The move comes after Sonoco had announced in November it would restructure its metal packaging and rigid paper containers businesses into one consumer packaging segment across two areas: Europe, Middle East, Africa/Asia-Pacific; and the Americas.
Ernest Haynes, who had stepped into the position of president of consumer packaging Americas as part of the restructuring, will take up the role of president of global consumer packaging, according to an Aug. 4 statement from Sonoco.
“Haynes will be responsible for Sonoco’s largest global business with roughly $5.2 billion in annual sales, 98 operations in 25 countries and 11,250 employees,” the statement said, adding that Haynes will report directly to Sonoco President and CEO Howard Coker.
Haynes had served the company as president of metal packaging North America; division vice president and general manager of rigid paper containers North America; and division vice president of operations for tubes and cores for the US and Canada.
James Harrell will continue to preside over the industrial paper packaging segment. Sean Cairns, president of Sonoco EMEA/APAC, “is leaving the company after 17 years,” the statement said. Cairns had been elevated to president of consumer packaging EMEA/APAC as part of the November restructuring.
Coker said in the statement that Haynes “has nearly 30 years of operating and commercial leadership at Sonoco and will bring the best of our Americas and EMEA/APAC businesses together to leverage our technology, supply chain, and research and development to meet the changing needs of our global customers.”
“This new structure simplifies and improves the efficiency of our operating model, enabling our teams to better collaborate, innovate and grow,” Haynes said in the statement. “I am passionate about fostering a culture of innovation and ensuring world-class manufacturing, quality and technical service for our brands worldwide.”
Haynes graduated from the Wharton School’s executive general management program and has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Clemson University.
Sonoco stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol SON. At time of writing, shares are up 1.3% since the Aug. 4 announcement to 57.53.
This story was updated on Aug. 18 at 1:30 p.m.