Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc., or RYAM, announced Dec. 10 that CEO De Lyle Bloomquist plans to retire by the company’s 2026 annual meeting in the spring.
The Jacksonville-based cellulose specialties products company did not name a successor and said it has begun a search that will include internal and external candidates.
Bloomquist, who was previously CEO of General Chemical Industrial Products Inc., has served on RYAM’s board of directors since 2014 and was named chairman of the board in 2020. RYAM reported he was 66 in March.
When President and Chief Executive Vito Consiglio left the company in May 2022 by mutual agreement after just five months on the job, Bloomquist was appointed to succeed him.
RYAM has struggled financially during Bloomquist’s tenure amid a difficult market for its products.
The company reported losses from continuing operations for six straight years through 2024 and lost $399 million in the first nine months of 2025.
In RYAM’s third quarter conference call in November, Bloomquist said the company maintains a strong market position and it was maintaining its strategy, with expectations that results will improve.
“He has been instrumental in advancing our BioFuture vision and positioning the Company for sustainable growth,” Board Chair Lisa Palumbo said in a news release.
“The Board remains fully confident in RYAM’s strategy and, through our succession planning, is committed to appointing a new CEO who will continue to drive innovation, operational excellence, and shareholder value,” she said.