Starpack Schools competition

Chris Clarke

R&D Manager, Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK

Chris has been working within the plastics industry for over 28 years and is currently the R&D Lead for Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK – a world leading independent division of the Logoplaste Group, exclusively dedicated to the research and development of sustainable rigid plastic packaging

Having studied Polymer Engineering and Manufacturing Chris joined Logoplaste 21 years ago. He has industry experience working in Plastics processing and Project Management and has led operational manufacturing start up teams through-out Europe. Chris actively works with both Logoplaste customers and independents advising and developing packaging from its concept stage through to industrialization.

Chris sits on the British Plastics Sustainability; and Horners Polymer committees and is a member of the UK Institute of Materials. As a Starpack Award sponsor over the last 10 years Chris works closely with schools and students promoting training and packaging best practices.

Darren Wingrove

Project Manager, Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK

Darren has been working within the plastics industry for over 33 years and is currently working alongside Chris Clarke & John George for Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK – a world leading independent division of the Logoplaste Group, exclusively dedicated to the research and development of sustainable rigid plastic packaging

After studying as a Toolmaking and Advanced Machine setter primarily around injection tool and machine design, Darren joined Logoplaste 21 years ago, he has industry experience working in Plastics injection, Blow moulding processing and Project Management and has led operations as a Production and Development Manager. Darren’s actively works as part of a 3 person Uk team supporting both Logoplaste customers and independents advising and developing packaging from its concept stage through to industrialization.

Darren has been involved in the Starpack Award sponsor over the last 4 years and has been the Starpack leader for the past 3 years.

John George

Project Manager, Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK

John has been working within the plastics industry for over 25 years and is currently working alongside Chris Clarke & Darren Wingrove for Logoplaste Innovation Lab UK – a world leading independent division of the Logoplaste Group, exclusively dedicated to the research and development of sustainable rigid plastic packaging.

John was originally trained as a Mechanical Engineer in the cable manufacturing industry, later specialising in extrusion and polymer compounding research and development he also gained extensive experience within the bio polymers sector before beginning his career in the Rigid Packaging industry. He has also lived and worked in Australia and the USA having been employed by industry leading blue-chip companies in the OEM, beverage and packaging sectors before joining Logoplaste 5 years ago. Due to his diverse career he has attained extensive industry experience working in the fields of injection and blow moulding, NPD implementation and Project Management. 

John actively works as part of a 3 person UK team supporting both Logoplaste customers and independents advising and developing packaging from its concept stage through to industrialization.

John has also judged the Starpack Awards over the last 3 years supporting Darren Wingrove and Chris Clarke. 

Kate Jackson

Innovation Lead, Convenience, Graphic Packaging International

Kate Jackson joined Graphic Packaging International as a graduate designer 6 years ago as part of their conceptual design team. She is now an innovation lead creating conceptual designs for customer presentations, trend forecasting reports and overseeing print finish trials and new packaging innovations. In addition to her main role, she has been involved with Starpack since 2016 setting the brief for Graphic packaging International as well as judging the entries from students.

: katejackson3
: @GraphicPkg_Intl

Liam Cooke

Conceptual Designer, Graphic Packaging International

After graduating from Industrial Design and Technology at Loughborough University in 2018 Liam started working at Graphic Packaging International as a Conceptual Pac­kaging Designer. His role mainly focuses on conceptual designs right at the beginning of a packaging project; helping the client with initial packaging concepts that will then be taken on to structural design.

: liamcooke
: @GraphicPkg_Intl

Christopher Tart

Creative Structural Design Manager, Graphic Packaging International

Graduating in 2008, I have worked within the packaging design industry for 14 years.  Leading a team of outstanding creative designers, we develop innovative, sustainable packaging solutions from early concept right through to production ready proposals. With an impressive portfolio of innovative formats, the team at Graphic packaging are well placed to offer customers formats that add value to the supply chain, and the end customer.

: christopher-tart-78981325

Ben Elkington

Director of Product Line Management - Global Trays, Food Packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast

Ben studied his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Brunel University in West London in before specialising with at Masters degree in Polymer Technology from De Montfort University in Leicester.  Ben is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM).  Ben joined KP (LINPAC) in 2010 as Innovation Manager, based at the Featherstone site in West Yorkshire.  His current role includes developing and delivering product plans for the kp tray portfolio.  Ben lives with his wife on the outskirts of Leeds and his hobbies include model making and following rugby.

