Pregis Announces Senior Management Changes

Pregis, a leading global manufacturer of flexible  and protective packaging, has announced it is expanding its senior leadership roles, with Kevin Baudhuin adding the title of chairman in addition to his chief executive officer role, and Laurin Darnell promoted to chief operating officer.

These leadership changes will allow Pregis to continue driving long-term growth while maintaining continuity as it builds upon recent successes, the company said in a press release. Baudhuin will intensify his focus on strategic growth, M&A, and advancing the company’s ESG efforts. Darnell assumes responsibility for day-to-day business operations, leading the company’s global operations and maintaining its growth trajectory to double in size in the next few years.

Since taking over as CEO of Pregis in 2012, Baudhuin has led the company’s aggressive growth through strategic acquisitions and market expansions, He spearheaded the successful acquisition of 10 companies, and under his leadership, Pregis has tripled in size, far surpassing the $1 billion revenue mark. Since 2021, Pregis has opened 13 new facilities – 11 in the U.S. and two in Europe. Prior to taking over as CEO, Baudhuin was president of Pregis’ global protective packaging business. A strong advocate for environmental responsibility, Baudhuin plays a key role in developing a team-oriented company culture that strives to fulfill the Pregis Purpose to ‘Protect, Preserve, Inspyre.’ He was also the first CEO within the protective packaging industry to sign the Climate Pledge, a commitment to be a net carbon neutral company by 2040.

As the newly appointed COO, Darnell will lead the company’s business operations and execute its business strategy, managing P&L, driving manufacturing excellence with an emphasis on the customer experience, promoting talent development within the organization, and protecting the company’s culture. He will focus on performance and growth of all company divisions and implement strategies to steer the company towards its future vision.

He joined Pregis in 2016, most recently serving as president of Pregis Protective Products. Prior to that, he served as president of Pregis Global Systems and Films and president of Pregis blown film and converting division. Darnell has been instrumental in building business success and transforming manufacturing operations to position Pregis as a leader in quality and innovation.

Joey Phister has been promoted to president of Pregis Protective Products as Darnell moves into his new position as COO. With Pregis for nearly 20 years, Phister most recently served as vice president of sales, overseeing the North American sales activity, and driving sales revenue for the protective product segments. He joined Pregis in 2003 in sales and quickly advanced through the organization as a regional and national sales leader with cross functional experience in product and channel management.

“This evolution in our leadership team structure will continue to position Pregis for continued growth while allowing us to provide consistency and continuity as we deliver on the expectations of our customers, employees, suppliers, financial sponsors, and other key stakeholders,” said Kevin Baudhuin. “I’m pleased to have Laurin take on the COO role and bring his leadership and experience to make a strong impact on our organization as we advance our vision and continue building the Pregis brand and doubling the size of the business.”