Salvatore A. Abbate
Member of the Nominating / Corporate Governance Committee and Compensation Committee
Director since: January 2023
Key Skills:
- Senior Leadership
- Value Creation and M&A
- Logistics
- Corporate Strategy, Sales and Marketing
Occupation: Chief Executive Officer – Veritiv Corporation
Experience: Mr. Abbate has been Chief Executive Officer of Veritiv Corporation since 2020. Veritiv is the largest business-to-business packing distribution business in North America and a Fortune 500 company. During his tenure at Veritiv, Mr. Abbate successfully led numerous growth-oriented and efficiency initiatives including the company’s $2.6 billion sale to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (“CDR”) in 2023 at a significant premium and the divestitures of the company’s logistics solutions and Canadian businesses. Under Mr. Abbate’s leadership, Veritiv’s stock rose from under $13.00 per share in October 2020 to $170 per share on December 1, 2023, when its acquisition by CDR closed. Before serving as CEO, Mr. Abbate held several other senior leadership roles at the company, including Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.
Prior to joining Veritiv, Mr. Abbate was Senior Vice President and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer for Andersen Windows & Doors, Inc. In that capacity, he oversaw the implementation of multiple marketing campaigns and initiatives, leading to increased customer penetration and Andersen becoming one of the largest window and door manufacturers in North America. Before that, Mr. Abbate served as Vice-President, Global Sales and Marketing for the Performance Film Division of Solutia, Inc., a performance materials and specialty chemical provider. In that role, he oversaw over $290 million in net sales across multiple geographic regions. Mr. Abbate began his career at Armstrong World Industries, where he spent 15 years in various roles in all three of their business units, including sales, marketing, manufacturing and process improvements.
Other Directorships and Education: Mr. Abbate is a member of the Veritiv Board of Directors and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and serves on their Executive Committees. He has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from Northwestern University.