Board of Directors

Ball Corporation History

• 2023-present; elected as chairman of the board
• 2022-present; president and chief executive officer, Ball Corporation
• 2021-2022; president, Ball Corporation
• 2016-2021; senior vice president, Ball Corporation; chief operating officer, Global Beverage Packaging
• 2016; president, Beverage Packaging North and Central America
• 2014-2016; president, North American Metal Beverage
• 2013-2014; senior vice president, finance and planning, North America Metal Beverage
• 2010-2013; vice president, finance, North America, Ball Metal Beverage Packaging Division, Americas

Previous Work Experience

• Director, finance, Emerson Process Management (Emerson Electric)
• Chief financial & information technology officer, Daniel Industries (Emerson Electric)
• Vice President, affiliate manager, Grey Mountain Partners
• Chief financial officer, Thomson Industries (Danaher Corporation)
• Chief financial officer, Americas, Bradken Corporation

Education

• 2003; MBA, business administration, University of Colorado, Denver
• 1995; bachelor’s degree, business administration/finance, Washington University, St. Louis

John Bryant was elected to Ball Corporation’s board of directors in September 2018.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Mr. Bryant was an executive at Kellogg Company for 20 years and was its Chief Executive Officer from January 2011 to September 2017.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Mr. Bryant joined Kellogg Company in 1998 and held a variety of roles including Chief Financial Officer; President, North America; President, International; and Chief Operating Officer before becoming Chief Executive Officer in January 2011. He retired as Chairman of the Board in March 2018 and Chief Executive Officer in September 2017. When he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kellogg, Mr. Bryant was heavily involved with industry associations and government agencies in the area of sustainability. In addition to his role on Ball’s Board, Bryant serves as a Board member of Compass PLC, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC, and Flutter PLC and served on Macy's board. He has also served as a trustee of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Trust, and on the Boards of Directors of Catalyst and The Consumer Goods Forum. Mr. Bryant has extensive knowledge and expertise in accounting and financial matters, branded consumer products and consumer dynamics, crisis management, international markets, people management, manufacturing and strategy, and strategic planning. Mr. Bryant currently serves on the audit committees of three other public companies, and our Board of Directors has determined that, given his extensive financial experience, such simultaneous service will not impair his ability to effectively serve on Ball’s audit committee. Mr. Bryant’s extensive experience as a senior executive at a leading U.S. based public company, including as its Chief Executive Officer for seven years, as well as his extensive service on public company boards, make him well qualified to serve as a director.

Michael Cave joined the Ball Corporation board of directors in 2014.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Mr. Cave was Senior Vice President, The Boeing Company, and President of Boeing Capital Corp. from 2010 to 2014, and served for many years in senior management positions at Boeing. In the past five years, he has also served on the boards of Esterline Technologies, Bellevue, Washington, Aircastle Limited, Stamford, Connecticut, and Harley-Davidson, Inc., Milwaukee.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Mr. Cave served for 31 years in various managerial capacities for The Boeing Company. Most recently, Mr. Cave served as Senior Vice President and President of Boeing Capital Corp., a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, from 2010 to 2014. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at The Boeing Company, as well as Vice President of Business Strategy & Marketing of Boeing Commercial Airplanes from 2006 until late 2009. Mr. Cave also served as Vice President & General Manager of Boeing’s Airplane Programs division and focused on the strategy, product development and business results associated with those products. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Cave served as the Chief Financial Officer of Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes division and held various other senior positions prior to 2003. In addition to his accounting and financial expertise, Mr. Cave has broad experience in marketing and information systems. In 2004, Mr. Cave was honored with the Award for Executive Excellence by the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation. His extensive board and management experience and qualifications make him well qualified to serve as a director.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 

Aaron Erter has held the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of James Hardie since September 2022.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE 

A highly experienced executive, Mr. Erter possesses deep expertise in global, multi-billion dollar organizations in the consumer and industrial sectors. Specifically, he has built and managed high-performing teams, is proficient in profit and loss management, strategy development, product development, marketing, sales leadership and M&A.

Before coming to James Hardie, Mr. Erter served as CEO of PLZ Corp, a leader of specialty liquid and aerosol manufacturing.

Mr. Erter’s other career experiences include Sherwin-Williams, where he served as global president for Sherwin’s Consumer and Industrial businesses, Valspar, where he was senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Consumer business and 15 years at Stanley Black & Decker where he held numerous leadership roles in sales and marketing for both the Black & Decker and DEWALT Brands.

Mr. Erter serves on the Board of Directors for Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity.

