When Centenari thinks back to his college days, “It was my peers, the students around me, who were the most influential.” He didn’t much like classmate Buddy Teevens ’79 the first year, when they competed to be football quarterback, but they went on to become best friends and roommates. It was Jeff Immelt ’78 who urged Centenari to quit football, scrap thoughts of a medical career, and focus instead on leadership. A math major, Centenari earned an M.B.A. at Harvard and, after a stint in investment banking, he and his brother Peter bought Atlas Container in 1988—in part with money invested by two Beta fraternity brothers.
The bottom line is Paul cares; he’s just a compassionate guy. He’s an educator, and to his credit, he runs a fantastic business.” —Shaun Teevens ’82
Married with two adult daughters, Centenari has taken some noteworthy steps as CEO of the Maryland-based company, which has grown from a $5.5-million plant into a $100-million manufacturer of corrugated boxes and packaging supplies. He hires prisoners on work-release programs and former inmates—and encourages each to get a GED or college diploma, bringing in tutors and paying workers while they’re in class. “They want to improve their lives,” he says. The AICC Independent Packaging Association honored Centenari as 2025 “Innovator of the Year” for Atlas’ “Second Chance” program, which helps former inmates re-enter the workforce and society. Many continue to work at Atlas.
In 1996, he decided to share financial statements with employees, setting up scorecards for each department. Open-book management shows workers how what they do affects the company’s success, he explains. “The team plays a lot better when they can see the score. It’s not only accountability. It’s also knowledge. It’s where are we now, how are we doing.”
Shaun Teevens ’82 has worked for his late brother’s friend for 24 years, the past 17 as Atlas’ sales manager. “Opening the financial books to encourage workers—that’s value for them to learn a profit-loss statement,” he says. “The bottom line is Paul cares; he’s just a compassionate guy. He’s an educator, and to his credit, he runs a fantastic business.”
