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Steve Henry
Paper & Packaging President, Paper Excellence Group
Domtar
Steve is a senior pulp and paper executive with 27 years of experience who is skilled at delivering performance as well as building and executing strategic roadmaps. His career has spanned diverse roles in strategy, project management, and general management in corporate and mill environments with International Paper, Weyerhaeuser, Georgia-Pacific. He joined Domtar general manager of the Hawesville, Kentucky, paper mill following its acquisition from Weyerhaeuser in 2011. He was named TAPPI/PIMA Mill Manager of the Year in 2016. Most recently he led Domtar’s entry into the packaging business, responsible for building and leading the business structure needed to produce and sell containerboard with a winning customer value proposition. Prior to leading the packaging business, Steve was Domtar’s vice president of strategy and business analysis, responsible for building a company-wide project management structure to help identify markets, products, and opportunities to innovate or commercialize new technology to meet customer needs. He also led work to achieve long-term growth and meet Domtar’s strategic objectives. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He previously served on the Board of Directors and as chairman at both Prisma Renewable Composites, LLC and Kenergy Corp.
Mike Doss
CEO
Graphic Packaging
Xinnan Li
Analyst
Rabobank
Xinnan Li serves as an industry analyst at RaboResearch with expertise in packaging and logistics sectors across North America. With a vigilant eye on market trends and a deep understanding of the food and ag supply chain, Xinnan offers comprehensive insights into international trade logistics, consolidation and competition, and global sustainability strategies. Her tenure has been marked by significant contributions to the understanding of packaging innovation, cold storage market growth, consumer demographics, and related cross-sectoral issues. Xinnan has a background in Food Science.
Nedim Nisic
Group eCommerce Director
Mondi Group
Nedim Nisic is an experienced executive in the eCommerce and packaging industry, currently serving as the Group eCommerce Director at Mondi Group. In his role, he spearheads the company's efforts to support online retailers and marketplaces in transitioning to sustainable, innovative, and consumer-friendly eCommerce packaging. With a team of cross-segment experts, he helps eCommerce companies develop and execute packaging strategies that combine their economic objectives, sustainability requirements, and consumer expectations. Mondi Group is a global leader in packaging and paper, offering a full range of multi-material custom eCommerce packaging solutions, including kraft and functional barrier paper, paper bags, and corrugated solutions.
Christopher Davidson
Vice President, Sustainability
Smurfit Westrock
Christopher Davidson is based in Richmond, Virginia, and serves as vice president, Sustainability for Smurfit Westrock, a global manufacturer of sustainable paper-based packaging solutions. He develops strategy, policies, goals and metrics for the company’s sustainability platform and is accountable for internal and external reporting to measure its progress. His work with customers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world focuses on optimizing the impact of sustainability on businesses and communities. Chris’ experience in the forest products industry spans nearly 30 years. He serves on the board of directors for GreenBlue and the Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. He is also the co-chair of the Corporate Sustainability & Environment Executive Committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Chris earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forest management and forestry from North Carolina State University and received a doctorate in forestry from Virginia Tech
Brad Southern
Chair & Chief Executive Officer
LP Building Solutions
Brad Southern initially joined LP in 1999 and led the company’s siding business from 2005 to 2015 before transitioning to leading the OSB business—a position he held until he was named Chief Operating Officer in 2016. On July 1, 2017, Southern became the fifth Chief Executive Officer in the company’s history. In this position, Southern is responsible for all aspects of LP’s business, operations, and governance. Also in 2017, he was appointed as director and on May 22, 2020, Southern became Chair of the board. He began his career with MacMillan Bloedel, where he held a variety of jobs in forestry, strategic planning, finance, accounting, and plant management. He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degree in Forest Resources from the University of Georgia
Charles Malo
President and COO
Cascades
After earning a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Charles Malo began his career as a controller at Etcan, a division of Cascades, in 1990. He joined Cascades Containerboard Packaging when it was created in 1997 and worked his way up the ranks. Over the years, he became Director of Administration, Regional General Manager, Operations, for Central Canada, and Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer in the Corrugated Cardboard business line. In 2008, he also took over management of the folding carton division, becoming Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Packaging. In April 2015, he was named Chief Operating Officer, overseeing not only transformation operations, but also the production of containerboard. He became President and Chief Operating Officer in January 2016. This appointment makes him the third President of Cascades Containerboard Packaging, succeeding Alain Lemaire and Marc-André Dépin. Like his predecessors, he embraces Cascades’ values and believes that everyone should work in a safe and secure environment. He continues to pursue the business objectives established in conjunction with the various management teams to ensure the growth of Cascades Containerboard Packaging and Cascades. Mr. Malo is well known in the industry for his knowledge and leadership. He is an active member of boards of directors for various associations, companies and non-profit organizations. For example, he currently sits on the board of the Fondation Hôpital Pierre-Boucher.
