Ball Corporation (NYSE: BALL) has appointed Carey Causey as senior vice president and president of Beverage Packaging North and Central America, effective immediately, and named Scott Vail senior vice president and president of Beverage Packaging Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Vail's appointment takes effect January 2027, when current EMEA president Mandy Glew retires. Kathleen Pitre, whom Causey succeeds in the Americas role, is also departing the company.
The New Leaders
Causey brings more than a decade of Ball tenure to the role. She joined Ball Corporation in 2014 and has held leadership positions across North and Central America, South America, and EMEA, including a stint as president of Beverage Packaging EMEA from 2021 to 2024. Most recently, she served as the company's senior vice president and chief growth officer since 2024. Before Ball, she held roles in sales, marketing, engineering, and manufacturing at MWV, The Mosaic Company, and Cargill.
Vail arrived at Ball in 2021 as vice president of Operations for Beverage Packaging North and Central America and later led global deployment of Ball Operational Excellence. Since 2025, he has served as senior vice president and chief supply chain and operations officer, overseeing global manufacturing, procurement, and supply chain. He previously served as president of Metal Container Corporation and held senior engineering and operations strategy roles at AB InBev.
Why It Matters for Operators
For beverage producers and foodservice operators who depend on aluminum can supply, leadership continuity and operational depth at Ball carry real commercial weight. Ball reported $13.16 billion in net sales for 2025 and operates more than 65 manufacturing plants worldwide, making it one of the most consequential suppliers in the global beverage packaging ecosystem. In each new role, Causey and Vail will carry responsibility for customer relationships, operational execution, and financial performance across their respective regions.
The leadership changes come as the aluminum can format continues to hold strong appeal among craft beverage producers, ready-to-drink brands, and sustainability-focused foodservice operators seeking recyclable packaging alternatives. Both executives inherit divisions that serve an expansive customer base across the beverage, personal care, and household products sectors. CEO Ron Lewis characterized the transition as a reinforcement of Ball's disciplined execution strategy rather than a directional shift, expressing confidence in the pair's commercial and operational track records.
For restaurant and hospitality buyers tracking packaging costs and supply reliability, the depth of operational experience both leaders bring — particularly Vail's supply chain background — suggests Ball is prioritizing execution stability as it navigates ongoing pressures across global foodservice supply chains. Industry observers will be watching whether the new leadership accelerates capacity investments or customer-specific innovation programs in either region.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
