Domtar’s Marie-Noëlle Watts Honored for Leadership in Forestry

Published in 30 de December de 2025 by g7

At Domtar, we believe that strong leadership grows from authenticity, collaboration and care for people. That’s why we are proud to celebrate Marie-Noëlle Watts, General Manager of our Saint-Félicien, Quebec, kraft pulp mill, who has received the Forest Products Association of Canada’s (FPAC) 2025 Women in Forestry Award.

The award recognizes Marie-Noëlle’s commitment to operational excellence, environmental stewardship, and people-centered leadership. A supporter of intrapreneurship, she coaches staff to take a sense of ownership and pride in their work – an approach that reflects Domtar’s own values of responsibility, inclusion and community.

Marie-Noëlle joined the company in 2006 as an environmental coordinator at the Dolbeau mill, focusing on water treatment. Over the years, her curiosity led her to take on new challenges across both pulp and paper operations, including helping to restart the Dolbeau mill in 2012 after a three-year closure.

In December 2024, she brought that same hands-on leadership style to her new role as General Manager of the Saint-Félicien mill, which employs 250 people and produces 357,000 metric tons of Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp annually.

Marie-Noëlle describes pulp and paper making as a continuous and interconnected process: “I compare them to a game of dominoes,” she explains. “If one element goes down, the effects are felt throughout the rest of the mill. You have to put each piece back carefully in its place.”

A native of the Gaspésie region, she values strong and vibrant communities, a commitment she brings to her adoptive home of Lac-Saint-Jean: “Community means a lot to me,” she says.

Believing that companies should play a visible role in their regions, she serves on local economic councils and supports civic engagement initiatives. Through open houses and student internship programs, her team connects with residents, showing what life inside the mill is really like.

“We have a lot of fun here,” says Marie-Noëlle. “But people don’t usually get to see us. So, we like to open our doors and show what it’s like.”

These efforts also help demystify the forestry industry for younger generations, particularly girls and women.

“We offer well-paying jobs and a great quality of life,” explains Marie-Noëlle. “With representation, people can imagine what’s possible.”

From donating blueberry pies grown on the mill’s fields to the local Saint Vincent de Paul food bank, to participating in Movember for men’s cancer research, she fosters a culture of engagement and care.

“A happy team is a great asset,” she says. “I’m proud to contribute to a forestry sector that is more inclusive, equitable, and bold.”

At Domtar, we celebrate leaders like Marie-Noëlle who embody the values of sustainability, empathy and excellence, inspiring the next generation to see what’s possible in the forest products industry.