Georgia-Pacific announced that it has named Ryan Elwart as Chief Customer Officer for the Consumer Products Group. In this newly created position, Elwart will lead a combined sales organization of both the company's retail and commercial (GP PRO) businesses. The move is intended to increase the value the GP Consumer Products Group creates for customers by driving integrated teamwork across the organization and more effectively deliver the service, support and capabilities that matter most.

"At Georgia-Pacific, we strive every day to increase the value and mutual benefit we create with our partners, and to focus our talent and resources on opportunities that accelerate our customers' success," said David Duncan, executive vice president for Georgia-Pacific's Consumer Products Group. "With that in mind, we've created a consolidated customer organization that leverages our organization-wide knowledge and best practices, while maintaining the specialized focus that differentiates our approach across markets and channels."

Duncan continued, "With his demonstrated leadership and his background in the consumer products industry, I believe Ryan has the depth of knowledge, the innovative mindset and the collaborative spirit to help us elevate and evolve how we do business."

Elwart added, "Now more than ever we are reminded how important it is to be agile and adaptable to find solutions for consumers, professionals, and in some cases, both. In these unprecedented times we are in the trenches together with our customers -- focused on helping them serve consumers and provide continuity to the marketplace. Longer-term, the vision of this new organization will be to amplify the voice of the customer, collaborating with our world-class categories and capabilities to be faster, smarter and more transformative."

Prior to his promotion, Elwart served as senior vice president for global sales at Georgia-Pacific, responsible for North American and International GP PRO sales, sales strategy and sales capability teams. His new role comes as Mike Hayes leaves his position as senior vice president of retail sales at the company to take on a role at another organization. In the past, Elwart also led customer and capability teams at PepsiCo in the Frito Lay and QTG divisions and held multiple sales responsibilities at Hormel Foods.