Gordon Hardie, a Cork-born businessman, has been appointed as the new chief executive officer for American glass container manufacturer O-I Glass, a company with a global workforce of 23,000 and $7.1 billion (€6.6 billion) in annual revenues. Formerly known as Owens-Illinois, O-I Glass announced that the board member since 2015, Hardie, is slated to assume the role from mid-May, providing a US work visa is granted. Hardie will replace Andres Lopez, who had previously disclosed his plans to retire.
Hardie’s appointment implies that three of the globe’s biggest packaging firms, including Smurfit Kappa – a cardboard box producing company, and Ardagh Group – a producer of glass and metal containers, are now influenced by Irish leadership.
Tony Smurfit, the leader of Dublin-based Smurfit Kappa, is orchestrating a merger with its American counterpart WestRock, striving to establish a conglomerate with yearly sales of $34 billion.
Ardagh Group, headed by Irish financier Paul Coulson for the past quarter of a century, has expanded through a series of buyouts into a business with $9.4 billion in revenue. Coulson retains an effective 36% share in the business which includes the New York-listed Ardagh Metal Packaging subsidiary.
Contained in Hardie’s professional experience is his time as the leader of the food and ingredients division of the American agribusiness firm Bunge.
In November last year, Hardie resigned from the board of Aryzta amidst a dispute regarding the continuation of Urs Jordi’s simultaneous roles as both Chairman and interim CEO. Hardie, who possesses dual Irish and Australian citizenship, had signed on with Aryzta in December, 2020 in order to facilitate a restructuring of the board.
“Gordon’s selection as CEO is the outcome of a thorough search aligned with our future-focused succession planning,” stated John H Walker, the chairman of O-I.
Gordon has demonstrated his abilities as a leader and has an extensive background in the ready-made food and drink industry, which offers a crucial customer perspective. He’s been a part of the O-I board for almost a decade, which gives him a great insight into our organisation, procedures, and culture – and most crucially, the potential prospects we’re facing. O-I Glass is a public company traded on the New York Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of $2.42 billion.
Mr Hardie has previously served on the board of the Irish sandwich production company, Greencore, from 2020 to 2022. His career, spanning over 35 years, includes stints with Irish Distillers in the 1990s and the Goodman Fielder Bakery based in Sydney.