Des Pope, founder and chairman of Pope Packaging, has passed away. Pope established the South Australian packaging company in 1956, growing it from a small local operation into a global business.
Under his leadership, the company expanded across Australia before entering New Zealand in 1985 and later the United States. A manufacturing facility was also established in Sri Lanka in the 1990s.
In a statement on LinkedIn, the company said Pope founded the business “with a simple but powerful ambition: to build something meaningful, lasting, and grounded in strong values”.
The company said Pope was known for “his sharp wit, his honesty, and his unwavering passion for the packaging industry”.
Beyond his work in the industry, Pope was described as “a devoted father, brother, and grandfather, and the heart of our family business”.
Today, the company continues under the leadership of his son-in-law, Craig Elkington, CEO, alongside Pope’s daughters Deanna, Dale and Danielle.
“Des will be deeply missed by his family and by many across the Pope's community worldwide,” the company said.
“His legacy lives on in the business he built and the people he inspired.”
