Pulp and paper’s future leaders: Meet Ashleigh Marchl

The future of the pulp and paper industry is in good hands!

Armed with a strong work ethic, initiative, curiosity, and a commitment to training and safety, the 2022 winners of our Top 10 Under 40 program are positioned to take the industry forward.

Whether they work in leadership, operations, maintenance, support or human resources, these pulp and paper employees are highly regarded by their colleagues and peers.

To highlight the achievements of each individual selected for the Top 10 Under 40 list, Pulp & Paper Canada will feature one of 2022’s winners every week for the next 10 weeks. Nominations for the 2023 contest open at the end of the year.

This week, we introduce Ashleigh Marchl, manager of environment, health and safety at Resolute Forest Products in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Ashleigh Marchl has been a loyal, long-standing employee at Resolute Forest Products. With almost 14 years of service at its Thunder Bay, Ont., pulp and paper mill, she has held several roles, including environmental coordinator and superintendent. Her combined education and work experience are an indispensable skill set to the mill, thanks to which she was recently promoted to manager of environment, health and safety.

Ashleigh has played a vital role in spearheading innovative waste diversion projects, most notably repurposing the mill’s boiler ash and creating beneficial uses for byproducts. Ashleigh is also leading the project that repurposes the mill’s pulp and paper sludge, generated from wastewater treatments, as organic matter available to local farmers for agricultural land spreading. Moreover, she is working in collaboration with various organizations to use the mill’s sludge as capping material for local landfills, as well as prospective projects that repurpose sludge for use in mining sites, tailing ponds and logging roads.

Ashleigh ensures the deployment of the mill’s carbon reduction strategy. 

Ashleigh is highly engaged in several organizations across Thunder Bay, participating as an industrial representative for the pulp and paper sector. She is a board member of EcoSuperior, an environmental non-profit organization. She is also a committee member of Lakehead Source Water Protection, and regularly attends meetings to discuss the city’s annual water protection plans. On a part-time basis, she teaches a course on health and safety regulations at Confederation College.

Ashleigh has always taken a proactive stance on incident and issue management.

“She is no doubt a leader in the pulp and paper industry, approaching her work with a business lens, while constantly keeping sustainability at the forefront of her priorities,” shares her colleague, Arianne LaBoissonniere.