Alsip, Illinois based Accord Carton announced that Tommy Conner has been named President & Chief Executive Officer and has joined the Board of Directors. Accord is an independent folding carton converter primarily serving the food, beverage, and household products markets.
Conner brings nearly 30 years of experience in the folding carton industry to the Company across a number of operational, commercial, and leadership roles. Most recently, Conner served as the Vice President of Operational Excellence at WestRock where he was responsible for implementing operational best practices across nearly 300 global folding carton and corrugated converting facilities. Prior to that, Conner held various senior roles in WestRock’s Consumer Packaging Division, including leadership of its Food & Beverage Packaging division for the Americas. Earlier in his career, Conner held positions of increasing responsibility at MeadWestvaco and Graphic Packaging. Throughout his career, Conner has consistently demonstrated a keen ability to build and lead exceptional teams, develop, and execute strategies to accelerate growth, and drive operational excellence. Conner earned a degree in chemistry and engineering from Jacksonville State University and an MBA in finance from Auburn University.
It’s an auspicious time for Conner to join Accord as the Company transitions to its next phase of accelerated growth following its acquisition in 2023 by Mason Wells, a private equity firm that specializes in partnering with family-owned packaging companies. Conner is replacing former Accord CEO Robert Codo, who retired after nearly 40 years with the company his grandfather founded and after nearly 30 years serving as CEO. Through the decades, Codo led the company’s transition to focus on large format production capabilities and food and beverage end markets, oriented the company around a customer-centric culture, and substantially grew the company’s base of customers. Codo will remain involved with the company as a member of the Board of Directors.
“I’m honored to be entrusted with the leadership of Accord and look forward to building upon what the Codo family has established over the past 80 years as the company enters a new chapter,” said Conner. “My passion is delivering great results for our valued customers and that’s in perfect alignment with the core values of the Accord organization. I’m thrilled to join the company and partner with the Accord team to drive further success in enabling growth for our customers.”