Sonoco COO Rodger Fuller to Retire after 40-Year Career

By Chris Stiles • Wednesday, January 21 10:58 • Permanent Link

Sonoco Products Company ("Sonoco") has announced that its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Rodger Fuller, will be retiring after a 40-year career in company leadership effective February 28, 2026. Since becoming COO in 2020, Fuller has been responsible for the company's global consumer and industrial operations, as well as its diversified businesses and information technology. He also served as the interim CEO of Sonoco's metal packaging EMEA business through the end of 2025.

Sonoco does not intend to appoint a successor to the COO position, and the president of each business unit of the company will report directly to Howard Coker, President and CEO.

Fuller joined Sonoco in 1985 as a customer service representative and held various leadership roles before becoming COO. He expressed his gratitude for working with talented individuals at Sonoco and participating in the company's progress in transforming into a global leader in consumer and industrial metal and paper packaging.

Throughout his career, Fuller has been active in numerous industry and community organizations, including serving on the board of the Sonoco Foundation, the Paper and Packaging Board, the American Forest & Paper Association, the Hartsville United Way Board, and the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics Foundation. He is a graduate of Berry College in Rome, Georgia, with a bachelor's degree in business administration and an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Sonoco, founded in 1899, is a global leader in value-added, sustainable metal and fiber consumer and industrial packaging. The company has approximately 22,500 employees working in 260 operations in 40 countries, serving some of the world's best-known brands. In 2025, Sonoco was named one of America's most admired and responsible companies by Newsweek and on USA Today's list of America's climate leaders. The market has reacted to these announcements by moving the company's shares -0.81% to a price of $48.71. If you want to know more, read the company's complete 8-K report here.

The above analysis is intended for educational purposes only and was performed on the basis of publicly available data. It is not to be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Any buy, sell, or other recommendations mentioned in the article are direct quotations of consensus recommendations from the analysts covering the stock, and do not represent the opinions of Market Inference or its writers. Past performance, accounting data, and inferences about market position and corporate valuation are not reliable indicators of future price movements. Market Inference does not provide financial advice. Investors should conduct their own review and analysis of any company of interest before making an investment decision.