# R. Philip Silver

> R. Philip Silver co-founded Silgan Holdings with D. Greg Horrigan in 1987 after serving as Continental Group CFO and president of Continental Can. He retired as Silgan co-CEO in 2006 and as a director in 2022 after 35 years on its board. He and his wife Barbara moved to Portland in 2008; their family foundation supports youth development in the Pacific Northwest.

- **Role:** Co-founder and former co-CEO of Silgan Holdings Inc.; trustee of the Silver Family Foundation
- **Organizations:** Silgan Holdings Inc., Silver Family Foundation, Continental Can Company, The Continental Group, Inc., Continental Resources Company, Boise Cascade Corporation
- **Nationality:** American
- **Known for:** Co-founded Silgan Holdings in 1987 and served on its board for 35 years., Co-led Silgan during its early acquisition-led and organic expansion; the company reported approximately 47% of the U.S. metal food container market in 2001, compared with approximately 10% in 1987., Helped establish Silgan’s four continuing operating principles with Greg Horrigan.

## Career timeline

- **Before 1979** — Held roles in paper, packaging and real estate operations at Boise Cascade Corporation.
- **1979** — Joined the Continental Group; roles included corporate planning and an executive position at Continental Resources.
- **1981-04** — Became executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Continental Group.
- **1983-06** — Became president of Continental Can Company; served until August 1986.
- **1987** — Co-founded Silgan with D. Greg Horrigan; its initial acquisitions included Nestlé metal container operations and Monsanto plastic container operations.
- **1994-03** — Became chairman and co-chief executive officer after previously serving as president.
- **2006-03** — Retired as co-CEO; Anthony J. Allott became CEO, while Silver continued as non-executive co-chairman.
- **2008** — Moved from Connecticut to Portland with Barbara Silver to be closer to their sons and growing families.
- **2012** — With Barbara Silver, donated $200,000 to establish an endowed ARCS scholar award.
- **2019-03** — Ended his chairmanship and co-chairmanship roles at Silgan.
- **2022-11** — Retired from the Silgan board on November 2 after 35 years as a director.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Silgan Holdings in 1987 and served on its board for 35 years.
- Co-led Silgan during its early acquisition-led and organic expansion; the company reported approximately 47% of the U.S. metal food container market in 2001, compared with approximately 10% in 1987.
- Helped establish Silgan’s four continuing operating principles with Greg Horrigan.
- Co-funded a $200,000 endowed ARCS scholar award with Barbara Silver in 2012.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — A Schedule 13G/A signed January 30 reported beneficial ownership of 8,935,545 Silgan shares, approximately 8.5%, as of December 31, 2025.
- **2022-11** — Retired from the Silgan board effective November 2, 2022.

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/r-philip-silver
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Last updated: 2026-10-23