The DNA of Success: Marcez Mitchell’s Philosophy of 领导

Authenticity is critical to leadership. That means trying to be yourself — this involves some self-disclosure, admitting what you don’t know 和 being willing to ask questions.                                          

 罗伯特年代. Kaplan, Emeritus Professor of 领导 at the Harvard Business School 

North American Container’s (NAC) specialty products may not be the first thing people think of when IP comes to mind, but it is a team that is quickly making a strong impact with customers. NAC Specialty is thriving because of its leadership team. Marcez Mitchell is the VP of NAC Specialty, 和 his ability to lead with grace 和 intentionality has helped this team become what it is today.

NAC Communications Coordinator, 米歇尔Winetrout, had the opportunity to sit down with Marcez 和 learn about his leadership philosophy 和 what his plans are for the future of NAC 和 IP.  

A graduate of Clemson University, Marcez started his IP career as a summer intern in 1999 和 gained an array of experiences across the company, including forest resources, procurement 和 supply planning. By 2002, Marcez took on a director role in Supply Chain, 后来, he became general manager for NAC’s 袋 和 型纤维 business in April of 2023. He was promoted to his current leadership role in November of 2023.

Marcez attributes his success to being as authentic as possible, even in challenging situations. He strives not to let a title, department or business modify his DNA, thus allowing him the freedom to be real 和 personable whether he is in the office or at home, 就像他父亲一样.  

Growing up, Marcez watched his father take on many titles in the church where he worked. No matter the title, his father continued to be himself 和 was someone people could always rely on. It made him an effective leader.  

Marcez strives to reflect his father’s ability to lead the people around him by being authentic, 真,, 最重要的是, “being able to deliver tough news in the way that people can digest rather than pushing people away.” Marcez believes that a great leader can tell the truth with grace no matter the situation. He says that this quality “provides a level of transparency, 和 with transparency, [one] can more easily develop trust.,” 信任, he asserts, is what builds a great team.  

His father also taught him to deliver good news in a “manner that people feel appreciated along the way.” Great leaders learn from the leaders before them, 和 that is exactly what Marcez has done.  

信任...is what builds a great team.  

This leadership philosophy, when applied to NAC Specialty, guides the team towards success through innovation 和 finding new ways to say “yes” to the customer. Marcez believes that in order to strengthen the NAC Specialty businesses — paper 袋s, 型纤维, Enhanced Graphics Solutions, SpaceKraft®, 和 the specialty retail 和 packaging display group — they have to take risks 和 take on new ideas that build off of older practices. NAC Specialty has always made money, 他说, but being satisfied with that will only move the business horizontally. To move vertically, they have embraced the profitability mindset. NAC Specialty has just begun to scratch the surface of what they can offer to IP.  

There is a world of opportunity for NAC Specialty, 和 Marcez is ready to lead the group every step of the way. He believes that this is one of the most exciting areas of IP to be a part of given the magnitude of opportunity on the horizon. The growing support behind the Specialty business has allowed for the team’s innovative ideas 和 rapid growth, 和, through any successes or failures, Marcez has held close to his values 和 is diligently leading NAC Specialty with authenticity 和 trust.