At the APPMA’s first ever virtual annual general meeting held this morning, results of the recent Board elections were released, with two directors holding their seats and a new director announced.
The APPMA AGM was held today, 8 September, with digital access allowing a higher number of members to participate than are usually able to attend in person.
Among items on the agenda was the result of the recent Board election. As per the previous year voting was conducted electronically with around 65 per cent of all members participating this time in the voting process.
Chairman Mark Dingley congratulated Derek Ford from Visy Automation and Dr Rym Kachouri from Foodmach on their reappointment and welcomed Mark Hollingsworth, CEO Rhima Group, as the newest director.
Dingley thanked the other members who had nominated for Board positions, noting it was good to see such a high level of interest in members looking to contribute and participate more within the association.
PKN spoke to the new directors on news of their election. New recruit Mark Hollingsworth said he was motivated to join the APPMA Board as it “provides a great opportunity to learn and interact with the industry that our membership covers and the opportunities and challenges it faces, especially in the current challenging times of Covid”.
Hollingsworth, who has prior industry board experience, said, “I believe it is a great platform to promote the industry and grow our coverage... I am very privileged to be able to join my fellow directors on the APPMA Board and I look forward to contributing positively to our industry.”
Hollingsworth believes APPMA is helping shape the industry for the better with its continued focus on promoting industry interests.
“In today’s environment, demands are changing and with the continuing public swell around recycling and now hygiene becoming a big focus due to Covid, these both impact but also create opportunities for our industry,” he said.
“As an industry association we can open up to wider thinking around our corporate responsibility towards sustainable environmental practices to ensure we do our bit towards progressing our industry in a positive way.”
Hollingsworth says he hopes to assist APPMA to grow its membership base with allied companies on the periphery of the packaging machinery sector, and to continue with the good work that APPMA has done in the past.
Dr Rym Kachouri, GM Service and Agency Products at Foodmach, has been re-elected to her position on the Board for a second term. With an international educational and career background, Kachouri brings to the table a different and valuable perspective on machinery and automation technology.
“In these challenging times, the APPMA is more important than ever to ensure support for our member companies and the wider industry, and to provide networking opportunities along with opportunities to develop and grow their people and their businesses,” she said.
Kachouri aims to contribute to the APPMA becoming an official industry partner that communicates regularly with the government to support the local manufacturing and automation sector.
“I want the APPMA to have a voice with federal government decision makers,” she said.
Derek Ford, group sales manager at Visy Automation, says the APPMA creates for its members an opportunity to collaborate with suppliers and customers, to recognise the achievements of companies and individuals, and to raise the level of performance in safety and productivity while benefiting the environment.
He has been active on the APPMA Board for a number of years, and says: “Packaging plays such an important role in our everyday lives and supports so many Australian businesses, so the APPMA is a perfect marriage with my own personal love of automation. Contributing on the Board is also a way to give back personally to the industry that has provided me so much opportunity and growth over the last 20 years.”
Asked about the contribution he hopes to make in his next term of office, Ford said: “I am really excited about some new members' packages and benefits that we're working on, increasing public visibility of members' achievements, and of course making the AUSPACK and Packaging and Processing events bigger and better than ever.”
Hollingsworth, Kachouri and Ford will join fellow directors Mark Dingley, Robert Marguccio, Mark Emmett, Samantha Saunders, Peter Bradbury, James Windsor and Robert Becher in leading the association in the 2020-2021 year.
