Scott Griffin Elected Greif, Inc. Chief Sustainability Officer

DELAWARE, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott R. Griffin has been elected Chief Sustainability Officer for Greif, Inc. (NYSE: GEF, GEF.B), a worldwide leader in industrial packaging products and services. He had been vice president of Sustainability and Commercial Excellence.

In his global role, Griffin is responsible for leading the development of Greif's sustainability strategy and works with communities, governments and NGO partners to reach the company's sustainability goals in energy, carbon and water. He serves as the company's liaison delegate to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Clinton Global Initiative, and is the executive focal point for Greif's partnership with The Conservation Fund.

"Under Scott's stewardship, we achieved Greif's first energy and carbon reduction goals, and we are well on our way to achieving our 2015 targets," said Greif Chairman and CEO Michael Gasser. "Scott has also been instrumental in raising our profile with the increasing number of customers and others who are equally interested in sustainable business practices. He understands that truly sustainability initiatives must make financial as well as environmental sense.

"Plus, his ability to tweak existing products and find new markets and new uses for them – such as our WaterWear™ backpacks designed to replace the water buckets that women and children carry on their heads in third world and emerging economies – is the essence of The Greif Way, and is keeping Greif relevant in the world where we are all confronting severe environmental and social challenges."

Griffin also teaches courses on Strategy and Sustainability at The Ohio State University's Fisher Graduate School of Business. He graduated from The Ohio State University and earned his MBA from Xavier University.  

About Greif, Inc.

Greif is a world leader in industrial packaging products and services. The company produces steel, plastic, fibre, flexible, corrugated and multiwall containers and containerboard, and provides reconditioning, blending, filling and packaging services for a wide range of industries. Greif also manages timber properties in North America. The company is strategically positioned in more than 55 countries to serve global as well as regional customers. Additional information is on the company's website at www.greif.com.

SOURCE Greif, Inc.

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