RISI’s Team of Global Engineers and Cost Benchmarking Analysts

Surya Raina - Vice President, Mill Intelligence: Surya is a Chemical Engineer with over 30 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry, including 15 years of operational experience in the Asian pulp and paper industry. His career in mill operations included working at Ballarpur industries, India and Phoenix Pulp and Paper, Thailand. Prior to joining RISI, he spent eight years working as a consultant with Jacobs Sirrine Consultants and Simon Consulting group. Surya specializes in mill cost benchmarking and is well versed in the cost structure of pulp and paper board grades across different world regions. He has also been actively involved in due diligence, risk and optimization studies.

Michael Jones - Director, Packaging and Tissue: Michael conducts competitive cost studies of global pulp and paper mills producing containerboard, cartonboard, tissue, market pulp, fluff pulp and dissolving pulp. Michael has a total of 16 years cost benchmarking experience in a range of grades and geographic regions. He also worked for International Paper for 14 years as an engineer. He holds a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

William Studstill - Director, Graphic Papers: William conducts competitive cost studies of global pulp and paper mills producing graphic papers, including coated and uncoated, woodfree and mechanical grades. In addition, William conducts single-client and multi-client cost benchmarking studies, as well as consulting projects which include due diligence, strategic assessment and mill optimization studies. He holds a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master degree in Management.

Jesse Neese - Technical Service Manager: Jesse is responsible for training customers on the new Analytical Cornerstone 4.0 cost benchmarking platform, product development, cost benchmarking sales and key account management for RISI's Wood Products Cost Benchmarking Group. Prior to joining RISI, he worked in the wood products adhesive industry for nine years. Jesse has a Master of Business Administration degree from Louisiana Tech University, a Master of Science degree in Wood Science and Engineering from Oregon State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Ryan Burgess, Analyst: Ryan calculates cost benchmark data for all North American liner and medium mills and Latin American liner, medium and coated recycled board mills, as well as administers the new Analytical Cornerstone 4.0 cost benchmarking application. Ryan joined RISI with more than ten years of paper mill experience having worked for Temple Inland and Gaylord Container Corporation as a Process Engineer and shift Process manager. He holds a Bachelor degree in Pulp and Paper Science and Technology with a minor in Economics from North Carolina State University.

Sheila Rezak, Product Manager: Sheila conducts cost benchmarking analyses of global pulp and paper mills for the new Analytical Cornerstone 4.0, specifically North American mills producing graphic paper products. Prior to joining RISI, Sheila worked for Beloit Corporation at Tjiwi Kimia (APP) Indonesia as a Process Engineer for the installation and start-up of paper machine #11. She holds a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from Sriwijaya University and Master and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Paper Science from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Portia Zhao,Senior Product Manager: Portia conducts cash manufacturing cost studies of global pulp and paper mills to estimate their cost competitiveness in specific markets. Prior to joining RISI, Portia worked for UPM-Kymmene (Changshu) Paper Industry Company in Shanghai and Advance Agro Pulp & Paper Integrated Company in Prachinburi, Thailand. She holds a Bachelor degree of Economics and a Bachelor degree of Engineering in Pulp and Paper Technology from the South China University of Technology, as well as a Master degree of Engineering in Pulp and Paper Technology from the Asian Institute of Technology.

Olivia Qiu, Production Assistant: Olivia is responsible for updating mill flowsheets in Analytical Cornerstone 4.0, as well as creating cost curves and spreadsheets. Olivia holds a Bachelor degree in Engineering from East China University of Science and Technology.

Wendy Huang, Analyst: Wendy Huang holds a Bachelor degree in Pulp and Paper Technology from Tianjin University of Science and Technology. A recent addition to the Cost Benchmarking team, Wendy is responsible for creating mill flow sheets, cost curves and data analysis for Analytical Cornerstone 4.0.

JJ Meng, Analyst: JJ Meng holds a Bachelor degree of Engineering in Pulp and Paper Technology from the Beijing Forestry University and a Master degree of Engineering in Pulp and Paper Technology from the South China University of Technology. She is responsible for researching and collecting mill data and industry information, conducting cash cost studies and updating the mill intelligence database.

Ville Henttonen, Senior Product Manager: Ville conducts cash manufacturing cost studies of global pulp and paper mills to estimate their cost competitiveness in specific markets, such as European packaging and fine paper grades. Ville holds a Master of Science degree in Forest Products Technology from Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. He has gained valuable industry experience working for various pulp and paper mills, machinery suppliers and forest products consulting companies.

Sanna Hanhikoski, Analyst: Sanna conducts mass and energy balances and competitive cost benchmarking analyses of European Pulp and paper mills. Prior to joining RISI, Sanna worked in several paper mills of Finland and Switzerland as well as a packaging company in Australia. There she was involved in environmental decision making. She holds a Master of Science degree in Paper Technology and in Systems and Operations Research from Helsinki University of Technology.

Sampsa Veiljalanien, Analyst: Sampsa holds a Master of Science degree in Forest Products Technology from the Helsinki University of Technology. Sampsa has a wealth of global pulp and paper industry experience having worked in Finland, Spain, and Brazil prior to coming to RISI. In his role as an analyst, Sampsa is responsible for conducting mass and energy balances as well as cost benchmarking analyses for EMEA pulp and paper mills.

Mats Lindström, Analyst: Mats conducts chemical consumption modeling for kraft pulp bleaching. This involves determining the bleachability of various wood species used in pulp production and calculating the differences in chemicals consumption based on process factors from the fiberline design. Mats also calculates the amount of energy and raw material needed to manufacture the chemicals that are produced on-site at global mills. Prior to joining RISI, Mats worked on projects for Papier und Karton Frabrik Varel in Germany and as a Wood Handling Process operator for UPM Wisaforest Pietarsaari in Finland. Mats holds a degree in Pulping Technology and Industrial Management from Aalto University in Helsinki Finland, and has also studied Energy Technology at ETH Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland.