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Pulp and paper’s future leaders: Meet Matt Broere

The future of pulp and paper looks bright.

Armed with a strong work ethic, initiative, curiosity, and a commitment to training and safety, the 2021 winners of our Top 10 Under 40 program are setting the bar for young professionals across the industry in management, operations, maintenance, sales, support and research.

To highlight the achievements of each individual selected for the Top 10 Under 40 list, Pulp & Paper Canada will feature one of 2021’s winners every week for the next 10 weeks. Nominations for the 2022 contest open at the end of the year.

This week, we introduce Matt Broere, technical services superintendent for Domtar in Dryden, Ont. [Ed. note: After this article was originally printed, Matt Broere departed Domtar and now works at Resolute Forest Products in Thunder Bay, Ont. He was nominated for this contest by his former colleagues at Domtar.]

At just 30 years old, Broere oversees a team of 12 people who provide Domtar Dryden’s technical support in quality, environment and production. Broere joined the mill as a process engineer in 2016, shortly after earning two bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering from Lakehead University.

By 2017, he had moved up to operations supervisor of recaust/kiln, where he developed standard operating procedures, scheduled maintenance work and ensured compliance of safety, environment and quality.

Now, Broere’s role extends to strategic development, reliability planning, continuous improvement and leadership workflows. In addition, he makes sure the quality specifications of the final product meet the needs of the mill’s customers. His commitment to quality and safety are further seen in his management of the site’s ISO 9001 quality program, and in his co-chairing of the joint occupational health and safety committee.

In their nomination, Marie Cyr, Domtar Dryden’s general manager, and Rajanesh Kumar, production manager, say Broere “is a supportive leader, mentoring entry-level process engineers and providing strong coaching to enhance their development and exposure both within the organization and the industry. He is viewed in very high regard by his peers and leaders.”

As a mentor, Broere sets an example for his team by committing to his own professional development. He is a Certified Professional Engineer, certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and Project Management Professional, and he has completed training through both PAPTAC and TAPPI. He also led a conference for PAPTAC’s bleaching committee in Dryden, and participated in presentations at PACWEST.

“He is no stranger to dedicating the time, hard work and energy to creative thinking and actively leading the Dryden team to successful results,” say Cyr and Kumar.

Up next: we highlight the contributions of winner Jawad Jeaidi.