Pat Cavanagh
Senior Economist, Pulp
Fastmarkets
George Staphos
Managing Director
Bank of America
Elena Despotou
FEFCO Director General
European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers
Vivek Singh
TD Securities
Vivek Singh is a Managing Director at TD Securities with over 15 years of investment banking experience across M&A and capital raising. He is focused on the forestry, paper packaging and building materials sectors, with involvement in over $200bn of M&A transactions. He has a BS in Finance from NYU's Stern School of Business and an MBA from University of Michigan's Ross School of Business
Lasse Sinikallas
Macroeconomist Director
Rafael Barisauskas
Senior Economist
Rafael Barisauskas joined Fastmarkets in 2019 as the Latin America economist, analyzing the regional pulp, paper and packaging markets as well as the local economies. Having worked on economic forecasts since 2013, Rafael has a deep understanding of the global commodities trade and industrial organization. He is the main author of the Latin American Paper Products Monitor, the Latin American 5-year Forecast and the co-author of the Monthly Economic Commentary.Rafael has a Master's degree in Economics from KU Leuven in Belgium, focusing his research on global value chains analysis in the pulp and paper industry. He also was awarded merit scholarships through his BA in economics in Brazil and the best student award in his course.
Susan Cornish
Consultant
Insight + Action
Susan Cornish is Principal Consultant at Insight + Action. Here Susan helps clients identify issues and develop research questions. She leads client engagements and manages all aspects of projects from research design and data collection, through analysis, reporting, and other deliverables. Prior to Insight + Action, Susan was a Vice President at several global Consumer Insights firms. Here she worked with brand owners in Marketing, contributing to product and packaging development decisions. Susan led research teams, developed better reporting methods, and worked with clients and IT to create client portals and automated reporting. Susan has in-depth knowledge of packaging sustainability and the recycling industry, plus expertise in all aspects of product and packaging innovation research. Susan has worked with global clients in many sectors including packaging, consumer packaged goods, hospitality and foodservice, waste management/recycling and recycling non-profits. Susan holds an Honors BA, 1st Class, from Simon Fraser University where she majored in Geography and Economics. She has an MSc and PhD from the University of Toronto where her dissertation research focused on product innovation.
Derek Mahlburg
Director, NA Graphic Paper
Steven Honeyman
Senior Economist, North America Paper Packaging
Charles Denison
Moelis
Charlie Denison is a Managing Director at Moelis & Company where he advises clients primarily in the industrials sector. Charlie has over 35 years of investment banking experience advising clients on M&A, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and debt and equity financings across the packaging, paper and building products industries. Prior to joining Moelis & Company, Charlie managed the Chicago office of Deutsche Bank and its predecessor Bankers Trust, where he was responsible for overseeing the firm’s investment banking activities in the Midwest as well as coordinating the strategies of the private wealth and asset management businesses. Charlie holds an A.B. in Economics and Government from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Youth Centers and the Presbyterian Homes. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and The Chicago Children’s Museum.
