Ben Schill CEO
What Drives Ben? – Workplace Innovation and Engagement
A down-to-earth leader who wants a great place to work for his employees, CEO Ben Schill sets the tone for everyone at Paper Transport with his high energy, openness to ideas, and willingness to create change.
Recognizing the need to move things forward in the transportation industry, Ben works closely with the Paper Transport team to discover, research, and implement new technology and business practices. Under his watch, Paper Transport has pioneered safety developments, predictive driver analytics, remote connectivity improvements, and extended driver training through open-source technology. Through these innovations, Paper Transport's drivers, operations teams, and office support professionals are able to easily communicate with one another, leading to a workplace that is open, engaging, and supportive.
Ben has a degree from St. Norbert College in Business and Economics and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. Prior to working at Paper Transport, he was a Senior Financial Analyst at the California based restaurant-chain Jack in the Box and has held leadership positions at Schneider National. Ben is the recipient of the 2023 Business Person of the Year Award by the Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff Shefchik Director
What Drives Jeff? - Building a great place to work.
When Paper Transport Director Jeff Shefchik comes into the office each day, he has one main goal he wants to accomplish; create a great place for people to work.
It’s a simple goal Jeff has carried with him throughout his working days, dating back to when he helped his dad, Leroy, as a youngster at the family construction business. There, he learned that hiring talented people and treating them with respect was what it took to run a successful business.
Using that same approach, along with being honest, available, and approachable, Jeff has helped build a positive, comfortable work environment at Paper Transport. Visitors always say, "There’s something different about this company." The difference here is the people enjoy their work, support one another, strive to be the best, and yes, as cliché as it sounds, have fun while doing it. The company has grown to over 1,000 team members by attracting top talent, including Class A CDL Drivers and office support professionals.
Jeff is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh (Bachelor of Science Degree – Accounting and Finance) and started his career working for a private accounting firm.
Becky Davies VP OF HUMAN RESOURCES
What Drives Becky? – Employee Engagement and Fulfillment
Becky Davies learned early on that in business, employees want one thing: To be treated with dignity and respect. Without it, they’re quick to move on. When making decisions, Becky uses this as a guiding principle in her role as the VP of Human Resources at Paper Transport.
Working alongside her Human Resources team, Becky strives to create a positive, supportive work environment where there is trust and appreciation. This starts by hiring the right people who match Paper Transport's culture, developing their skills through training and implementing the right programs, technology, and processes. Since joining Paper Transport in 2018, Becky has focused on creating a culture that rewards teamwork, providing employees with development opportunities, and implementing HR solutions to support the company’s growth.
Becky graduated from St. Norbert College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Communications, and holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification. Before coming to PTI, Becky worked in HR Leadership positions at Dover Corporation and Honeywell.
Keith Stelzer VP OF SAFETY AND RECRUITING
What Drives Keith? - Paper Transport’s Two Core Values.
When Keith Stelzer comes to work, he aims to achieve two goals every day: to inspire others and to make a meaningful impact by personally committing to safety and encouraging others to do the same. Additionally, he works to Paper Transport's people-centric value of "What Drives You?" every time he walks through the company's doors.
Since joining Paper Transport in 2016, his leadership is now placed in a multitude of key areas of the company: Safety, Recruiting, Marketing, and Training & Development. Keith has been focused on leading his employees, building Paper Transport’s brand awareness, and growing Paper Transport’s safe and qualified professional drivers.
Keith graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Minor in Human Development. He began his career in the medical equipment field, focusing on sales, compliance, and then management.
SANDEEP PULAVARTY CIO
What Drives Sandeep? - Building successful teams.
Recognized for balancing futuristic vision, down-to-earth execution, and a sense of business urgency, Sandeep leverages business knowledge and technical expertise to transform IT into a strategic company partner. As part of the executive leadership team, he provides expert advice on developing and integrating the best enterprise solutions and applications to enable organic growth, integrate M&A’s, and build profitability in the marketplace.