Mr. Erter holds a Bachelor of Economics from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania and an MBA at The University of Notre Dame – Mendoza College of Business.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Dr. Ives has been the Chief Executive Officer of Movements That Matter, LLC, a strategic advisory firm dedicated to building resilience in the face of increasingly disruptive and unpredictable environments, since November, 2022. Ms. Ives was previously the Chief Executive Officer of global changemaker Lonely Whale, an award-winning non-profit working to ensure a healthy planet, from 2016 to 2022. Prior to joining Lonely Whale, Ms. Ives served on the executive team for Vulcan, Inc. where she designed and led Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Philanthropy addressing climate change, species protection, ocean health and leading Mr. Allen’s $100 million commitment to stop the spread of the Ebola Virus. Ms. Ives is a co-founder of the Green Sports Alliance where she serves as a board member. Ms. Ives also served as an adjunct professor for Presidio Graduate School where she developed and taught a ten-week course on climate change business strategies.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Ms. Ives is an experienced leader and trusted advisor in the fields of corporate sustainability and global philanthropy. Ms. Ives brings more than 25 years of expertise at the intersection between conservation and shareholder value. Ms. Ives holds a doctorate in psychology from Utah State University, and is a National Association of Corporate Directors ("NACD") Certified Director. Her leadership and advocacy in driving global, mission-focused behavioral change strategies and programs along with her expertise in sustainability and environmental business issues across industries provides strong synergies with Ball Corporation's corporate purpose and make her well qualified to serve as a director.

Pedro Henrique Mariani joined Ball Corporation’s board of directors as advisory director in July 2010 and moved into the role of director in January 2018.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Mr. Mariani joined BBM Group in 1981 and was elected to the executive committee of Banco BBM in 1983. He was appointed its Chief Executive Officer in 1991. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer and Board member at Banco Bocom BBM, where he also serves on the board's sustainability committee. Mr. Mariani was President of ANBID (Brazilian Association of Investment Banks) between 1996 and 2000, and was a member of the Brazilian Financial System Council from 1988 to 1996. From 1995 to 2015, Mr. Mariani was an ex officio member of the Board of Directors of Latapack Ball Embalagens Limitada, which was a joint venture between Ball Corporation and its Brazilian partners that owned and operated a successful beverage can business in Brazil with annual revenues in excess of $590 million in 2015, the year in which Ball acquired the equity interests of its partners. Mr. Mariani and his family have also held interests in packaging and agribusinesses in Brazil for many years.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Mr. Mariani holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro—PUC/RJ, Brazil, with specialization in Econometrics and Operational Research. Mr. Mariani’s professional background, packaging industry expertise, banking experience, as well as his extensive financial acumen and knowledge of South America make him well qualified to serve as a director.

Georgia Nelson joined Ball Corporation’s board of directors in July of 2006.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Ms. Nelson was President and Chief Executive Officer, PTI Resources, LLC, Chicago, Illinois, from 2005 to 2019; was President, Midwest Generation EME, LLC, Chicago, Illinois, April 1999 to June 2005; and was General Manager, Edison Mission Energy Americas, Irvine, California, January 2002 to June 2005. Ms. Nelson also served on the board of Sims Ltd. from 2014 until November, 2023.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Ms. Nelson has enjoyed a successful career in the energy industry, serving as a senior executive for several U.S. and international energy companies, including as President of Midwest Generation EME, LLC from April 1999 to June 2005 and General Manager of Edison Mission Energy Americas from January 2002 to June 2005. She has extensive international experience on four continents including operations, human resources and environmental policy. Ms. Nelson lectures on business and corporate governance matters including at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and serves on the advisory committee of the Center for Executive Women at Northwestern. Ms. Nelson is a National Association of Corporate Directors (“NACD”) Board Leadership Fellow. Ms. Nelson’s leadership roles in global businesses, as well as her service on other public company boards, make her well qualified to serve as a director.

Cynthia A. “Cindy” Niekamp joined Ball Corporation’s board of directors in 2016.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Ms. Niekamp is a former senior executive of PPG Industries, Inc., having served from 2009 to 2016 as Senior Vice President of Automotive Coatings. Prior to that, she was President and General Manager of TorqTransfer Systems at BorgWarner Inc.; Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at MeadWestvaco Corporation (now WestRock Company); and held various leadership roles at TRW, Inc. and General Motors Company.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Ms. Niekamp joined PPG in 2009 as vice president of automotive coatings and was promoted to senior vice president in 2010. She had responsibility for a multi-billion revenue business with operations across 15 countries and more than 6,000 employees. She also served as a member of the PPG operating committee until her retirement in 2016. While at PPG, Ms. Niekamp charted and implemented a strategy to improve the financial performance of the business unit and to double its revenues. Previously, Ms. Niekamp served as president and general manager of BorgWarner’s TorqTransfer Systems division, a supplier of four- wheel drive systems to major automakers. In addition, Ms. Niekamp served in various executive roles for MeadWestvaco Corporation, including vice president, corporate strategy and specialty operations and chief financial officer, and has previously served on four other publicly traded company boards. Ms. Niekamp has extensive experience leading businesses with critical sustainability characteristics including relating to producing products that reduce emissions, focusing on manufacturing footprint improvements and reduction of water usage. She is founder and co-chair of the Detroit Chapter of Women Corporate Directors. She has an BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Ms. Niekamp’s extensive global executive leadership and public company board experience make her well qualified to serve as a director.