Beth Lis
Vice President, Asian Paper & Packaging
Bill Moore
Moore & Associates
Bill Moore is president of Moore & Associates, an international consulting firm that provides a range of strategic services and research to global recycling organizations. The description of the full range of services and background for Moore & Associates can be found on the company’s web site at www.MARecycle.com. Bill has had a forty-three year career as an environmental business professional. Prior to establishing his own consulting firm, Bill held a series of positions in the chemical, solid waste, paper, and recycling industries. This included Director of Recycling for Waste Management, Inc., where he was responsible for the startup of the “Recycle America” program, the largest introduction of recycling services in the United States. Earlier in his career, Bill was a hazardous and groundwater waste expert and was at the forefront of the US manufacturing industry’s move for waste reduction through process optimization. Bill’s unique knowledge base includes all aspects of the global supply and demand of recovered paper, where he is currently considered the leading expert. Over the last 28 years, Moore & Associates has served over 450 clients on more than 750 projects on paper recycling engagements. Details on Bill’s consulting project experience can be found at www.MARecycle.com/past-projects/. Bill is a sought after speaker throughout the world on subjects related to global recycling and the business side of environmental issues. He is highly published in the recycling field having authored more than fifty articles over the last twenty five years. A list of Bill’s publications can be found at www. MARecycle.com/articles/
David Feber
Senior Partner
McKinsey
David Feber is a Senior Partner in the McKinsey & Company Detroit office. He leads McKinsey’s Global Packaging Service Line and has deep expertise in the Packaging Space across all packaging substrates (metal, Glass, Plastic and paper). He serves multiple players in the packaging areas. David also co-leads McKinsey’s research in packaging sustainability and other mega trends. David has had two stints at McKinsey. He was at McKinsey from 2000-2004 as an Associate Partner, then rejoined the Firm as a direct-elect Partner in January 2017. During the time in between, David spent almost a decade in Senior Executive roles in the packaging industry
Thomas Blaige
CEO & Chairman
Blaige & Company
Tom Blaige is the founder of Blaige & Company and has over 30 years of transaction experience. The Blaige team has completed over 200 transactions and has visited over 600 packaging, plastics/fiber, and chemicals operations in all parts of the world. Blaige & Company is a “specialist” investment bank with a deeper and broader knowledge of its target audience versus generalist or “house” investment banks. The sustainable packaging segment represents our “power alley”, and we believe our M&A experience in these products and their supply chains leads worldwide. Blaige’s valuable long-lasting relationships with potential buyers in this segment with established trust and mutual respect result in an impressive track record of 49% valuation premiums in the last three years. The U.K.-based magazine Acquisition International named Mr. Blaige 2015 Sector Focused CEO of the Year, and Blaige & Company – Sector Focused Investment Bank of the Year in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Blaige & Company has been a strategic partner and speaker at prominent packaging events such as the Global Pouch Forum and The Packaging Conference for almost two decades, collaborates extensively with Alexander Watson Associates (AWA) and speaks at their events for many years running. Tom Blaige has also spoke at the European Carton Makers Association (ECMA). Blaige is a member, frequent speaker and sponsor of the Contract Packaging Association (CPA), the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), and the Western Plastics Association (WPA).
