CEO of Sappi Europe to chair Cepi

Cepi is a leading and influential trade association in the forest and bio-based industry sector. It is headquartered in Brussels, where Eikelenboom will carry out his two-year tenure as Cepi’s chairperson.

Eikelenboom has been the CEO of Sappi Europe, based in Brussels, Belgium since 2021. Sappi is one of the leading global providers of sustainable woodfiber products in the fields of dissolving pulp, printing papers, packaging and specialty papers, casting and release papers, biomaterials and bioenergy.

Sappi Europe is part of Sappi Limited, a global company headquartered in Johannesburg with customers in over 150 countries worldwide.

During his career, Eikelenboom has held various high-level positions within Sappi, starting his career in the company in 1997.

The outgoing Chairman, Hämälä, a strong supporter of a more open dialogue between the industry and the EU Institutions, helped launch Circular Choices, a coalition for a more competitive and ambitious EU bioeconomy.

This is the broadest coalition yet of European trade associations representing providers of high-quality wood-based products, fiber-based paper and board products as well as packaging and renewable energy solutions, which is also supported by EU forest owners and managers.

Eikelenboom will be taking over as EU Institutions prepare for an election period and the start of a new mandate for members of the European Parliament and a new College of EU Commissioners.

The next five-year term is already widely being seen as a critical time for action, where the European Union needs to transform the elements of the Green Deal legislative package into concrete actions and deliver on its emission reduction and removal targets.