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Agenda

Take a look at the 2021 agenda!
Tuesday, April 27, 2021 Thursday, April 29, 2021 Tuesday, May 4, 2021 Thursday, May 6, 2021
Panel #1: Packaging M&A: Where Is It Headed?
Panel #1 Overview and Panelists

Packaging has been a highly active sector for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) over the past two or three years, with active involvement from both private equity (PE) and corporate buyers. But not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an about-face. Nearly all deal processes have been paused or postponed indefinitely due to market uncertainty and a lack of financing. Only a small number of deals (e.g., tuck-ins, public company noncore assets) are continuing.

Keynote:

  • Michael Palm, Senior Managing Director, Evercore
Panelists:
  • Mike Denvir, Partner, The Jordan Company
  • Suj Mehta, Senior Vice President, Tekni-Plex
  • Eric Kanter, Partner, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners
  • Colin Convey, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
Moderator:
  • Thilo Henkes, Managing Director, L.E.K. Consulting
End of Day
Panel #2: Meeting sustainability goals: How are brands’ strategies evolving?
Panel #2 Overview and Panelists
Brand owners’ Environmental, Sustainability, Governance (ESG) goals have been publically announced with target timing set around 2025. These goals include substantial commitments that require step-changes in packaging needs. On this panel, we’ll hear from brands of consumer packaged goods and foodservice operators on how their packaging needs are evolving.

Keynote:
  • Colin Gordon, Associate Consultant, Smithers and former CEO, Glanbia
Panelists:
  • Jennifer McCracken, Director of Sustainability, HAVI
  • Jeffrey Yorzyk, Director of Sustainability, HelloFresh
  • Raphael Stermann, Sustainability Manager, GSK Consumer Health
  • Sergio Perelman, Director Global Packaging Sustainability, Mondelez

Moderator

  • Karin von Kienlin, Partner, L.E.K. Consulting
End of Day
Panel #3: Recycling: How Are Converters Satisfying Brand Owner Sustainability Demands?
Panel #3 Overview and Panelists
The U.S. recycling infrastructure is in a state of crisis, characterized by low recovery rates, insufficient sortation, and China’s 2018 decision to no longer accept U.S. post-consumer waste for recycling. On this panel, we’ll hear from packaging converters and other packaging value chain participants on where the opportunities are to meet evolving brand owner packaging demands in the context of a U.S. recycling infrastructure crisis.

Keynote:
  • Tamsin Ettefagh, Chief Sustainability Officer, Purecycle Technologies

Panelists:
  • Sara Axelrod, Director of Sustainability for Beverage Packaging North and Central America, Ball Corporation
  • Maite Quinn, Managing Director, ClosedLoop Partners
  • Lynn Dyer, Chief Sustainability & Public Affairs Officer, Pactiv
  • Brian Hankin, SVP of Strategy, Innovation, Marketing and Sustainability, Altium Packaging
Moderator:
  • Jeff Cloetingh, Managing Director, L.E.K. Consulting
End of Day
Innovation in Packaging: Opportunities and Challenges
Panel #4 Overview and Panelists
Advances in packaging technology are reshaping how the packaging value chain operates, how packaging is produced and how the end consumer engages with branded products. The advent of COVID-19 has only served to increase the need for more innovation in packaging. For example, the pandemic has pushed consumers to increase their online ordering. This has prompted manufacturers to search for higher-performance ecommerce packaging solutions that can protect products from rigorous last-mile conditions.

Keynote:
  • Adam Page, Global Director, Research and Reports, Smithers
Panelists:
  • Phil Bourgeois, Senior Vice President of Global Technology, Tekni-Plex
  • Carl Joachim, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, ePac
  • Howard Manning, Vice President, Global Product Development & Launch, Rieke
  • Paolo Ferrari, Group CMO and M&A Director, Guala Closures
Moderator 
  • Amanda Davis Winters, Managing Director, L.E.K. Consulting
End of Day