Sonoco Names Ernest Haynes as CEO Successor as Howard Coker Announces Retirement

Sonoco Products Company has announced a leadership transition, with Ernest D. Haynes III appointed to succeed R. Howard Coker as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2027. Coker will retire on December 31, 2026, following more than 40 years with the global packaging company.

The company’s Board of Directors has also appointed Haynes as a director. He currently serves as President of Global Consumer Packaging, a position he assumed in August 2026. Coker will remain in his current role through the end of 2026 to support the leadership transition.

Coker has served as Sonoco’s CEO since 2020. During his tenure, he led a transformation that focused the company on its Consumer and Industrial packaging businesses, according to Board Chairman John R. Haley.

Haynes brings nearly 30 years of experience at Sonoco, having joined the company in 1997. His previous leadership positions include President of Consumer Packaging, Americas; President of the Sonoco Metal Packaging Division; and Vice President of Rigid Paper Containers, North America. He has also held operational leadership roles in the company’s Industrial Paper Packaging business.

According to Haley, Haynes played a role in leading Sonoco’s metal packaging and rigid paper packaging businesses through the integration of major acquisitions. The Board cited his operational experience, commercial leadership and understanding of the company's customers and markets in announcing the appointment.

Commenting on his retirement, Coker thanked Sonoco’s approximately 22,000 employees worldwide and said the transition was part of the company’s succession planning process. He also expressed confidence in Haynes’ ability to lead the business.

Haynes said his priorities as CEO would include sustainable growth, profitability improvement and efficient capital allocation. He also highlighted innovation and the development of solutions for the markets served by Sonoco.

Haynes holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Clemson University and is a graduate of the Wharton School’s Executive General Management Program. He also serves on the Clemson University Foundation Board and the Can Manufacturers Institute.

The leadership change marks the conclusion of Coker’s 41-year career at Sonoco and the beginning of Haynes’ tenure as the company’s chief executive.