Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council
Sonoco's global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council sponsors and guides programming and activities designed to foster education, awareness, and communication. It's all part of our commitment to create a diverse workforce treated equitably in an inclusive environment at Sonoco.
Our Team Is Shaping What Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Looks Like at Sonoco.
We believe that people build businesses by doing the right thing. Listening to our team members’ voices, perspectives and ideas is essential to nurturing a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.
Hear our team members share how they’re making their mark in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) at Sonoco!
We’re Cultivating a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Workplace.
People are Sonoco’s greatest investment. By advancing DE&I, we’re building a work environment where diverse team members are respected and included across our over 300 global operations.
Today, we’re strategically fighting against unconscious bias and working to establish practices that embrace individuals from diverse backgrounds, set them up for success and enable them to add to our culture.
At Sonoco, embracing DE&I is more than the smart thing to do. It’s the right thing to do too.
Perspective makes us stronger.
We proudly welcome unique perspectives at Sonoco, and we believe that our people should be as diverse as our customers. We speak 18 languages, and our people-first philosophy remains the same. We only seek suppliers who share our beliefs and invest 10% of every dollar in diversity initiatives. People love working here because their ideas are heard and encouraged, regardless of background or level.
We have established the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council because of our drive to do the right thing and build a work environment that makes diverse people—in all meanings of the word—know they are respected, treated fairly and included.
Sonoco Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council
The council’s mission is to create a diverse workforce within an inclusive environment by sponsoring and guiding the activities of the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) below and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion education, awareness, and communication throughout Sonoco globally.
Sonoco Young Professionals gives young professionals the ability to be recognized throughout the organization as developing future leaders, functioning as a community that strongly influences recruitment/retention, and maintaining an environment where members feel that the organization helps them be the best version of themselves.
Women @ Sonoco cultivates an inclusive environment that supports and encourages women to advance their skills and leadership potential through connection, mentorship, collaboration and discussion.
At the heart of Sonoco’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group (ERG) are community members and allies who are committed to amplifying the visibility and awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community. We strive to empower our members to embrace authenticity and genuinely represent themselves without fear. We prioritize creating a safe, harassment-free workplace by fostering a deeper understanding of LGBTQ+ perspectives and ensuring that every Sonoco employee feels understood and valued.
Military Professionals seeks to promote and grow the military veteran network within Sonoco and to support the recruiting and retention efforts of veterans throughout the organization.
Sonoco Cares creates a caring, safe, and fulfilling work environment serving through teamwork and genuine interest for the people of our communities to build a better life for all.
Black Employees @ Sonoco supports Black employees at all levels through events, networking and education. We foster an environment that builds respect for all Sonoco employees while valuing the uniqueness of the diverse Black employee cultural perspectives that contribute to business success.
The Caregiver ERG is an essential resource within our organization which provides a safe community for caregivers of any kind to come together, support one another, leverage resources, and advocate for caregiver needs that will allow them to thrive both in their caregiving roles and professional careers. This community provides understanding, empathy, and the encouragement of self-care.
A comfortable, safe workplace where you're free to be yourself.
We view diversity, equity and inclusion as the responsibility of the whole company, not just HR. We want to foster teams of high performers who feel included and secure enough at work to share the next solution to a problem, and who have every opportunity to use their talent, skills, passion and creativity to grow themselves, their careers and our Company.
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Sonoco was proud to host its first Week of Understanding in 2021. Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) facilitated events using educational materials created by CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion (of which Sonoco is member). More than 1,400 employees participated in the events which were designed to foster personal growth and conversations centered on diversity and inclusion.
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In 2020 Sonoco’s D&I Council added the Black Employees@Sonoco RG. During the year, this group conducted educational programs during Black History month and Juneteenth as well as sponsoring a week of community service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King.
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Sonoco’s LGBT+ RG celebrated Pride Month in June. A series of events focused on the importance of Pride Month, allyship and creating a safe space where everyone can bring their best selves to work.
Collaborative, Continual Learning
Under the guidance of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council, our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) create intentional programming to foster education, awareness and communication throughout Sonoco’s workforce.
DE&I Council Insights
Careers at Sonoco