Steve Sokol, President/CEO
A native of New York state, Steve Sokol studied psychology at Brooklyn College before beginning his career in the children’s wear industry where he worked in various capacities from merchandising through purchasing. In 1980, Steve decided to focus on printing/packaging sales and joined Copac, Inc. While with Copac, Steve drove the development of the licensed hangtag business, building a model to deliver consistent high quality with maximum cost and time efficiency for such clients as American Greetings, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. In 2001, Steve joined with partners, Yasmin Ibrahim and Peter Wong, to form Sokol Packaging Group; Leveraging the hangtag model to create consistent, high-quality packaging. “It was a seamless change,” Steve says. “I spent over 20 years at Copac with Howard Henderson, who was an excellent mentor. Howard’s philosophy was ‘if it isn’t right, don’t do it.’ That’s the philosophy we follow at Sokol Packaging Group. We are a highly ethical company doing business with total integrity. A client once told us that even our competition speaks highly of us. That, to me, is the highest accolade Sokol Packaging can receive.”
Yasmin Ibrahim, EVP/CFO
Born and educated in British Guiana (now Guyana), Yasmin Ibrahim came to the United States in 1980, and began her career in the accounting department of Dobie Originals before joining Copac, Inc. as a customer service representative. During her 15 plus years with Copac, Yasmin moved through the ranks, learning printing from the ground up and eventually managing printing for licensed products. In 2001, she joined Steve Sokol and Peter Wong to form Sokol Packaging Group. Today, in her capacity as CFO and EVP, Yasmin supervises all aspects of the company’s day-to-day functioning. “But my first love is customer service,” Yasmin says. “I get a great deal of satisfaction from making sure our customers’ needs are met. Our success at Sokol Packaging Group is based on how we treat people. We do what we say we’ll do, and we do what’s right. I’m very proud to be part of that.”
Peter Wong, Director
A native of Hong Kong, entrepreneur Peter Wong’s experience includes over 40 years in children’s apparel manufacturing, producing garments for Disney Consumer Products. A self-taught expert in the printing business, Peter worked with Steve Sokol for 20 years while Steve was at Copac, Inc. before partnering with him and Yasmin Ibrahim to launch Sokol Packaging Group. As director of Sokol Packaging’s China facility, Peter is responsible for all aspects of the facility’s operation, including print production and distribution. “Everything I know, I have learned on the job,” Peter says. “That ground-up experience gives me a unique perspective for problem-solving. When I find solutions for clients, I feel a real sense of achievement. Our integrity and customer-service orientation has earned our clients’ respect and trust, and I take great pride in being part of that.”