Sonoco COO Rodger Fuller to retire in February 2026 as company moves to flatter operating model

USA – Sonoco Products Company has announced that chief operating officer (COO) Rodger Fuller will retire on 28 February 2026, ending a four-decade career that helped shape the packaging group’s operations across multiple business lines and geographies.

Fuller has served as COO since 2020, overseeing Sonoco’s operational performance across its consumer and industrial segments, as well as its diversified business activities and IT.

He also held the role of interim CEO for Sonoco’s Metal Packaging EMEA business, a position he maintained until the end of last year as the company navigated portfolio optimization and operational restructuring in the region.

In a notable shift, Sonoco confirmed it will not replace the COO role following Fuller’s departure.

Instead, the company is implementing a streamlined reporting structure in which each business unit president will report directly to Sonoco’s president and chief executive officer Howard Coker.

Commenting on the leadership transition, Coker said Fuller is “an exceptional business operator and widely respected leader in the paper and packaging industry,” adding that he consistently embraced new challenges while driving improved operational and financial performance.

“I want to express our deepest gratitude to Rodger for his extraordinary leadership and unwavering commitment to Sonoco over the past four decades,” Coker added.

Fuller joined Sonoco in 1985 as a customer service representative and progressed through a wide range of managerial and executive roles, reflecting a career built around operational excellence and commercial delivery.

His previous appointments included executive vice president of global operations, senior vice president of global consumer packaging, display and packaging and protective solutions, and senior vice president of paper and engineered carriers.

His responsibilities spanned operations in both North America and Europe, reinforcing Sonoco’s position across key packaging markets.

Beyond internal leadership, Fuller has also been involved in various industry and community groups, strengthening his profile as a long-standing figure in the sector.

Reflecting on his tenure, Fuller said it had been an honour to work at Sonoco and contribute to transforming the company into “a global leader in consumer and industrial metal and paper packaging.”

The retirement announcement follows Sonoco’s ongoing organizational evolution.

Last November, the company combined its metal packaging and rigid paper container units into a unified consumer packaging structure organized by geography, part of a wider effort to sharpen its portfolio after divesting non-core operations and stepping up capital investment in higher-priority segments.

Sonoco has also named leaders to steer the newly structured divisions, signaling continued focus on accountability, regional execution and operational discipline.

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