JEFFERSON Smurfit chairman Dr Michael Smurfit has said that he has no successor in mind for when he retires and also stated that his two sons, Tony and Michael Junior, have no guarantees of filling his shoes when he goes.

Speculation about who will succeed the 59-year-old chairman and chief executive of the world's largest producer of corrugated cardboard boxes, with managed funds of about £6 billion, has been mounting, since two of his sons recently assumed key senior positions within the group.

"My sons are not enfranchised nor will they be disenfranchised," said Dr Smurfit.

"The two boys who are in the business are more aware than anybody just how good they have to be to make it.

"They don't just have to be good, they have to be exceptionally good as there will always be the query - did they make it, because of their father?" Dr Smurfit said.

Mr Michael Smurfit Junior was appointed president and chief executive officer of the Smurfit group's US subsidiaries, Smurfit Packaging Corporation and Smarfit Paperboard Inc last week.

His brother, Mr Tony Smurfit was appointed deputy chief executive of Smurfit France in October 1995.

Since Smurfit's £684 million acquisition of Cellulose du Pin in August 1994, Smurfit is the largest cardboard producer in France.

Some market sources have felt uneasy about the appointments of Mr Michael Smurfit's sons to such senior positions and said Mr Smurfit may be trying to bolt a private dynasty on to a public company.

Dr Smurfit said he was delighted that his sons were interested in getting involved in such a cylical business.

"I am delighted that two young men are keen to get involved in this up-and-down cyclical business that I have made my life," he said.

He said former group president Mr Howard Kilroy's sons were also making their careers in the company as were the two sons of Mr Jim Malloy, former chairman and chief executive of US-based Smurfit Packaging Corporation.

"Nobody is enfranchised in this business - they have to succeed on ability, knowledge and dedication and whether they have all that is too early to say," Dr Smurfit said.

He added that there was a contingency plan should anything unexpected happen to him.

"We have got contingency plans should anything happen to me, which I will not disclose," he said.

"Not that I plan not being around."