Visit Event Website

American Packaging Summit 2026

Protected Content

Bonus Content

We sat down with some of our top speakers to film exclusive interviews, to learn more about their career journeys and reveal additional industry insights. Looking to watch our Speaker Interview series?

Day 1

Opening Keynote

Building Global Brand Power – Aligning Packaging, Design, and Branding Globally

Paula Steenstra

Director, Design and Packaging
McDonald's

Plenary

How Partnerships and Purpose Are Shaping the Future of Sustainable Packaging

Oliver Campbell

Director, Distinguished Engineer, Product Development Engineering and Packaging Engineering
Dell Technologies

Plenary

Calm over Chaos: Building Systems that Make AI work from Concept to Consumer

Chief Creative Officer
Olberding Brand Family

Gumaro Gonzales

Executive Director, Data & Production Technology
Olberding Brand Family

Sessions

Sustainability & Materials

FIRESIDE CHAT: Navigating EPR Compliance and Risk in a Rapidly Evolving Sustainability Policy Landscape

Executive Director, Plastics Sustainability
SC Johnson

Design & Branding

Scaling Design Excellence Through Strategic Leadership and Organizational Agility

Aidee Rodriguez

Senior Director, Brand XP Design
The Coca-Cola Company

Innovation & Technology

From Vision to Reality: Transforming Packaging Design Through Innovation

Taylor Clow

Senior Packaging Designer
Microsoft

Workshops

Room 1

Protect More, Waste Less: Kuraray’s 100 Years of Innovation in Sustainable Barrier Packaging

Pablo Garcia

Manager, Market Development
Kuraray

Ryan Slopek

Manager, Innovation Marketing
Kuraray

Room 2

Enhancing Packaging Design Through Semiotics

Jessie Zettler

Executive Creative Director
WovenWorks

Jon Shapiro

Chief Creative Officer
WovenWorks

Room 3

Plastic Additives Advancing Sustainable Rigid and Flexible Packaging Across the Value Chain

Jarno Weemers, Ph.D.

Senior Application Development Scientist
Synthomer

Sessions

Sustainability & Materials

Charting the Journey Toward Plastic-Free Materials and Fully Recyclable Sustainable Solutions

Miguel Arevalo

Head, Packaging Sustainability and Innovation
Google

Design & Branding

Balancing the Sustainability Triangle Through Smarter Returnable and Sensor-Enabled Packaging Systems

Innovation & Technology

Advancing Sustainable Packaging in Retail Through Circular Economy and ESG Leadership

Senior Director, Sustainability
Carter’s

WORKSHOPS

Room 1

Reimagining Plastic Packaging for Sustainable Performance

Tony Dzikowicz

Chief Sales Officer (CSO)
Plastic Technologies Inc

Erica Hartmann

Manager, Marketing
Plastic Technologies Inc

Room 2

AI-assistance in your artwork process: Boost your operational efficiency Redefining global artwork and compliance processes through the implementation of AI-driven automation

James McMonigal

Pre-Sales Solution Consultant
Esko Brands

Room 3

Coding the future: Mastering Retail and Regulatory Requirements for Lasting Industry Success

Luigi Marinoni

Manager, Key Account and OEM Sales, North America
Markem-Imaje

Plenary

The Future is Fiber: Driving Sustainability and Brand Value in Modern Packaging

Nathan Pajka

Manager, Sustainability
Metsä Board Americas

Plenary

Scaling Packaging Innovation While Aligning Strategy Execution And Cross-Functional Teams

Director, Global Design
Husqvarna Group

Grace Engels

Director, Design Transformation
Newell Brands

Senior Director, Sustainability
Carter’s

Olivia Burca

Design Innovation Manager, Whitespace
PepsiCo

Day 2

Networking Breakfast and Empower Hour

Panel Discussion: Women In Leadership

Colette Ranucci

VP, Global Large Molecules Technical Operations
Merck

Adriana Fernandez

AVP, Tech, Manufacturing and Quality
Eli Lilly and Company

Keñya Edmondson

VP, Sterile Injectables Operations
Pfizer

Maricarmen Szendrey

VP, Quality, AML Site Operations
Amgen

Anita Chu Li

President, Palo Alto Chapter
Association for Women in Science

Play

Opening Keynote

AI in Packaging: From Hype to Measurable Impact

Kevin Brong

Senior Director, Packaging Innovation and Sustainability
Newell Brands

Fireside Chat

Architecting Integrated Identity Systems Across Iconic Consumer Health Portfolios

Ashley Stevens

Head, Design
Kenvue

Plenary

Designing with Color: Strategies for Consistent and Impactful Color in Plastics

Mercedes Landazuri

Manager, Market Insight
Ampacet Corporation

Workshops

Room 1

Scaling Solutions that support a more circular economy: ExxonMobil’s Exxtend™ Technology & Performance Polymers in Action

Morgan Heeke

Team Lead, Application Development
ExxonMobil

Scott Schnell

Manager, Circular Products Market Development
ExxonMobil

Room 2

Driving Brand Impact Through Precision Packaging and Custom Print Innovation

Nicholas Blake

SVP & President, Operations
Oliver Inc

Senior Director, Design, Technology, and Sustainability
Oliver Inc

Room 3

Maximizing Sustainability and Efficiency with Paper-Based Packaging and Intelligent Automation

Scott Spence

Senior Manager, National Account Automation
Ranpak

Jeff Richman

Manager, Enterprise Sales
Ranpak

Sessions

Sustainability & Materials

FIRESIDE CHAT: Reducing Packaging Footprints Through Lightweighting Strategies In Carton, Film, and Corrugated Packaging

Board Member, Chicago Chapter
Institute of Packaging Professionals

Design & Branding

FIRESIDE CHAT: Future-Ready Packaging – Where Creative Design Meets Innovation and Performance

Christy Broussard

Senior Manager, Global Packaging Design & Flow
Sysco

Innovation & Technology

Transformative Packaging Design & Engineering: Redefining Innovation and Excellence through Front-End Design Workflows.

Workshops

Room 1

Stronger Loads. Smaller Footprint: A Practical Approach to Sustainable Load Stability Without Compromise

David Ferris

Manager, Strategic Accounts
CGP Expal Inc

Room 2

Seizing the Opportunity: How Packaging Convertors Drive Environmental Impact for Brand Owners

Zach Muscato

Director, Sustainability & Innovation
Plastic Ingenuity

Fireside Chat

Unlocking Value Through Sustainable Packaging While Advancing Circular Innovation at Scale

Liz Jacobsen

Global Director, Technical Sustainability, Health & Wellness Platform
Mars

Panel Discussion

Scaling Sustainable Packaging by Turning Environmental Goals Into Actionable Solutions

Liz Jacobsen

Global Director, Technical Sustainability, Health & Wellness Platform
Mars

Sridevi Narayan-Sarathy

Technical Director, Sustainable Packaging and R&D Senior Fellow
PepsiCo

John Perkins

Director, Engineering, Amazon Robotic Delivery and Packaging Innovation
Amazon

Jessica Black

Director, Sales
JBM Packaging

Kathy Cochran

Senior Director, Packaging
GNC

Jessica Weninger

Director of Sustainability
Reynolds Consumer Products