: ben-elkington-a224802

Roxy Walker

Marketing Communications Director, Food Packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast

Roxy comes from a retail packaging background, having worked with M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Coles in Australia to project manage their packaging artwork across a number of food and home categories. Then moved from retail to LINPAC Packaging (later acquired by kp) in 2016 as Retail Marketing Manager UK to integrate the retail relationships directly into the plastics packaging space. Since then Roxy has worked in a number of roles within the business in Marketing and Communications within division and at group corporate level.

: roxy-walker-55587628
: @RoxyWalkerUK

Jude Allan

Chair, IOM3 Packaging Society

Jude started as a packaging technologist at the drinks division of Mars before taking the experience of life as a client over to the world of a packaging design agency.

For almost 20 years Jude championed and led the production and creative operations at jonesknowlesrtichie as it grew from a London based packaging design agency to a global design business with offices in London, New York, Singapore and Shanghai.

Jude and her team were responsible for delivering creative packaging designs into market for a wide range of much-loved brands from global favourites to local heroes as well as launching new start-up brands.

Working closely with brands such as Budweiser, Mars, Molton Brown, McVitie’s, Dulux paints and Hippeas, she has a rich and varied experience of the packaging industry, the challenges of innovation and the needs of brand owners to respond to their consumers demands.

 In 2018 she took on the role of chief operating officer at a start-up engineering agency in London with a manufacturing and project management office in Shenzhen, China. She spent a frenetic eighteen months at RPD International professionalising the business and developing the skills of a young group of entrepreneurs and engineers.

Jude now chairs the IOM3 Packaging Group.

She has a BEng in Materials Science and the IOM3 Diploma of Packaging Technology

: judith-allan-b2410992

Keith Barnes

Owner and Consultant, KB Consulting

Keith has worked in the packaging industry for over 56 years, with roles at Ilford Ltd and Boots Innovations where he was reponsible for packaging and cost reduction. He is enthuastic about emerging talent and has been a prominent judge of the Starpack competition for several years.

He is currently a member of CIWN, Plastics Pact, RSA and Green Alliance, as well as an IOM3 Board member. 

 

Sarah Greenwood BSc (Hons) MSc (Eng) FIMMM APkgPrf

Packaging Technology Expert, Sarah Greenwood Packaging

Sarah Greenwood is a sustainable packaging and plastics consultant with over 20 years’ experience working in industry. Holding degrees in Physics and Polymer Science, she began her career in packaging as a development technologist on high performance packaging films at BP.  She has since held technical roles at major brands and retailers in all aspects of the packaging supply chain. This included looking into the use of bio-plastics and packaging designed to extend product shelf-life for a major retailer. As a consultant her clients have included WRAP, Smithers, Iceland Foods and Garçon Wines. Sarah co-leads the project Many Happy Returns: Enabling reusable packaging systems at The University of Sheffield, Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, a project funded by the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge. A fellow of the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining, she is chair of the North of England Packaging Society and is a board member of the IOM3 Packaging Group.

: sarahgreenwoodpkg
: @GreenwoodPkg

Mike Swain B.Sc.(Hons.), FIMMM, APkgPrf, MInstPkg(Dip)

Managing Director, Pack IDS Ltd. | IOM3 Packaging Society

Passionate about packaging, the circular economy and driving forward both the professional and academic activities for packaging.

Currently the Managing Director of Pack IDS Ltd, an independent packaging consultancy, founded in 2017. 30 years experience in Innovation, R&D, Marketing and Manufacturing for international and global branded packaged consumer goods companies, such as P&G, Unilever, Diageo, Tata and Britvic and a track record of consistent delivery of commercially successful, award winning products.  A Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, a member since 1987 and Exec Board member of the IOM3 Packaging Group since 2020.  Industry award winner and a published author of blogs and periodicals, with several patents pending and numerous original creative designs. Involved with biotechnology start-ups, academic research and a visiting lecturer in packaging.

: mike-swain