Sonoco taps Francesco Giannolo to lead EMEA consumer packaging amid global restructuring

EMEA – Sonoco has appointed Francesco Giannolo as Vice President and General Manager of its Consumer Packaging business in EMEA, tasking the 23-year packaging veteran with driving innovation, productivity and customer service as the company unifies its global consumer packaging operations under Ernest Haynes.

The appointment, announced on 18 August 2026, sees Giannolo report directly to Ernest Haynes, President of Sonoco’s Global Consumer Packaging segment. 

Giannolo joined Sonoco in 2019 and previously served as Vice President of Commercial for the company’s Consumer Packaging business in EMEA and Asia-Pacific, and was appointed Vice President and General Manager of Sonoco’s Rigid Paper Containers business in EMEA in 2022. 

Industry Veteran Brings Two Decades of Packaging Leadership to EMEA Role

A native of Naples, Italy, Giannolo has worked in the packaging industry for 23 years, beginning his career at Crown Packaging in 2004 where he was named Plant Manager. 

He later joined Amcor as Plant General Manager in its medical division before serving as Senior Director of Commercial Excellence for EMEA. 

Giannolo holds a Master of Science in Environmental and Land Planning Engineering from the Federico II University of Naples. 

Haynes stated that Giannolo is the strong, experienced leader needed for the EMEA region as the company aligns its global Consumer Packaging businesses, and that the company looks forward to even greater focus on innovation, productivity and customer service.

Sonoco’s Global Consumer Packaging Restructuring Underway

The appointment follows Sonoco’s recent move to align its global Consumer Packaging businesses under a single integrated leadership structure led by Haynes, which was formalised earlier this month and created one of the group’s largest unified divisions. 

Haynes is responsible for Sonoco’s largest global business with roughly US$5.2 billion in annual sales, 98 operations in 25 countries and 11,250 employees. 

The unified Consumer Packaging division integrates Sonoco’s metal packaging line with its rigid paper solutions, optimising capabilities and technical knowledge across both materials under a single team. 

The portfolio includes rigid paper packaging, aerosol cans, promotional tins, food cans, and vacuum closures. 

The restructuring is expected to strengthen Sonoco’s competitive position in the European packaging market, where the company has been expanding its footprint through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions in recent years.

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