Starpack Archive & Winners Guides

Jon West

Commercial Director, i2r Packaging Solutions Limited

With over 30 years experience in the packaging industry, Jon West is a joint founder and Commercial Director of i2r Packaging Solutions where he’s successfully developed industry award winning products through innovation and opened new markets across the world delivering significant sales growth. As a market leader, i2r supplies a comprehensive range of aluminium foil containers used extensively throughout the global food industry. The company is now part of the Italian based Laminazione Sottile Group, one of Europe’s primary manufacturers of rolled aluminium products. Prior to establishing i2r in 2007, he was previously Group Technical & Development Director at other European packaging businesses where he used his background in mechanical engineering to drive the design and implementation of new product development.

: i2r Packaging Solutions Limited
: @i2rpackaging

Tom Giddings

Sustainability & Public Affairs Manager, Alupro

: tom-giddings

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

Andy Botterill

Head of UK Sales, VPK UK & Ireland

Andy Botterill is UK Head of Sales for the leading paper and packaging supplier VPK.

With over 30 years experience in the print and  corrugated packaging industry, Andy has worked previously for Mondi Packaging in a strategic sales roles, and has been  at VPK for 16 years. During his time at VPK, Andy has helped steer the sales strategy for the UK division through a period of dramatic evolution, including acquisition and extensive expansion of the company across the UK.

He has also previously represented VPK as European Sales Manager for the pan-European alliance Blue Box Partners, which provides corrugated cardboard packaging to customers across Europe. Andy currently manages a team of VPK Key Account Managers (KAMs) across the UK.

: andy-botterill-179a5084

Sally Cousins

Marketing and Communications Manager, VPK UK & Ireland

Sally Cousins is Marketing and Communications Manager  for VPK UK & Ireland (previously Rigid Containers). She has worked at the company for five years and is responsible for the VPK UK & Ireland’s external and internal communication and the promotion of VPK across the media.

With over 25 years’ experience in the packaging industry, Sally’s background is in packaging trade magazine journalism, as well as PR and marketing for the packaging sector. During her time at VPK, she has implemented a number of major projects including the re-branding from Rigid to VPK as well as integrating Encase into the VPK brand after its acquisition in 2020. She is also responsible for cascading the wider VPK Group’s marketing  strategy at a local UK & Ireland level.    

Sally was also Chair of the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) promotional committee for four years, and during this time she was responsible for the Beyond the Box consumer campaign aimed at promoting corrugated cardboard across the media.

: sally-cousins-63b02766

Simon Astrop

Design Manager, VPK UK & Ireland

Simon has worked for VPK Packaging (formerly Rigid Containers) for over 12 years in a variety of design roles. He is currently Design Manager for VPK’s UK and Ireland sites as well as working with the company’s international design team. With extensive experience in the packaging industry, Simon has worked at Chesapeake Pharmaceutical Packaging after graduating from Loughborough University with a BA in Industrial Design and Technology.

Managing a team of designers and new product development specialists, he has extensive experience with corrugated packaging manufacturing processes, material specifications and brand enhancement. During his time at VPK he has been responsible for the implementation of leading design and innovation projects across the VPK Group.

: simon-astrop-b646502b

Laura Donington

Group Marketing Manager, Robinson PLC

Laura Donington is a Group Marketing Manager with a wealth of B2B marketing experience ranging from digital marketing, PR, events management, communications, as well as branding. Laura supports the delivery of Robinson’s marketing strategy across their international business, strengthening their value offering through sustainability and brand enhancement, content design and creation, stakeholder engagement, and communication. Laura is a STEM Ambassador with a passion for sustainability. In her previous roles, including with environment charity PECT, North East Lincolnshire Council and Ultimate Packaging, she managed social responsibility and volunteering programmes supporting businesses and communities to make sustainable changes.

: www.robinsonpackaging.com
: lauradonington

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

Simon Astrop

Design Manager, VPK UK & Ireland

Simon has worked for VPK Packaging (formerly Rigid Containers) for over 12 years in a variety of design roles. He is currently Design Manager for VPK’s UK and Ireland sites as well as working with the company’s international design team. With extensive experience in the packaging industry, Simon has worked at Chesapeake Pharmaceutical Packaging after graduating from Loughborough University with a BA in Industrial Design and Technology.

Managing a team of designers and new product development specialists, he has extensive experience with corrugated packaging manufacturing processes, material specifications and brand enhancement. During his time at VPK he has been responsible for the implementation of leading design and innovation projects across the VPK Group.

: simon-astrop-b646502b