Veritiv Corporation, a leading specialty distributor of value-added packaging, facility solutions and print products and solutions, announced today that Stuart Crockford has joined the company as Senior Vice President – Business Development to lead Veritiv's mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategy. In this newly created role, Mr. Crockford will be responsible for leading all aspects of the company's business development and M&A strategy.

Mr. Crockford joins Veritiv from Morgan Stanley where he served as a Vice President of Investment Banking in the Global Industrials Group. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. Crockford spent 12 years in the United States Navy as an F/A-18 fighter pilot. He holds an MBA from Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business in Houston, Texas.

"The recent acquisition of Vivabox Solutions marked the beginning of a new chapter in our company's journey and an opportunity to grow and expand our business through acquisitions," said Sal Abbate, Chief Executive Officer of Veritiv. "Stuart brings a wealth of expertise identifying, negotiating, and closing deals across a variety of industries and is well-steeped in the packaging industry overall. I am confident in his ability to drive our strategic focus on developing and executing an inorganic growth strategy aimed at enhancing our scope and capabilities and driving additional value for our customers."