10 Sonoco engineering leaders
Matthieu Brochard, VP Operations and Engineering Consumer Packaging EMEA, is listed with other Sonoco engineering leaders, from senior directors of engineering and industrial technology to heads of technical engineering. A reader can learn how engineering leaders work at Sonoco from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Andrew Swartz
LinkedInExperience: Division Director of Engineering · Sonoco
Andrew Swartz has been Division Director of Engineering at Sonoco since September 2022, based in Thompsons Station, Tennessee. Andrew Swartz was Engineering And Maintenance Manager Director of Production at Polaris Inc. from 2020 to 2022 and Engineering And Maintenance Manager Assistant Plant Manager at Tarkett from 2018 to 2020.
Ben VanderPlas
LinkedInExperience: Director of Engineering and R&D · Sonoco
Ben VanderPlas is a former Sonoco leader who was Director of Engineering and R&D there from January 2019 to November 2025 and has been Director of Engineering and R&D at ThermoSafe since November 2025. Ben VanderPlas was also Manager, Engineering & Product Management at Sonoco from 2018 to 2019 and Global Product Manager there from 2013 to 2018.
Chris Kraft
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Engineering · Sonoco
Chris Kraft has been Senior Director, Engineering at Sonoco since February 2022, based in the Denver area. Chris Kraft was Director of Engineering at Sonoco Metal Packaging from 2018 to 2022, Director of Project Engineering at Ball Corporation from 2011 to 2018 and Manager of Project Engineering there from 2007 to 2011.
David Rhodes
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director - Global Industrial Technology & Engineering · Sonoco
David Rhodes has been Senior Director - Global Industrial Technology & Engineering at Sonoco since May 2021, based in Hartsville, South Carolina. David Rhodes was Director - Global Industrial Technology at Sonoco from 2009 to 2021, Director - Global IPD Technology & Engineering there from 2005 to 2009 and Director - Global IPD Product Development & Support there from 2003 to 2005.
Jim Baechle
LinkedInExperience: Director of Engineering · Sonoco
Jim Baechle is a former Sonoco leader whose profile lists Director of Engineering at Sonoco from September 1994 with no end date while the headline reads Retired, so the role is treated as ended. Jim Baechle also lists Lab Manager at Sonoco from 1998 to 2000 and Packaging Engineer at Sonoco Products from 1994 to 1998.
Jim Banks
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director Global Field Engineering · Sonoco
Jim Banks has been Senior Director Global Field Engineering at Sonoco since July 2024, based in the Florence, South Carolina area. Jim Banks was Associate Director Engineering at Sonoco from 2022 to 2024, Field Engineer there from 2020 to 2022 and from 2015 to 2019, and Plant Manager there from 2019 to 2020.
João Morelli
LinkedInExperience: Technical Manufacturing Director · Sonoco Iberia
João Morelli has been Technical Manufacturing Director at Sonoco Iberia since April 2019, based in Manresa, Catalonia, Spain. João Morelli was Engenheiro de processos sênior at Sonoco from 2006 to 2019, and the profile headline reads Packaging and production professional.
Matthew McCracken
LinkedInExperience: Sr. Director Engineering and Operating Excellence · Sonoco
Matthew McCracken has been Sr. Director Engineering and Operating Excellence at Sonoco since April 2024, based in Hartsville, South Carolina, and also lists a current Operating Excellence Manager role there from 2017. Matthew McCracken was Division Technical Manager at Sonoco from 2015 to 2017 and Regional Manufacturing Manager there from 2013 to 2015.
Matthieu Brochard
LinkedInExperience: VP Operations and Engineering Consumer Packaging EMEA · Sonoco
Matthieu Brochard holds the title VP Operations and Engineering Consumer Packaging EMEA at Sonoco, a role listed from September 2026, and also lists Operations Director Iberia & Africa there from December 2025, based in Murcia, Spain. Matthieu Brochard was Operations Director Iberia & Asia at Sonoco from 2024 to 2025 and Directeur des opérations adjoint at Eviosys - a Sonoco Company from 2021 to 2024.
Ramazan Anik
LinkedInExperience: Head of Technical Engineering / Technischer Leiter · Sonoco
Ramazan Anik has been Head of Technical Engineering / Technischer Leiter at Sonoco since February 2025, based in Lübeck, Germany. Ramazan Anik was Industriemeister Produktion at Sonoco from 2020 to 2025, worked in Project Engineering there from 2016 to 2020 and was Prozesstechniker there from 2013 to 2016.
Choose the right perspective
Look for the person whose engineering remit, a division, a region or a global technology group, sits nearest the equipment or process question you have. The listed dates show who has worked on Sonoco engineering most recently.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How did you decide which plant or process engineering projects to fund first at Sonoco?
- 02What did you do to move an engineering improvement from one Sonoco site to others?
- 03Which engineering problem at Sonoco took longest to solve, and what finally worked?
Reaching Sonoco engineering leaders
How can I contact one of these Sonoco engineering leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 2 companies: Sonoco and Sonoco Iberia, based on profile data retrieved on October 24, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Sonoco engineering leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
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Can an AI agent ask one of these Sonoco engineering leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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