International Paper Company reported a board refresh under Item 5.02 of Form 8-K, announcing that its board of directors appointed Katherine Collins and Lori J. Ryerkerk as independent directors. The appointments were approved on July 14, 2026, following a recommendation from the company’s Governance Committee, and will become effective October 1, 2026. Collins and Ryerkerk will serve initial terms expiring at International Paper’s annual meeting of shareowners in May 2027, when the board expects to nominate them for re-election. With their appointments, International Paper said the board consists of 13 members, 12 of whom are independent. Committee assignments for the two new directors have not yet been determined and will be made at a later date. The company said both Collins and Ryerkerk qualify as independent under applicable New York Stock Exchange requirements as well as International Paper’s own director independence standards. Their appointments were not made under any agreement or understanding with another person, and the company disclosed that neither director has related-party transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. As non-employee directors, Collins and Ryerkerk will be eligible to receive annual cash and equity retainers under International Paper’s Restricted Stock and Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors. Their compensation will be prorated beginning October 1, 2026, and will be consistent with the director compensation program described in the company’s proxy statement filed March 27, 2026. International Paper also disclosed that, on July 14, 2026, board members acknowledged the planned retirements of Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan and Ahmet C. Dorduncu from board service, effective December 31, 2026. The company stated that neither retirement is the result of any disagreement with International Paper regarding its operations, policies, or practices. The retirements are tied to the company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, which were amended in March 2026 to eliminate the mandatory retirement age of 75, effective December 31, 2026, and adopt a 12-year term limit for directors. The filing does not report any purchases, sales, option exercises, stock awards, share counts, transaction codes, prices, or post-transaction ownership amounts. Instead, it is a governance-focused current report covering director appointments, upcoming director retirements, director compensation eligibility, and related board-independence disclosures. International Paper said it issued a press release on July 17, 2026, announcing the appointments; the exhibit list describes the release as dated July 1, 2026, creating an apparent date inconsistency in the filing.