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William J. Avery is retired from Crown Cork & Seal, where he held the position of president and chief executive officer. He also served as chairman of the board. Avery began his career as a management trainee with Crown Cork & Seal in 1959 in the Chicago plant while he completed his studies at the University of Chicago. He attained successively responsible positions with the company as plant manager, area manufacturing manager and vice president of sales in the Mid-West Division. In 1974 he was appointed corporate vice president of sales. He was appointed senior vice president in 1976 and in 1981 he became president and chief operating officer. In 1989, he became chief executive officer and, in 1990, he assumed the additional position of chairman of the board. He retired from these positions in early 2001. Crown grew dramatically under Avery’s leadership. From 1990 to 1995 sales increased from $1.5 billion to $5 billion. The company’s position in the packaging industry was enhanced through a series of strategic acquisitions nationally and internationally as the company moved from primarily a metal packaging company into also becoming a leading supplier of plastic containers and specialty closures for food and beverage containers. Acquisition activity in 1996 brought the largest packaging company in Europe, CarnaudMetalbox, into the Crown family. This increased sales to the $10 billion mark and has made Crown the premier packaging company in the world. Avery is or has been active in educational, charitable and civic organizations both in Philadelphia and outside the region. He is currently chairman of Fox Chase Cancer Center and a board member of The Franklin Institute, Rohm and Haas Company, Philadelphia Shipyard Development Corporation, PAL and The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. He was previously chairman of both the YMCA and Greater Philadelphia First. He was also formerly a board member of the Opportunities Industrialization Center, Avenue of the Arts and the West Company, and a member of the GSB Advisory Council of the University of Chicago. | 