Server: Netscape-Commerce/1.1 Date: Friday, 21-Nov-97 00:11:39 GMT Last-modified: Friday, 08-Aug-97 01:06:51 GMT Content-length: 6751 Content-type: text/html Mead Reports Second Quarter Results
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Tatar Elected Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Mead Corporation

    Current Chairman and CEO Mason, Credited With Revitalization of Forest
                Products Company, Announces Decision to Retire

    DAYTON, Ohio, Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mead Corporation (NYSE: MEA)
today announced that its board of directors has elected Mead President
Jerome F. Tatar, 50, to chairman, chief executive officer and president,
effective November 1, 1997.  Tatar will succeed Steven C. Mason, a 40-year
Mead veteran who has been chairman since 1992.  Mason, 61, has elected to
retire early.
    Said Tatar: "Over the last five years, Steve has worked tirelessly to
reshape Mead and invigorate its culture.  He has created a strong senior
management team which is committed to results for customers and shareowners, a
dynamic and challenging environment for employees, and a platform from which
Mead will continue to make great strides.  I've been privileged to work with
Steve and I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to lead Mead to the
next level."
    Noting that Mason had served as president for ten years before becoming
chairman and CEO in 1992, Tatar added:  "From his personal experience, Steve
believes strongly that there is a right time to step aside and let successors
make the decisions that they will live with.  This has been part of Steve's
plan all along."
    Said Mason:  "This is a planned transition.  Mead has one of the strongest
management teams in business today.  Mead's team, including Jerry, deserves
credit for our progress over the last few years.  But, as the pace of change
in our industry accelerates -- and strategic decisions are made that will
determine what Mead looks like in ten years -- it will be more essential that
Jerry and the team be even more cohesive and have total ownership of their
decisions.  Jerry is exactly the right person to build that cohesiveness and
to inspire our employees to achieve more than they have already.  He is also
the right person to build on our progress in customer satisfaction and to make
Mead the preferred supplier to our customers by a wider margin."
    Added Mason:  "Five years ago, we set out to have Mead recognized as a
great company.  I am very pleased that Jerry will be at the helm to help the
company achieve that goal."
    Concluded Tatar:  "In nearly 25 years with Mead, it's fair to say that
I've seen significant changes in our industry and that I'm proud of Mead's
transformation over the last several years.  We've made enormous progress,
pulling from the middle of the pack to a leader in customer satisfaction and
productivity.  I remain intensely committed to maintaining our momentum in
these areas.  At the same time -- armed with a strong balance sheet -- I
intend to focus on increasing value for our shareowners, and to target, in a
disciplined way, strategic acquisitions and internal product market
development.  We will take advantage of industry consolidation and recognize
good opportunities both globally and domestically as the industry continues to
evolve."
    Tatar was elected president and chief operating officer by the board of
directors in April 1996.  He had been serving as vice-president-operating
officer since July 1994.  He joined Mead in 1973 as operations research
analyst and was promoted to manager of operations research the following year.
In 1975, he was named a planner in the corporate planning department and held
that position until 1977 when he was appointed director of marketing for
Mead's Paperboard Products Division.  In 1979 he moved to Atlanta as general
manager, strategy and new ventures, for  Mead Packaging, and was named general
manager, brewery, in 1980.  He was named president of Gilbert Paper in
Menasha, Wisconsin, in 1981.  Tatar assumed the newly-created position of vice
president, marketing in 1985, and was appointed president of the Fine Paper
Division in 1986.
    Tatar has a B.S. degree in mathematics and economics from Carnegie-Mellon
University and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
    The Mead Corporation produces coated papers for periodicals, catalogs,
books, and commercial printing; carbonless copy paper; uncoated and specialty
papers; and pulp and wood products.  In the packaging and paperboard sector,
the company produces coated paperboard; beverage and food packaging; and
corrugating medium and cartons.  Mead is a major supplier of value-added
school and office products.  Mead's Zellerbach division delivers products and
services for printing, packaging and industrial supply markets.

SOURCE  Mead Corporation


CONTACT: Elizabeth L. Russo of The Mead Corporation, 937-495-3312


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