Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., announced the appointment of Dr. Rajan Iyer as its new vice president of the company’s research and development and technical services.

Iyer will oversee the company’s new product development efforts, guiding Monadnock’s portfolio development of fine printing, packaging and technical papers. He replaces Paul Ciccone who has announced his retirement. Ciccone, a 41-year Monadnock veteran, will remain with the company for an undetermined period of time to ensure a smooth transition.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Dr. Iyer to the Monadnock family,” says Richard G. Verney, chairman and CEO of Monadnock Paper Mills. “His demonstrated engineering expertise and strategic business acumen will prove to be invaluable as we continue to optimize our sustainable offerings, particularly in the alternative fiber space.”

His most recent role was with Georgia-Pacific where he was responsible for innovation and tech service as a senior product development engineer. Prior to that, Dr. Iyer was the technical director and rapid commercialization manager for Georgia-Pacific’s chemicals division.  Earlier in his career, Dr. Iyer served in a variety of technical, product development and research roles with both BASF and Imerys.

“Monadnock lies at the intersection of premium quality, performance and sustainability,” says Iyer. “I’m looking forward to joining this dedicated team and helping the company achieve its ambitious growth goals — through smart product development and expert partner and customer support.”

Iyer earned a master’s and doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Maine, a master of business administration from the University of Georgia, and a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from the University of Bombay.

Visit www.mpm.com for more information.