Board of Directors Bios
Our Board of Directors is composed of accomplished leaders with skills and qualifications that jointly contribute to the business and governance of Berry Global. Each Director has individual experiences that allow them to provide practical insight and unique perspectives in the boardroom.
Stephen E. Sterrett
Chairman of the Board
Stephen E. Sterrett has been a member of our Board of Directors since January 2015. Mr. Sterrett retired on December 31, 2014 as the Sr. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, Inc., a position he held since 2000. From 1993 to 2000 Mr. Sterrett held the position of Treasurer with Simon. Prior to joining the Simon organization in 1988 he was a senior manager with the international accounting firm of Price Waterhouse. Mr. Sterrett currently serves on the boards of Equity Residential and Realty Income Corporation, both S&P 500 companies. In 2018 he became a Trustee of Butler University, a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. He serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Tindley Accelerated Schools, a K-12 charter school network in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr. Sterrett also serves on the board of directors of the following not for profit companies: the Indiana Golf Association and its Foundation, the Indiana University Center for Real Estate Studies and the Kelley School of Business Dean’s Council. Mr. Sterrett holds a B.S. degree in accounting and an M.B.A. in finance, both from Indiana University. Mr. Sterrett’s extensive accounting and financial experience qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.
Kevin J. Kwilinski
Chief Executive Officer
Kevin J. Kwilinski was appointed Chief Executive Officer on October 2, 2023. Mr. Kwilinski has nearly 30 years of experience in the packaging industry, serving as the CEO of multiple companies within the space over the last 15 years. Prior to joining Berry Global, Mr. Kwilinski previously served as President and CEO of Multi-Color Corporation since October 2021. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Fort Dearborn Company, which merged with Multi-Color in 2021, from May 2017 to November 2021, CEO for Paperworks Industries from March 2014 to May 2017 and Portola Packaging from May 2009 to October 2013. Preceding Mr. Kwilinski’s experience as a CEO, he spent 12 years at Graphic Packaging, where he served in a number of positions across the organization in general management, supply chain, operations, and sales. Mr. Kwilinski holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Greenville College and a master’s degree in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan.
B. Evan Bayh
Director
B. Evan Bayh has been a member of our Board of Directors since October 2011. Mr. Bayh is a senior advisor with Apollo Global Management, Of Counsel with Cozen O’Connor, Senior Advisor with Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, and is a former U.S. Senator and Indiana Governor. He was a member of the U.S. Senate from the State of Indiana from 1998 until his retirement in 2011. While in the Senate, he served on a variety of committees, including the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Prior to serving in the Senate, Mr. Bayh served as Indiana Governor from 1988 to 1997. Mr. Bayh also serves on the board of directors of Fifth Third Bancorp, Inc., Marathon Petroleum Corporation, RLJ Lodging Trust, and Zenith American. He previously served on the board of directors of McGraw-Hill Education Inc. Mr. Bayh’s many years of service in elected office, including as the chief executive of a large Midwestern state, qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.
Jonathan F. Foster
Director
Jonathan F. Foster has been a member of our Board of Directors since April 2014. Since 2008 Mr. Foster has served as Founder and a Managing Director of Current Capital Partners LLC, a mergers and acquisitions advisory, corporate management services and private equity investing firm. From 2007 until 2008, Mr. Foster served as a Managing Director and Co-Head of Diversified Industrials and Services at Wachovia Securities. Mr. Foster has served in numerous key executive leadership positions including: Executive Vice President — Finance and Business Development of Revolution LLC; Managing Director of The Cypress Group; Senior Managing Director and Head of Industrial Products and Services Mergers and Acquisitions at Bear Stearns & Co; and Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of ToysRUs.com, Inc. Prior to the aforementioned positions, Mr. Foster was with Lazard, including as a Managing Director, for over 10 years, primarily in mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Foster is a board member of Masonite International Corporation, Lear Corporation, and Five Point Holdings. He was previously a member of the board of directors of Sabine Oil & Gas Corporation, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, and Chemtura Corporation, as well as a Trustee of the New York Power Authority. Mr. Foster has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Emory University, a master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and has attended the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School. Mr. Foster’s investment banking, finance, and investment experience qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.
Meredith R. Harper
Director
Meredith R. Harper has been a member of our Board of Directors since February 2023. Ms. Harper has been the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer of Synchrony Financial since June 2022. She leads a multi-national team responsible for Security Operations, Incident Response, Identity & Access Management, Application Security, IS Risk Management, and IS Tools & Technology. Prior to joining Synchrony Financial, Ms. Harper served as the Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer for Eli Lilly & Company from August 2018 to June 2022. Prior to joining Eli Lilly & Company Ms. Harper served as Vice President, Chief Information Privacy & Security Officer at Henry Ford Health System from 2002 to August 2018. Ms. Harper is an active member of the Health Care Compliance Association and is also certified as a HealthCare Information Security & Privacy Practitioner through the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, Inc. and a Certified Information Security Manager through the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. She continues to provide leadership for several industry groups, serves her alma mater as a Trustee for the University of Detroit Mercy and has provided 31 years of community service through her Diamond Life membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Ms. Harper is a proud alumna of the University of Detroit Mercy and the Loyola Chicago School of Law where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, a Master’s in Health Service Administration and a Master’s of Jurisprudence in Health Law, respectively. Ms. Harper’s extensive executive management and information security experience qualify her to serve as a director of the Company.
