Howard Coker

Howard Coker is President and CEO of Sonoco. He joined Sonoco in 1985 and has held several sales, manufacturing and management positions in a variety of businesses. Previous to beginning his current role in 2020, he served as the Senior Vice President of Paper and Industrial Converted Products and as Senior Vice President of Global Rigid Papers and Closures and Paper and Industrial Converted Products—where he had responsibility for the company’s Rigid Paper Container operations globally as well as Industrial Paper and Tubes & Cores operations.

Prior to that, Coker served as Vice President of Rigid Paper and Closures. In this role, he had responsibility for Sonoco’s 21 rigid paper container and seven metal and peelable membrane closure operations in the North America.

Coker is a graduate of Wofford College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a graduate of Wake Forest University with an MBA. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Wofford College, the American Forest & Paper Association and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.