President of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), Luciana Pellegrino, has revealed her new executive team of vice presidents that will hold office for the 2024-2026 period covering four key portfolios: Marketing, Education, Sustainability & Save Food, and Governance.
“I am thrilled to announce such a special team of great packaging professionals, each one expert in a different area, and full of energy and inspiration to take WPO’s portfolios beyond. Together we will focus on raising the voice for packaging on a global level,” Pellegrino said.
With the announcement, Pellegrino introduced a slight modification to the portfolios, whereby the previous role of VP for Conferences now will be merged under the Marketing portfolio, under the leadership of Soha Atallah.
She said, “Counting on Soha Atallah as vice president for Marketing, an expert in this area, we expect to expand WPO’s participation at shows and conferences globally and, at the same time, to explore packaging as a marketing tool, fostering innovation and sharing packaging trends via webinars and forums.”
Continuing in her role as VP of Sustainability & Save Food is Nerida Kelton. Pellegrino said Nerida Kelton is also an expert who has been doing outstanding work in this portfolio by building references such as the Design for Recycling Guide and Waste Stream map, and will now renew the opportunities to go beyond, building more references and sharing knowledge through international conferences.
“Coming to the Education portfolio, I am thrilled to announce Kofi Essuman as the new vice president, a packaging expert at packaging companies and brands, and also a professor. Kofi will lead our education program and training in support of WPO’s 63 members’ countries, represented by the national packaging bodies, and having the challenge to go beyond, expanding courses and training activities,” she said.
Pellegrino also announced a new portfolio – Governance – based on one of the key pillars of her tenure, which will focus on best practices, governance and transparency. Magnus Sidling will be responsible for the Governance portfolio.
“For my presidency I transformed the fourth portfolio, Conferences, into a new one, Governance. Magnus Sidling is the vice president for Governance, also an expert in the packaging field, and will support us on stablishing best practices, governance and also building a transparent communication with members and the market, building solid basis for WPO’s growth and the expansion of partnerships.”
Luciana´s management goal as WPO pPresident is also to invite new member countries and at the same time to drive WPO closer to strategic market matters, and packaging and consumer goods companies. “This connection with the industry will allow harmonising a global vision for the sector, the challenges, opportunities and the vision of future for packaging and its markets.
Luciana Pellegrino will also count on the support of the general secretary and secretariat, respectively, Johannes Bergmair and Nathália Antoniazzi, and press & communication liaison officer, Liliam Benzi. Global ambassadors will be announced soon.
Speaking to PKN after the announcement, Nerida Kelton congratulated the other three vice presidents and welcomed Kofi Essuman and Magnus Sidling to the WPO executive team.
Kelton said, “It truly is an honour to have been confirmed as the vice president of Sustainability & Save Food under our new President Luciana Pellegrino. The Sustainability & Save Food portfolio has an amazing, passionate and dedicated working group that represents all corners of the globe and we have some exciting projects and initiatives planned for 2024 and beyond. I am extremely passionate about Sustainability & Save Food and appreciate the opportunity to continue to raise the global voice about these critical topics.”
The first program under the Sustainability & Save Food portfolio for 2024 will be a webinar on the 22nd of February discussing the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) updates and all of industry is invited to attend. Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9uRdmW9RT9mtfZP7OvOznQ#/registration
