Executive Team

Kevin J. Clarke

President & Chief Executive Officer

Kevin joined Catalyst as president and chief executive officer on June 21, 2010.

Prior to joining Catalyst, Kevin held a number of executive roles with Worldcolor (Quebecor World) during a 28-year career with the company. As president, publishing services group from 2007-2009, he led a global organization of 7,500 employees at 20 manufacturing facilities, producing 1 billion books and 1,600 magazine titles. Prior to this role, Kevin was president, book and directory operations from 2004-2007 and vice president/general manager from 1996-2004 where he led a variety of strategic, marketing, business efficiency and operational change initiatives. He joined Worldcolor in 1982 as corporate transportation manager.

Kevin graduated from Niagara University, Niagara Falls, NY with a bachelor of science.

David Adderley

Vice-President and General Counsel

As vice-president and general counsel, David is accountable for all of the company’s legal matters, including the company’s relationships with outside counsel. He oversees all regulatory and corporate compliance and corporate governance practices and provides legal and strategic input in the company’s business transactions and negotiations.

David’s legal background includes twenty years of private practice with a major law firm and nine years on his own as a lawyer and consultant. He has extensive experience with industry transactions and commercial negotiations, including mergers and acquisitions, business restructuring, financing agreements, strategic alliances and energy arrangements.

He has a law degree (1980) and a mathematics degree (1976) from the University of British Columbia and is recognized as a leading forestry law practitioner.

He assumed his role in May 2010.

Brian Baarda

Vice-President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer

Brian Baarda was appointed vice-president, finance and chief financial officer in November 2009. He brings 20 years of industry experience, most recently as vice-president, operations accountable for recycled paper production and facilities.

Prior to that he was vice-president of Powell River Division, and from 2003 to 2005 he held the role of vice-president, supply chain. He joined the company in 1989 and has worked in several locations and held a number of senior accounting and analysis positions until moving to the operations side of the business in 2001 as the pulp mill manager at the former Elk Falls Division, a role he held until 2003.

Steve Boniferro

Senior Vice-President, Human Resources

Steve joined Catalyst in January 2008, bringing more than 25 years of experience in senior human resource positions with both management and labour. Prior to his role at Catalyst, he was vice-president of Algoma Steel, where he led the human resource group since 1998.

He began his career in the mining industry and served as president of the Steelworkers Union local in Elliot Lake, Ontario in the late 1970s. He became a staff representative with the Steelworkers in 1987 and was promoted to area coordinator for Northwestern Ontario in 1990.

Steve is a graduate of the Queen’s School of Business, Human Resources Program and an alumnus of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference. He served on numerous community boards and committees and has been a guest lecturer at Harvard and Oxford Universities.

Lyn Brown

Vice-President, Corporate Relations and Social Responsibility

Lyn is accountable for corporate issues management, government relations and the company’s broad social responsibility agenda.

Lyn joined the company in 2004, bringing a graduate degree in business and 20 years of broad experience in journalism, associations, crown corporations, electric utilities and telecommunications. She most recently held executive positions with Aquila Networks Canada (now Fortis) and senior policy and communications roles at Telus.

Lyn was appointed to her current position in July 2005.

Tom Crowley

Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing

Tom is accountable for sales and marketing of all paper and pulp products manufactured by Catalyst.

He joined the company in 2000, as vice-president and general manager, newsprint and was appointed vice-president and general manager for specialty papers in 2005 before assuming his current position in September 2007.

Tom has more than 20 years of industry experience, including as a pulp and paper mill manager. He has managed all aspects of customer relationships in regions as diverse as Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East and held prior career assignments in Guadalajara, Mexico and London, England.

He holds a master’s degree from American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) and bachelor degrees in Business and Arts (Latin American and Spanish Studies) from Southern Methodist University.

Brian Johnston

Vice-President, Operations

Brian Johnston is accountable for all manufacturing facilities.

Brian has more than 25 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry, having worked in mills from coast to coast. He joined Catalyst paper in 1994 at Crofton, holding various positions in paper mill operations.

In 2001 Brian transferred to Powell River Division as vice-president, operations, a position he held until 2005 when he assumed the corporate role of vice-president, technical services, to provide support to all mills’ operations. Prior to his current appointment, Brian held the position of vice-president, operations of the former Elk Falls Division.

Robert H. Lindstrom

Vice-President, Supply Chain and Information Technology

As vice-president, supply chain and information technology, Bob is accountable for a number of critical functions and services, including fibre supply, ONP procurement, order fulfillment, transportation, logistics management, supply management, energy strategy and management and information technology.

Before his appointment in August 2005, Bob served as vice-president, strategy and was instrumental in developing a long-term strategic direction for all of our operations. He also worked closely with our CEO to develop our acquisition strategy for growing the mechanical paper business.

Robert L. Stepusin

Senior Vice-President, Business Improvement

As senior vice-president, business improvement, Bob supports senior leaders across the company and is accountable for identifying and implementing cost-saving and value-adding initiatives in all areas of the business.  he is also accountable for ensuring that cost effective financial systems and processes are in place and provide pertinent information to make strategic financial decisions.

Bob is a finance executive with more than 30 years of experience in the print industry.  Most recently he was the executive vice-president of finance with World Color, accountable for the financial results of the retail, catalogue and direct mail groups, a role he held from 2005-2009.  He began his career with R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company in 1977 and held various accounting and financial management roles before joining American Color Graphics as its controller in 1993.  In 1999, he moved to World Color where he held senior executive finance roles overseeing various business units, corporate reporting and Chapter 11 restructuring.  He assumed his position with Catalyst in July.