News Packaging
Sonoco announces two new senior leadership appointments

November 23, 2018 – Packaging giant Sonoco has announced a new senior leadership structure overseeing the company’s global consumer- and industrial-related businesses, effective January 1, 2019.

Vicki Arthur, senior vice-president for plastics packaging and protective solutions, is retiring from Sonoco after 34 years of service.

Rodger Fuller has been named senior vice-president for global consumer packaging, display and packaging and protective solutions. Fuller will have responsibility for all of Sonoco’s consumer-related businesses. In addition, he will have responsibility for several support organizations, including marketing and innovation, consumer technology, supply management and logistics, and quality.

Fuller was previously senior vice-president for paper/engineered carriers in the U.S. and Canada, as well as for display and packaging. Prior to this, he was group vice-president, paper and industrial converting, U.S. and Canada, and vice-president, for the company’s global primary materials group. He began his career at Sonoco in 1985 in the consumer sector.

Howard Coker has been named senior vice-president for global paper/industrial converted products. Coker will lead all of Sonoco’s global industrial-related businesses. He will also have several support organizations reporting to him, including global safety, industrial supply chain for the Americas, and SPS (Sonoco Performance System).

Coker has international experience with Sonoco and most recently was senior vice-president, global rigid paper and closures and paper/engineered carriers, and previously was that sector’s group vice-president and vice-president.

“Rodger and Howard have deep consumer and industrial leadership experience, with each accumulating 33 years of committed service to Sonoco,” says Rob Tiede, president and CEO of Sonoco. “While we will maintain four segments for financial reporting purposes, moving to a more simplified consumer and industrial leadership structure will help speed decision-making and drive accountability throughout our organization.”

On Arthur’s retirement, Tiede says, “It would be impossible to recount everything that Vicki has done over her career at Sonoco[…]a list of positions does not come close to capturing the true measure of her contribution to Sonoco. Her humbleness, her sense of humour, her humanity and her willingness to help others are the things that will be remembered by those impacted by her friendship and her leadership.”

Sonoco has annualized net sales of approximately US$5 billion and 21,000 employees working in approximately 300 operations in 33 countries.