano Chief Executive Officer Walter Schalka its 2015 Latin American CEO of the Year, as selected by a group of investment analysts and portfolio managers covering the Latin American and global pulp and paper industry.
Schalka will receive the award at the Latin American Conference on Aug. 18 in São Paulo, Brazil.
“He [Schalka] changed the company’s culture to a cost/profitability focus, completed the Maranhão project and has been able to deleverage the company,” an analyst said. “This strategy has benefited both workers and shareholders.”
Another analyst said Schalka was chosen for his capability to overcome hardships, how he changes his company’s strategy, and improvement he made in the organizational environment.
RISI’s Latin American CEO of the Year Award was first presented in 2007. RISI organizes four regional CEO awards each year for Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America. The winners of each area are presented at the regional RISI conferences. RISI’s Latin American Conference will feature presentations from industry leaders and experts, who will give their outlooks for key segments of the Latin American and global forest products industry.