Idalene F. Kesner
Director
Idalene F. Kesner has been a member of our Board of Directors since April 2014. Dr. Kesner has served as dean for Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, since July 2013. Dr. Kesner joined the Kelley School faculty in 1995, coming from a titled faculty position at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at Indiana University, Dr. Kesner has served as co-director of the School’s Consulting Academy, Chairwoman of Kelley’s Full-Time M.B.A. Program, Chairwoman of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, and Associate Dean for Faculty & Research. In addition to teaching various graduate-level courses in the area of strategic management, Dr. Kesner has taught in more than 100 executive programs and served as a consultant for many national and international firms, working on strategic issues. Her research has focused on the areas of corporate boards of directors, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. Dr. Kesner serves on the board of advisors for Lincoln Industries, and she serves on the board of directors for American Family Insurance and Olympic Steel, Inc. She was previously a member of the board of directors of Main Street America Group and Sun Life Financial. Dr. Kesner also serves on several non-profit boards including the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and the Kelley Executive Education Foundation, Inc. Dr. Kesner holds an M.B.A. and Ph.D. in business administration from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University. Dr. Kesner’s leadership and business acumen as well as her prior years of service on various corporate boards qualify her to serve as a director of the Company.
Jill A. Rahman
Director
Jill A. Rahman was appointed to our Board of Directors in October 2020. Ms. Rahman is the Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, a role she began in June 2020. She brings more than 25 years of packaged goods experience to Berry, including the past 11 years at Conagra Brands, Inc. where she served in several executive roles including International Division President from 2016-2020 and U.S. Sweet and Salty Snacks Vice President and General Manager from 2010-2016. She also held a variety of marketing, brand management, and strategic planning roles during her 15-year career at Kraft Foods and at Newell Rubbermaid. While at Conagra, Rahman held Board of Director roles at joint venture companies in India, Mexico, and the Philippines. She earned a B.B.A. from Howard University and an M.B.A. from Indiana University. Ms. Rahman’s leadership and business acumen as well as years of experience in the packaged goods market qualify her to serve as a director of the Company.
Carl J. Rickertsen
Director
Carl J. (Rick) Rickertsen has been a member of our Board of Directors since January 2013. Mr. Rickertsen is currently a managing partner of Pine Creek Partners, a private equity investment firm based in Washington, D.C., a position he has held since January 2004. He has worked in private equity since 1987. Prior to founding Pine Creek Partners in 2004, Mr. Rickertsen was chief operating officer and partner of Thayer Capital Partners from 1998 to 2004. Mr. Rickertsen was a founding partner of three Thayer investment funds and is a published author. He serves on the board of directors of MicroStrategy and Apollo Senior Credit Funds (AIF and AFT). He was formerly a board member of Noranda Corporation, Convera Corporation, UAP Holding Corp., and Homeland Security Capital Corporation. Mr. Rickertsen graduated with distinction from Stanford University and Harvard Graduate School of Business, obtaining a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Stanford and M.B.A. from Harvard. Mr. Rickertsen’s extensive business experience qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.
Chaney M. Sheffield Jr.
Director
Chaney M. Sheffield Jr. was appointed to our Board of Directors in November 2022. Mr. Sheffield is a Partner at Canyon Partners, LLC, a worldwide investment firm, a position he has held since 2008. At Canyon, Mr. Sheffield also serves as a portfolio manager, and is a member of Canyon’s ESG and Investment committees. He has 20 years of experience in investment banking. Prior to joining Canyon Partners, Mr. Sheffield served as Vice President – Special Situations Group at Morgan Stanley Fixed Income Division from 2004 – 2008. From 2002-2004, Mr. Sheffield served as an Analyst for Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division. Mr. Sheffield graduated Cum Laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Mr. Sheffield’s extensive capital allocation, investment banking, and packaging industry knowledge qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.Robert A. Steele
Director
Robert A. Steele has been a member of our Board of Directors since October 2014. In 2011, Mr. Steele retired from Procter & Gamble as the company’s Vice Chairman Health Care. During his 35-year tenure with Procter & Gamble, he served in a variety of executive leadership positions, including Vice Chairman Global Health and Well-being, Group President Global Household Care, and Group President of North American Operations. Mr. Steele is a board member of LSI Industries, Inc., where he serves on the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Audit Committee; BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc., where he serves on the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee; and Newell Brands Inc., where he serves on the Finance Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee. Mr. Steele was previously a member of the board of directors of the Keurig/Green Mountain Coffee Company, Beam Inc. and Kellogg Company. Mr. Steele has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from College of Wooster and a M.B.A. from Cleveland State University. Mr. Steele’s in-depth knowledge of the global consumer goods market and his leadership and business experience qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.
Peter T. Thomas
Director
Peter T. Thomas has been a member of our Board of Directors since February 2023. From November 2012 to April 2022, Mr. Thomas served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of directors of Ferro Corporation (formerly NYSE: FOE) (“Ferro”) from April 2014 to April 2022. Mr. Thomas served in various roles at Ferro from 1999 to 2012, including as Operating Vice President the Polymer and Ceramic Engineered Materials Group, Director of Sales for Polymer Additives, Commercial Director for Performance and Fine Chemicals, and Vice President of Organic Specialties. Mr. Thomas served in various roles at Witco Corporation (formerly NYSE: WIT) from 1991 to 1998, including as Vice President of the Oleochemical-Derivatives business unit, Vice President of Sales, and Global Market Director. Mr. Thomas previously served on the board of directors of Innophos Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPHS from January 2016 to February 2020, including serving as its lead director from December 2017 to February 2020 and as a member of its Audit and Nominating and Governance Committees from January 2016 to February 2020. Mr. Thomas has a B.S. in Chemistry and BioChemistry from Duquesne University and an M.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from Loyola University. Mr. Thomas’s extensive executive leadership experience qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.