Clay joined International Paper in 1992 as a process engineer at the Natchez, Miss., Mill. Over the course of his career, Clay has held several manufacturing, engineering, technical and commercial leadership positions with increasing responsibility. In 2012, Clay was named an officer of the company and in 2019, he was elected senior vice president. In 2023, he was named senior vice president, GCF + IP Asia, and is responsible for leading IP’s global absorbent, specialty and market pulp business.

In addition to his leadership role in GCF, Clay serves on the board of Seeding Success, a Memphis “cradle to career” partnership for children. He previously served on the board of directors for The National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI), the National Paper Trade Association and AF&PA printing, writing and pulp sectors, as well as the Memphis Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Clay earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana State University and completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.