Graham Packaging Names Robert Pyle as President & CEO

Summary

Aug. 2, 2021 - Graham Packaging today announced the appointment of Robert Pyle as its new president and chief executive officer. In this role, Pyle assumes day-to-day leadership of Graham, guiding the company in its ongoing mission of profitable growth and creating sustainable packaging solutions. Pyle joins Graham today, Aug. 2, and is succeeding interim CEO Doug Owenby, who will return to his role as chief operating officer of Graham. Owenby served in the interim after former Graham Packaging CEO, Michael King, left in March 2021 to become CEO of Graham’s sister company, Pactiv Evergreen.

With more than 30 years of experience, Pyle has a demonstrated track record of success leading innovation and transformation across the global automotive industry. He most recently served as executive vice president of Dana and president of Light Vehicle Drive Systems, Dana’s largest business. Pyle has held various other leadership roles in the automotive industry, including president of Asia Pacific at Dana, general manager at Yanfeng Visteon – both based in Shanghai, China–and at ASIMCO Technologies headquartered in Beijing. Pyle began his career at Ford Motor Company, and later Visteon, holding roles with increasing responsibility in finance, sales operations, product development, manufacturing and general management.

“Graham Packaging is a well-known, established global company with a strong sustainability focus, an impressive list of blue-chip customers and exciting, high-volume operations,” said Pyle. “The packaging industry has many parallels to the automotive industry, where meeting customers’ evolving needs and ensuring that products meet the increasing demands of today’s consumers are critical for success. I look forward to leading Graham in maximizing its global growth opportunities while continuing to create innovative packaging solutions driving a more sustainable future.”
 
“Bob is a particularly strong match for Graham strategically as we pivot from a primary focus on waste elimination to a stronger emphasis on growth,” said Owenby. “Bob has consistently demonstrated the ability to lead large organizations through highly successful operational and commercial transformations, to achieve impressive growth in both revenue and profitability. We welcome Bob and are excited about the extensive knowledge and experience he brings to Graham.”

Pyle earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA in finance from the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business.
 

About Graham Packaging

Graham Packaging is a global leader in the development and design of creative, sustainable packaging solutions for a variety of industry-leading consumer brands. The company employs some of the best and brightest package designers, who bring inspired, technology-driven solutions to market. Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with a flagship manufacturing facility in nearby York, Pennsylvania, Graham Packaging produces more than 16 billion containers annually across nearly 70 plants in North America, Europe and South America. The company was founded in 1970 and acquired in 2011 by Reynolds Group Holdings—a leading global manufacturer and supplier of consumer food and beverage packaging and storage products.