2016 Executive Eagle Award Winner


Jim Porter
President, Business Development and Latin America - WestRock

He is president of Business Development and Latin America. In this role, he oversees WestRock’s ongoing development of new business opportunities, and management responsibility for the company’s operations in Latin America. Previously he held the role of president, Paper Solutions, and president, Corrugated Packaging, at WestRock. He joined RockTenn in 2008 with the acquisition of Southern Container Corp., where he was president and chief operating officer.

Prior to RockTenn, Jim also served as president of Solvay Paperboard – a subsidiary containerboard mill of Southern Container. Jim joined Solvay in 1993 as vice president with responsibility
for building the team and operating the facility which grew into a state-of-the-art, 800,000 ton recycled containerboard mill. WestRock acquired Southern Container and Solvay Paperboard
in 2008.

Prior to 1993, Jim spent 19 years with Menasha Corporation, beginning in the company’s Timberland Division in 1974 and ultimately becoming general manager of Menasha’s Paperboard Division in Otsego, MI.
Jim is the past chairman of the Fibre Box Association; past chairman of the Containerboard Sector of the American Forest & Paper Association; previously on the Board of Directors for Corrugated Packaging Alliance, International Corrugated Case Association and the World Containerboard Organization.

He has three children, seven grandchildren and lives in Atlanta with his wife, Pam.