When President and CEO  Rob Tiede released his Power in Purpose message, he spoke about the contributions of everyone – large or small – and the impact they could have on others and Sonoco as a whole. He said, “What we learn about ourselves and others along the way helps to define who we are, what we stand for, what we believe in and helps shape our character.”

Sonoco’s Diversity & Unity Council wanted to take that message one step further and host an event that could be shared across the company. With thousands of employees working around the globe, it was important that associates who attended the event received key takeaways they could share with their individual locations.

The Be the One Summit was organized by the Sonoco Diversity & Unity Council, whose mission is to create a diverse workforce within a unified environment by sponsoring and guiding the activity of teams and fostering diversity and unity education, awareness and communication throughout Sonoco globally. The one-day event featured a national expert on diversity, facilitated interactive breakout sessions and successes and challenges. Sonoco’s leadership also attended and shared their experiences with diversity over the span of their careers.

The Be the One Summit celebrated leadership in diversity and unity and identified ways to better unlock the potential within teams. Associates also explored diversity initiatives and were provided with tools to take back to their facilities.

The Diversity & Unity Summit explained why Sonoco is increasing its focus on Diversity & Unity as a business imperative, our vision of linking diversity & unity into daily practices and how each person can “Be the One” by serving as role models daily. Finally, it answered a Call to Action for the future: to create a more inclusive workplace to attract and retain talent while also improving safety, productivity and profitability every day.

Julie Albrecht, Diversity & Unity Council Chair