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Pulp and paper’s future leaders: Meet Jacob Wall

The future of the pulp and paper industry is in good hands!

Armed with a strong work ethic, initiative, curiosity, and a commitment to training and safety, the 2022 winners of our Top 10 Under 40 program are positioned to take the industry forward.

Whether they work in leadership, operations, maintenance, support or human resources, these pulp and paper employees are highly regarded by their colleagues and peers.

To highlight the achievements of each individual selected for the Top 10 Under 40 list, Pulp & Paper Canada will feature one of 2022’s winners every week for the next 10 weeks. Nominations for the 2023 contest open at the end of the year.

This week, we introduce Jacob Wall, process engineer at Irving Pulp & Paper in Saint John, N.B.

Only 25 years old, Jacob Wall is already making his mark in the industry. Jacob started his career with the Irving Pulp & Paper Division in 2016. Gathering his experience as he worked through several roles, he spent a four-month term with Irving Tissue, followed by another four-month term with Irving Paper.

After his stint in Irving Tissue, Jacob spent a 16-month term with Irving Pulp & Paper. Still new to the industry at that point, he filled in for a full-time position as an environmental engineer. Jacob worked through all these roles while he was pursuing his Chemical Engineering degree from the University of New Brunswick.

A leader from the very beginning, in 2015 Jacob was the first student to be awarded the J.D. Irving, Limited Leadership Scholarship. This was a $32,000 bursary from J.D. Irving, Limited at the University of New Brunswick.

Over the course of his career so far, Jacob has proven himself to be an ambitious, eager process engineer, shares his manager Jason Smith. He has high attention to detail and is an excellent coach to students who have reported to him. He is keen to mentor and teach new hires and students and will do everything possible to ensure they succeed.

Jacob has proven his ability to lead projects to completion, including to the point where the results of these projects have been presented at PAPTAC events. He has a strong desire to become a leader in the pulp and paper industry in technical, operations and management.

The team at Irving Pulp & Paper has no doubt that he will accomplish this goal, given what he has already accomplished at this point.

“Jacob’s ambition to succeed and to help others succeed is a key reason we feel he is deserving of being included in “Top 10 under 40.” Jacob embodies all of the qualities and values at J.D. Irving, Limited and is a respected up and coming leader here,” adds Jason.