Crown Holdings names Djalma Novaes, Jr. as new Executive Vice President and COO

USA – Crown Holdings, Inc., a global leader in packaging solutions, has announced a major leadership transition set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Djalma Novaes, Jr., currently President of the company’s Americas Division, will be promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

In his new role, Novaes will oversee operations across Crown’s Americas and European Divisions, as well as lead the Company’s Global Sourcing initiatives and CMB Engineering, Crown’s can manufacturing equipment business.

At the same time, Gerard “Jerry” Gifford, who has served as EVP and COO since 2017 and has been with Crown since 1983, will transition to the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, a position he will hold until his planned retirement in early 2026.

Novaes brings over 25 years of leadership experience at Crown, having joined the company in 1998.

He has served as President of the Americas Division since 2015, where he has played a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s market position and financial performance.

His earlier roles included President of Crown Brazil and Vice President of Operations for the North American Beverage can business.

He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro and an MBA from Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo.

“Under Djalma’s leadership, the Company has more than doubled segment income in the Americas and significantly enhanced its competitive standing,” said Timothy J. Donahue, Crown’s Chairman, President, and CEO.

“His strategic vision and deep operational and commercial expertise make him ideally suited for this expanded role.”

Gifford’s upcoming retirement marks the end of a distinguished career spanning over four decades at Crown. Prior to his current role, he led Crown’s European Division and North American Beverage can business, among other senior operational positions.

“I want to express my deep gratitude to Jerry for his exceptional contributions,” Donahue said. “His dedication to operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and team development has been foundational to our success. It has been an honor to work alongside him.”

The leadership transition reflects Crown’s ongoing commitment to building a strong succession pipeline and positioning the company for continued growth across global markets.

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