News Release

HARTSVILLE, S.C., March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco (NYSE: SON) joins a growing coalition pledging to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. One of more than 550 CEOs who have come together for CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, Sonoco President and CEO Rob Tiede signed the pledge that Sonoco will work to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

By signing the commitment, Sonoco is pledging to help cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected and employees feel encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion. The collective of more than 550 signatories has already shared more than 500 actions, exchanging tangible learning opportunities and creating collaborative conversations via the initiative’s unified hub, CEOAction.com.

“It’s about focusing on generosity, not gender; results, not race; collaboration, not creed; openness, not orientation; and empathy, not exclusion,” said Tiede. “It’s about creating equal opportunities for everyone to achieve their goals and realize their calling.”

A diverse and inclusive workforce facilitates community, but also drives innovation and creativity. A recent study found that 85 percent of those surveyed reported that diversity is a key component to fostering innovation. The actions, available via CEOAction.com, showcase real examples of open and transparent conversations to cultivate more diverse and inclusive work environments.

The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is led by a steering committee of CEOs and leaders from Accenture, BCG, Deloitte US, The Executive Leadership Council, EY, General Atlantic, KPMG, New York Life, Procter & Gamble, and PwC. The coalition represents 85 industries, all 50 US States, and millions of employees globally.

About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $5.4 billion, the Company has 23,000 employees working in approximately 300 operations in 36 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is committed to creating sustainable products, services and programs for our customers, employees and communities that support our corporate purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life. The Company ranked first in the Packaging sector on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 2019 as well as Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies. For more information, visit www.sonoco.com.

About CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Bringing together more than 550 CEOs of America’s leading organizations, the commitment outlines actions that participating companies pledge to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion, and where best known—and unsuccessful—actions can be shared across organizations. Learn more at CEOAction.com and connect with us on Instagram:@CEO_Action and Twitter: @CEOAction.

Contact: Brian Risinger
+843-383-7509
brian.risinger@sonoco.com

Source: Sonoco Products Company