Georgia-Pacific has appointed Ryan Elwart as Senior Vice President of Sales and Innovation for GP Foodservice Solutions, a newly formed business unit that includes the Dixie® and Anchor Packaging brands and focuses on the company's away-from-home foodservice disposables portfolio.
In his new role, Elwart will oversee commercial strategy, sales integration, and innovation initiatives across the foodservice segment, including the alignment of Georgia-Pacific and Anchor Packaging sales teams. The company said the appointment is intended to accelerate growth in a category that continues to evolve with changing consumer demand and operational needs in foodservice and hospitality environments.
Elwart returns to Georgia-Pacific after serving most recently as Group President at Mativ, where he led multiple business segments and worked to strengthen commercial execution and growth strategies across the organization. At Mativ, he also led the Sustainable & Adhesive Solutions business unit, coordinating sales, marketing, operations, and R&D functions to improve go-to-market alignment and product innovation.
His return marks a second tenure with Georgia-Pacific, where he previously spent 16 years in senior leadership roles. During that time, he served as Chief Customer Officer for the Consumer Products Group, overseeing a broad commercial organization spanning retail, B2B, and eCommerce channels, along with customer planning, category management, and sales strategy functions.
Chris Warburton, Chief Customer Officer of Georgia-Pacific's Consumer Products Group, said Elwart's experience across both consumer and industrial markets positions him to contribute immediately to the company's foodservice growth strategy.
"I'm delighted to have Ryan rejoin the GP family," Warburton said. "His strong commercial leadership experience, deep understanding of our customers and industry, and proven ability to drive growth at scale position him to make an immediate impact. He will play a key role in accelerating our foodservice business by strengthening customer partnerships and advancing innovative solutions to better serve a growing market."
Earlier in his career, Elwart held leadership positions at PepsiCo and Hormel Foods, building experience across consumer packaged goods and customer-facing commercial operations.
GP Foodservice Solutions represents Georgia-Pacific's consolidated effort to expand its presence in the away-from-home disposables market, combining established brands and capabilities under a unified commercial structure. The unit's portfolio includes products widely used in restaurants, institutional foodservice, and hospitality settings, where demand continues to be driven by operational efficiency, sustainability considerations, and evolving service models.
