Sylvamo Corp. announced that John Sims is now part of the paper company's board of directors effective January 1, 2026. In the same announcement, Sylvamo's board announced David Petratis is set to become chairman on January 1, 2026.
He has served as the board's lead independent director since 2021. Sylvamo's board is set to have seven members after Sims' addition to the board, along with six independent directors. The board is not filling the lead independent director left by Petratis becoming chairman, according to a news release.
The additions come after two Sylvamo board members, Karl Myers and Mark Wilde, resigned effective November 5, 2025. Sylvamo's board of directors then enacted a shareholder rights plan - or poison pill - in November. That came after Atlas Holdings, Sylvamo's largest shareholder, instructed two affiliated board members to resign to trigger the end of a 2023 termination agreement between the two parties.
Sims began his role as COO with Sylvamo in May. He was Sylvamo's first SVP and CFO, as part of its 2021 spin-off from International Paper. He spent 27 years at IP where he held several key posts, including VP and general manager, North American Papers; SVP and president, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Russia; and SVP of corporate development.
He also previously served on the Confederation of European Paper Industries board from 2016 to 2019. Sims holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Petratis has served on Sylvamo's board since it was founded in 2021.
He is also the former chairman, president, and CEO of Allegion. He's held various senior positions at Quanex Building Products, Schneider Electric, and Square D Co. He holds a bachelor's degree in industrial management from the University of Northern Iowa and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
