General Counsel Consulting Career Feature
Sharon R. Ryan, International Paper By Teresa Cajot Effective November 1, 2011, Sharon R. Ryan will take on the position of Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at International Paper, a global paper and packaging company.
Ryan has served International Paper since 1988 when she first joined the company as an attorney in the Land and Timber/ Forest Products Division. In 1992 she joined the Masonite Corporation, a former International Paper subsidiary, as the Vice President and General Counsel and in 1997 she accepted the additional role of General Counsel for the Building Materials Group. In 2000 she became General Counsel of Consumer Packaging and Corporate Sales and Marketing. In 2006 Ryan was presented with yet another opportunity for advancement when she took on the role of Associate General Counsel for Corporate Law. In 2009 she added the duties of Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer to her list of responsibilities. In February she was named Vice President of International Paper and has performed as the Acting General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since May. Ryan replaces Maura A. Smith, who left the company in April after accepting the position of Executive Vice President, Government Affairs, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at PepsiCo.
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In her new position, Ryan will report to John Faraci, International Paper’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Sharon brings a combination of industry knowledge, integrity, experience and practicality to this critical position. I am confident that Sharon will continue to make a significant contribution in helping International Paper achieve our strategic goals, while fulfilling her professional responsibilities in a principled manner,” said Faraci of Ryan’s appointment. Prior to joining International Paper, Ryan worked with Baker, Smith and Mills in Texas, where she was a real estate attorney. She holds a JD from Boston College Law School and a BA from George Washington University. International Paper is a Memphis, Tennessee-based company with manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia, and North Africa. The company employs an estimated 59,500 individuals and serves customers worldwide.
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