Executive Search Success Story: Building the Sustainability, Innovation, and Commercial Leadership for a Rigid Packaging Manufacturer Facing Brand-Owner Sustainability Mandates

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped a publicly traded rigid plastics packaging manufacturer with the sustainability, product innovation, materials science, and commercial leadership required to meet brand-owner recycled content and recyclability commitments, defend major consumer packaged goods accounts, and position sustainable packaging as a growth engine.

The Challenge

A publicly traded rigid packaging manufacturer supplied bottles, containers, and closures to the largest food, beverage, and personal care brand owners, several of which had announced public commitments to recycled content, recyclability, and plastic reduction with deadlines approaching. The company’s innovation pipeline was incremental, its recycled content capability was limited, and two major customers had signaled they would shift volume to suppliers who could meet their commitments. Investors were asking how the company would respond. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening their market position:

• Brand-owner sustainability commitments with deadlines the company could not currently meet
• Two major accounts signaling volume shifts to suppliers with stronger sustainable packaging capability
• An incremental innovation pipeline without design-for-recyclability or lightweighting leadership
• Limited recycled content capability and no secured supply of post-consumer recycled resin
• No executive ownership of sustainability strategy or circular economy partnerships
• Investor and customer scrutiny of the company’s sustainability roadmap

Recognizing that account defense and growth required a dedicated leadership team, the CEO and board launched a strategic talent initiative to recruit a Chief Sustainability Officer, VP of Innovation & Product Development, VP of Materials Science & Recycled Content, VP of Strategic Accounts, and Director of Circular Economy Partnerships. The company required an executive search partner with deep packaging expertise and access to leaders at the intersection of sustainability, materials science, and brand-owner commercial relationships.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Plastics and Packaging Industry Focus

JRG Partners possesses deep recruiting expertise across rigid and flexible packaging manufacturers, resin and materials companies, and consumer packaged goods packaging organizations, including sustainability, innovation, materials, and commercial leadership. This domain knowledge ensured an immediate understanding of brand-owner commitments, recycled content supply, recyclability design, and the commercial stakes of the sustainability transition.

Sustainability and Innovation Leadership Networks

Our team maintains established relationships with sustainability, materials science, and packaging innovation leaders across packaging manufacturers, resin producers, and brand owners, providing immediate access to executives who have delivered sustainable packaging at scale.

Public Company Experience

JRG Partners has extensive experience serving publicly traded packaging companies, with a clear understanding of investor expectations on sustainability, customer concentration risk, and the urgency of leadership placements tied to commitment deadlines.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Sustainability & Account Review

Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, board, and strategic account leadership to evaluate brand-owner commitments and deadlines, at-risk accounts, innovation and materials capability, and recycled content supply. This review aligned the search with specific customer commitments and investor expectations.

Phase 2 — Industry Talent Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting sustainability, innovation, materials science, and strategic account executives at packaging manufacturers, resin and materials companies, brand owners, and circular economy organizations. Over 370 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of delivering recycled content and recyclable packaging at commercial scale, building innovation pipelines around sustainability, securing post-consumer recycled supply, defending and growing brand-owner accounts on sustainability credentials, and establishing circular economy partnerships. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Final Selection

Finalists presented sustainability and innovation strategies to the CEO and board, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified sustainability, innovation, and commercial outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 370+ packaging, materials, sustainability, and commercial executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Successfully placed a synchronized leadership tier spanning sustainability, innovation, materials science, strategic accounts, and circular economy partnerships.
• Delivered recycled content capability meeting major brand-owner commitments ahead of deadlines.
• Retained and expanded both at-risk major accounts.
• Secured post-consumer recycled supply through circular economy partnerships.
• Established sustainable packaging as the company’s fastest-growing category.