Georgia-Pacific names VP of operations

Georgia-Pacific has made a change to its operational leadership, naming Hudson Pope as senior vice president of operations as Jeff Koeppel will retire from the role in the first quarter of 2025.

Photo courtesy of Georgia-Pacific

Pope, currently senior vice president of manufacturing, will assume his new role next year and take responsibility for all Georgia-Pacific’s manufacturing segments.

According to the company, Pope brings nearly three decades of experience in the pulp and paper industry. He began his career with Georgia-Pacific as a co-op process engineer for the company’s Crossett, Arkansas, facility. He has since grown his career with Georgia-Pacific and several other organizations, assuming consecutive leadership roles in manufacturing, logistics and operations.

In December 2018, Pope was promoted to senior vice president of building products operations before taking over the company’s packaging and cellulose operations in 2023.

Pope holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a minor in pulp and paper technology from Auburn University and serves on the board of directors of the Auburn Pulp & Paper Foundation as executive committee president.

Georgia-Pacific says Koeppel, who has held the senior vice president of operations position since 2016, will help Pope with the transition to his new role.