Motivated by a “people-first” mindset, Sandeep drives business performance to the next level by developing world-class staff, transforming IT teams to deliver strong business value, and instilling a culture that rewards teamwork, process simplification, and customer focus. He proudly built an award-winning CIO 100 IT team, recognized for creating industry-pioneering applications.
Sandeep earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Montana. Prior to working at Paper Transport, Sandeep held leadership positions at Ashley Furniture Industries, Tidewater & GulfMark Offshore.
Dan Deppeler VP OF MAINTENANCE
What Drives Dan? – Building a Safe Fleet
To say that Vice President of Maintenance Dan Deppeler is an integral part of what makes Paper Transport successfully operate is a bit of an understatement. Why? Because he’s the team leader that keeps the company’s trucks and trailers traveling safely down the road every day.
He oversees a team of 121 people that is responsible for three main things: purchasing Paper Transport’s equipment, properly maintaining the equipment, and supporting company drivers in any way possible. Although their job may sound straightforward, it’s not a small undertaking. The company currently has 950 trucks and more than 3,500 trailers. As the backbone of the company’s entire operation, Dan and his team pride themselves on working extremely hard to maintain Paper Transport's fleet so it’s always running safely, smoothly, and efficiently.
Dan holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a Microsoft SQL Certification from the University of California-San Diego. He’s worked in transportation for a total of 20 years; other roles before Paper Transport include being a Financial Analyst, Senior Financial Manager, and Controller.
Wes Kornowske VP of Operations
What Drives Wes? - Setting the tone for personal and professional success.
Throughout his life, Wes Kornowske has made it a point to be a strong, optimistic leader-by-example type of person, working hard to accomplish any task that’s presented to him. That mindset has led to his current role as the Vice President of Operations for all of Paper Transport’s truckload and intermodal-drayage teams, comprised of 1,000 plus team members. He enjoys empowering those around him to pave the way for success, and this is the approach he consistently applies every day at Paper Transport.
When Wes looks at his team, he sees the opportunity to maximize their potential and seeks ways to make their jobs easier. This may include process improvement, innovation, and automated workflows. He understands that for Paper Transport to capitalize on growth opportunities through new customers, assets, and freight hauling possibilities, the team must be at the top of their game. He will do whatever it takes to help get them there.
Wes holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science/Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a Master's in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University. He is also a Licensed Customs Broker (#32608). Wes launched his career at the Village of North Aurora, advancing to the role of Village Administrator before joining Paper Transport.
Jared Stedl CCO
What Drives Jared? – Coaching to Win.
Jared, as Chief Commercial Officer at Paper Transport, is dedicated to creating opportunities for employees while driving success for the organization. He approaches each day as a chance to foster company growth and make a positive impact on Paper Transport's employees and customers.
Known for his dynamic leadership style and commitment to cultivating an exciting and engaging work environment, Jared excels by emphasizing quality leadership, exceptional customer service, and effective cross-functional collaboration.
With an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a Master of Science in Intermodal Transportation Management from the University of Denver, Jared brings expertise in negotiation, operations management, analytical skills, freight, and sales. His previous roles, including Vice President of Operations in the transportation/trucking/railroad sector, Vice President of Commercial Services, and Director of Business Development, highlight his significant contributions to industry growth. In these capacities, he successfully led Regional Operations, prioritizing sales growth and market management with a strong emphasis on safety.
John Renier CFO
What Drives John? – Doing what’s best for Paper Transport
When Chief Financial Officer John Renier makes business decisions at Paper Transport his first thought is to determine if it’s the best possible option for the company and its employees. If it’s not, he’ll find one with the help of his hardworking accounting team.
Together, they have collaborated to implement new innovative business processes and practices to achieve scalable, efficient, and manageable growth at Paper Transport. Examples include improving the driver payroll process, streamlining accounts receivable and accounts payable procedures, and using technology and software advancements to simplify daily accounting functions. Thanks to these innovations, Paper Transport has been able to achieve both rapid growth and long-term success.
A graduate of St. Norbert College (Bachelor of Business Administration) and San Diego State University (Master of Business Administration), John has worked in transportation his entire career. Before coming to Paper Transport, he was a Fuel Manager and Finance Manager at Schneider National.