Todd Penegor was elected to Ball Corporation’s board of directors in October 2019.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Mr. Penegor is the current CEO of Papa John's and former President and Chief Executive Officer of The Wendy’s Company. He served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2013 and named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2016 until February, 2024. Prior to joining Wendy’s, Mr. Penegor held a series of key leadership roles at Kellogg Company and Ford Motor Company

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Mr. Penegor has extensive experience as an executive in the food products and consumer goods industries. He joined The Wendy’s Company in 2013 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He was promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and International in 2014 and then became President and Chief Financial Officer in 2016. Later that year, he was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer where he served until February, 2024. Prior to joining The Wendy’s Company, Mr. Penegor worked at Kellogg Company, a global leader in food products, from 2000 to 2013 where he held several key leadership positions. Mr. Penegor also worked for 12 years at Ford Motor Company in various positions, including in strategy, mergers and acquisitions, the controller’s office and treasury. In addition to his role on the board at Ball, Mr. Penegor also serves on the Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business Advisory Board and is a board member at Perrigo. He also serves on the board of trustees of the Dave Thomas Foundation for adoption. Mr. Penegor holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a Master of Business Administration in finance from Michigan State University. Mr. Penegor’s extensive experience as a senior executive at leading U.S. based public companies, including as the former Chief Executive Officer of The Wendy’s Company, make him well qualified to serve as a director.

Cathy Ross joined Ball Corporation’s board of directors in January 2018.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Ms. Ross was Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, FedEx Express from 2010 until her retirement in July 2014. Prior to that, Ms. Ross was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of FedEx Express from 2004 until 2010; and Vice President, Express Financial Planning from 1998 to 2004. She has also served on the board of Avon Products, Rye, New York.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

As CFO and Executive Vice President of FedEx Express, Ms. Ross was responsible for the company’s worldwide financial affairs, including financial planning, reporting and analysis, accounting and controls, global financial service centers, business technology, and long-range strategic planning. Ms. Ross’ 30-year career with FedEx began in 1984 as a senior financial analyst, and she held roles of increasing responsibility with exposure to all areas of the company during her tenure at FedEx. Prior to joining FedEx, Ms. Ross worked for Kimberly-Clark Corporation in cost analysis and for a subsidiary of Proctor and Gamble. She holds a master’s degree in business administration with concentration in finance from the University of Memphis and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Christian Brothers University in Memphis. Ms. Ross’s leadership roles, experience with a large, complex, global organization, financial and executive leadership and experience, as well as service on other public company boards make her well qualified to serve as a director.

Betty Sapp was elected to Ball Corporation’s board of directors in May 2019.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Ms. Sapp joined the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), a joint Department of Defense—Intelligence Community organization, in 1997 and was named the first woman to serve as director of the NRO in 2012. After serving as the 18th director of the NRO, Ms. Sapp retired in June 2019. Prior to working at the NRO, Ms. Sapp was Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Portfolio, Programs and Resources in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. She also spent several years at the Central Intelligence Agency after (CIA) after spending the earlier part of her career as an officer of the United States Air Force.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Ms. Sapp served in a variety of strategic leadership roles at the NRO and within the U.S. government. In 2009, Ms. Sapp was appointed the Principal Deputy Director of the NRO. She was then appointed Director of the NRO in 2012. At both the CIA and NRO, she obtained valuable experience in cybersecurity and related areas. Ms. Sapp also served in the United States Air Force for 17 years in various acquisition and financial management positions on space and aircraft systems. Ms. Sapp holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, magna cum laude, from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri- Columbia. Ms. Sapp is Level III certified in government acquisition and was certified as a defense financial manager. Ms. Sapp’s leadership experience and extensive government, cybersecurity and defense expertise make her well qualified to serve as a director.

Stuart A. Taylor II was elected to Ball Corporation’s board of directors in April 1999 and became lead independent director in April 2019.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Mr. Taylor has been the Chief Executive Officer, The Taylor Group LLC, Chicago, Illinois, since June 2001; he was Senior Managing Director, Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1999 to 2001. In the past five years, he also served on the board of Essendant, Inc., Deerfield, Illinois.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Prior to starting his own private equity firm, Mr. Taylor spent 19 years in investment banking. The majority of that time was spent at Morgan Stanley in its Corporate Finance Department. In that capacity he executed a number of mergers and acquisitions and financings, including working with Ball in 1993 on the acquisition of Heekin Can Company. He also spent time at several other firms including Bear Stearns where he was a Senior Managing Director and Head of the Chicago office. In 2001, Mr. Taylor established The Taylor Group LLC, of which he is Chief Executive Officer, a successful investment company that primarily invests in small to mid-market businesses. Mr. Taylor has served on the Board of Directors of Ball since 1999, acted as our Presiding Director from 2004 to 2008 and was elected Lead Independent Director in 2019. Mr. Taylor’s extensive experience as an investment banker, entrepreneurial investor and Board member make him well qualified to serve as a director.