RAYONIER ADVANCED MATERIALS INC. 8-K

What Happened
Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. (RYAM) announced on June 22, 2026 that its Board appointed Daniel M. Krawczyk as Chief Executive Officer and President and also added him as a Class III director (term through the 2029 annual meeting). Mr. Krawczyk, age 56, joins from Huber Engineered Materials (President since Nov 2017) and will serve as the company’s principal executive officer. The interim Office of the CEO that had been managing CEO duties was disbanded; those executives will remain in their roles and work with Mr. Krawczyk.

Key Details

• Effective date: June 22, 2026; director term expires at 2029 annual meeting.
• Base salary: $1,000,000 per year.
• Annual cash incentive: eligible under Corporate Bonus Plan with target 100% of base salary (payout range 0–200%); 2026 bonus prorated.
• Long-term incentives: initial equity grant value $3,300,000 (2026 awards: 30% RSUs cliff-vesting 3/1/2029, 35% PSUs, 35% PCUs — PSUs/PCUs subject to a three-year performance period).
• Sign-on bonus: $750,000 paid in three equal installments over first year; subject to clawback for termination for cause or resignation without good reason within two years; unpaid amounts accelerate on change in control.
• Inducement award: leveraged performance units (LPUs) target $1,750,000, vesting only on the third anniversary based on share-price growth vs. grant/measurement averages (thresholds: <25% growth = 0% vesting; 25% = 50%; 50% = 100%; 100% = 250%, with interpolation); value capped at 15x initial grant value; shares issued will have a one-year post-vesting holding requirement.
• Other: relocation assistance to Jacksonville, FL area, customary benefits, participation in severance plans, and an indemnification agreement to be entered.

Why It Matters
This 8-K signals a leadership change with a seasoned industrial-chemicals executive taking the helm, which may shape RYAM’s strategic and operational priorities going forward. Compensation details (base salary, sign-on, sizable equity and performance-based awards including LPUs tied to share-price growth) show the company is aligning significant pay with stock-performance and multi-year goals. Investors should note the mix of guaranteed pay and performance-conditioned long-term incentives, the timing of vesting, and potential dilution from equity awards when assessing future shareholder value.