BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Ball Corporation’s board of directors today elected John A. Hayes, the company’s president and chief executive officer, as chairman of the board. R. David Hoover, who had been chairman since 2002, will remain on the board as a director.
Additionally, the board elected Michael W. Feldser, Gerrit Heske and Robert D. Strain as new corporate officers, appointed Theodore M. Solso as the corporation’s lead independent director and announced Erik H. van der Kaay’s retirement from the board.
“Dave Hoover ‘s legacy established a strong foundation for Ball Corporation, including impressive growth in sales and total shareholder return, as well as the expansion of the company’s international presence,” said Tim Solso , lead director and chairperson of the board’s nominating/corporate governance committee. “Since becoming CEO in 2011, John Hayes has successfully built upon this foundation, and his strategic vision and leadership have continued to drive Ball forward in a challenging economic environment. We thank Dave for his leadership as chairman and look forward to the bright future ahead for Ball under John’s direction.”
Hayes has been president and chief executive officer of Ball Corporation since January 2011. He joined the company in 1999, and worked in leadership roles in corporate planning, marketing and development before moving to Europe in 2005 and becoming president of Ball’s European metal beverage packaging business a year later. Hayes returned to the U.S. in 2008 to become executive vice president and chief operating officer of Ball Corporation. In January 2010, he became president and chief operating officer and joined Ball’s board of directors. He became chief executive officer in January 2011.
Hoover joined Ball Corporation’s board of directors in 1996 and became chairman in 2002. He served as Ball’s chief executive officer from 2001 until his retirement in January 2011, after more than 40 years with the company.
In addition to reelecting all of the current corporate officers, the board elected three new officers: Michael Feldser, senior vice president and chief operating officer, global metal food and household products packaging; Gerrit Heske, senior vice president and chief operating officer, global metal beverage packaging; and Robert Strain, senior vice president and president, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. All were promoted to their current divisional positions earlier this year.
The board also appointed Tim Solso as lead director and announced Erik H. van der Kaay’s retirement. Solso joined the company’s board in 2003, and most recently served as chief executive officer of Cummins Inc. from 2000 to 2011.
Ball Corporation is a supplier of high quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ approximately 15,000 people worldwide and reported 2012 sales of more than $8.7 billion.