RICHMOND, Va. & NORCROSS, Ga. -- MeadWestvaco Corporation and Rock-Tenn Company have announced the executive leadership team for the combined company following the completion of the transaction. As previously announced, Steve Voorhees will serve as the new company's chief executive officer and John Luke will be non-executive chairman of the board.

"The announcement of our executive leadership team marks an important milestone in the merging of our companies," said Voorhees, chief executive officer of RockTenn. "I am confident that this is the right team with the right expertise to execute our core strategies to succeed in paper and packaging markets and to create significant value for our shareholders."

"Together, MWV and RockTenn are creating the premier global packaging company, unrivaled in terms of capabilities, customers and reach," said Luke, chairman and chief executive officer of MWV. "We have drawn from the best talent of each company to build a leadership team that is unmatched in the industry, with the commercial, operational and financial expertise to drive our business forward and generate substantial shareholder value."

The executive leadership team announced today includes:

Bob Beckler, president, Packaging Solutions
Nina Butler, chief sustainability officer
Ward Dickson, chief financial officer
Pete Durette, chief strategy officer
Jennifer Graham-Johnson, chief human resources officer
Bob McIntosh, general counsel
Jim Porter, president, Paper Solutions
Linda Schreiner, chief integration officer

Ed Rose, president, Specialty Chemicals, and Ken Seeger, president, Community Development and Land Management, will continue in their current leadership roles and report to Voorhees.

The transaction remains on track to close in the second calendar quarter of 2015 and is subject to shareholder approvals of both MWV and RockTenn, certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Bob Beckler, president, Packaging Solutions, is currently executive vice president, MWV, and president of packaging. Since joining MWV in 1987, Beckler has held a variety of roles in research, business development and leadership across specialty chemicals, industrial packaging and the company's core packaging business.

Nina Butler, chief sustainability officer, is currently senior vice president and senior environmental counsel, RockTenn. Butler joined RockTenn in 2011 with the acquisition of Smurfit-Stone, where she served as senior environmental counsel.

Ward Dickson, chief financial officer, is currently executive vice president and chief financial officer, RockTenn. Prior to joining RockTenn in 2013, he served as senior vice president of finance for the global sales and service organization of Cisco Systems.

Pete Durette, chief strategy officer, is currently senior vice president of strategy, MWV, and leader of the Home, Health & Beauty segment. Since joining MWV as vice president and chief strategy officer in 2009, Durette has helped reshape the company's portfolio, leading many of its major growth initiatives and investments. Prior to joining MWV, Durette was with Textron, Inc. and Marakon Associates.

Jennifer Graham-Johnson, chief human resources officer, is currently executive vice president, human resources, RockTenn. Graham-Johnson joined RockTenn in 1993 in risk management and has since served in a variety of leadership roles for the company, including director of benefits and senior vice president, employee services.

Bob McIntosh, general counsel, is currently executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, RockTenn. He was senior vice president, general counsel and secretary from 2000 to 2008, and vice president and general counsel from 1995 to 1999.

Jim Porter, president, Paper Solutions, is currently in the same role at RockTenn, leading the company's containerboard, paperboard and pulp mills, as well as the forest resources organization, recycling business and sales of containerboard, paperboard, recycled fiber and pulp. Previously, Porter served as president of corrugated packaging. Porter joined RockTenn in 2008 with the acquisition of Southern Container Corp., where he was president and chief operating officer.

Linda Schreiner, chief integration officer, is currently senior vice president, human resources, communications and the MWV Foundation, MWV. Schreiner oversees organization strategy and development, talent management and total rewards for MWV's global workforce. Prior to MWV, Schreiner was with Arthur D. Little and Signet Bank.