Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. has announced the appointment of Scott M. Sutton as Chief Executive Officer and President, effective January 5, 2026. Sutton will also become a member of the company’s Board of Directors.
“Scott is a highly respected leader with deep industry expertise and a demonstrated ability to drive performance in complex operating environments,” said Lisa M. Palumbo, Non-Executive Chair of the company’s Board of Directors. “His strategic mindset, operational rigor, and commitment to safety and sustainability make him the right leader to build on RYAM’s biomaterials strategy.” Lisa added further.
Sutton, previously President and Chief Executive Officer of Olin Corporation, brings over 30 years of global leadership experience in the chemicals and materials industries. He has a proven track record of operational excellence, strategic capital allocation, and driving transformative value creation. During his time at Olin, Sutton successfully led the company through major business platform upgrades, strengthened its financial standing, and advanced critical strategic initiatives, all of which improved its competitive position and boosted shareholder value.
Sutton said, “I am honored to join RYAM at such an important time for the Company. RYAM has a solid foundation, a talented team, and a portfolio of products that play an essential role in global markets. I look forward to working closely with the Board and the entire organization to accelerate performance, strengthen partnerships, and unlock the Company’s full potential.”
Sutton succeeds DeLyle W. Bloomquist, who announced his planned retirement late last year. Bloomquist will continue to support leadership continuity and strategic initiatives by serving as an advisor to Sutton.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank DeLyle for his leadership and substantial contributions to RYAM,” added Palumbo. “We greatly appreciate his dedicated service to the Company and its stakeholders and appreciate his continued support during this transition.”
As part of Sutton’s appointment, the company will grant him a performance share unit (PSU) award as a significant inducement to join the organization. The award has a three-year performance period and includes a one-year post-vesting holding requirement, with a target of 750,000 PSUs. The number of PSUs that may vest will be based on the highest average closing price of RYAM’s common stock over any 60 consecutive trading-day period during the three-year performance period, with a threshold of $15, a target of $30, and a maximum of $45. Vesting will occur on a straight-line basis between these levels. Additional details about the inducement award are outlined in the company’s Form 8-K.
With a history of innovation spanning over a century, RYAM has been committed to sustainability from the very beginning. Today, they continue to serve as an innovation engine, leveraging working forests to provide sustainable solutions that drive a more circular economy. For almost 100 years, RYAM has been at the forefront of innovation, transforming industries with groundbreaking solutions. Their industry-leading R&D teams were pioneers in developing some of the first sustainable products, many of which are now considered industry standards.
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