Derek Dafoe
Executive VP, Marketing & Sales USA
Sofidel
Derek is the Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Sofidel North America, having joined Sofidel in 2019 and being charged with building a high performing team, and reenforcing the Sofidel "can do" culture to support significant growth targets within the industry. Over the last 5 years Sofidel has grown from a smaller start-up business to one of the largest suppliers of tissue-based products in North America, with plans for significant future investment and accelerated growth. Derek has spent significant portions of his 34-year career in many different industries, across both the buying and selling sides of the desk, these included CPG Branded Sales, Manufacturing Start-Up, Category Insights, Retail Merchandising, Food Service Merchandising, and Paper Manufacturing. Derek believes in a team based success model, that recognizes teamwork, positive energy, and a customer first mindset
Ronald Sasine
Principal
Hudson Windsor
Ron Sasine is the Principal of Hudson Windsor, a boutique consultancy focused on packaging strategy, innovation, and sustainability. The firm draws on extensive experience in retail merchandising and consumer packaged goods and works with a wide range of packaging manufacturers, private-equity investors, and independent packaging companies. Ron is also the project development lead for Crossroads Paper and is frequently sought out by industry groups to share his insight on issues related to packaging innovation, manufacturing, and the evolution of retail. Prior to founding Hudson Windsor, Ron served as Senior Director of Packaging for Walmart from 2009 to 2015, where he was responsible for packaging design, execution and sourcing for the company’s largest global brands. He created a new visual look for over 7,000 individual retail items, bringing a national brand design standard to the Great Value, Spring Valley, Equate, Ol’ Roy and Parents’ Choice brands. He created first-of-its-kind supply chain visibility for the company’s global packaging network, working with over 5,000 packaging providers that supply Walmart worldwide. He led Walmart’s sustainable packaging initiative and implementation of the sustainable packaging scorecard, building supplier accountability into purchasing decisions and achieving a 9.4% global reduction in the greenhouse gas impact of the company’s packaging. Before joining Walmart, Ron was a global marketing and manufacturing executive with MeadWestvaco (now WestRock). He directed international sales integration, business development, and packaging design from 2002 to 2009 across multiple substrates, printing technologies, and geographies. In a previous role, he led strategic planning, M&A, and marketing for the company’s operations in Brazil and Latin America. He began his career in the packaging sector in 1990, with responsibility for sales of linerboard and converting grades to corrugated box plants and printing companies throughout Central and South America.
Hannah Zhao
Director, Fiber
Keesa Schreane
Author
Gambling on Green
Keesa Camille Schreane is a revenue growth and data market leader, author, and consultant. Her work includes sustainability reporting and policy development, board education and corporate culture training, and sustainable investment advisory. Keesa is author of Gambling on Green (Wiley Publishing), and Corporations Compassion Culture (Wiley Publishing), which was nominated for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award. During her tenure at London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), she led the strategic sustainability partnerships team, facilitated data product delivery, and contributed significantly to revenue growth and client engagement. As a Ceres President’s Council Member, she advises corporate and investor networks on advancing sustainable capital markets while nurturing strategic relationships between corporate, investor, and policy leaders. Keesa is a recognized thought leader in sustainability and supplier risk, corporate culture, and employee engagement frequently featured on CBS News, Bloomberg, and CNBC. Through her Climate Money Work Newsletter, leaders stay current on the rapidly changing world of climate and capital. Keesa is a Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS) credentials holder. She holds a B.A. from Salem College, an M.A. from New York University and received an Executive Education Certificate from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Investment Strategies and Portfolio Management. She is an Oxford University IMAGINE Fellow.
Craig Gunckel
Iconex Paper
Craig Gunckel is Chief Executive Officer of Iconex, bringing nearly three decades of expertise in the paper, packaging, and retail industries. Under his leadership, Iconex has tripled in both revenue and profitability. More importantly, safety has become the core value at Iconex with the company dramatically reducing incident rates across its footprint. Gunckel’s forward-thinking strategies most recently led the company to invest in and capitalize on the high growth labels market. His commitment to a strong company culture and clear focus on innovation has established Iconex as a trusted business partner to the largest companies in the world. Most recently, Gunckel was named a 2023 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast Award winner and received Atlas Holdings’ 2023 Chairman's Award for leading Iconex’s success, which is also noted by the company’s listing as one of the 50 largest private companies in Atlanta (Atlanta Business Chronicle). In 2021, he was named one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Admired CEOs and was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast finalist. Gunckel currently serves on the boards of the Wake Forest University Business School, Purdue University’s Krannet School of Management, and the Atlanta Area Council Boy Scouts, which honored him with the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award for his contribution to serving at-risk youth. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta. Prior to joining Iconex, Gunckel served as President, Enterprise Solutions for WestRock. During his 20+ years with WestRock and RockTenn, he held progressing executive roles, including leading its merchandising displays and folding carton businesses.
Michele Bianchi
RDM Group
After the Master Degree in Chemical Engineering from Pisa University, Mr Bianchi started his professional career in the packaging sector in Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget-SCA, acquired in 2012 by DS Smith, the leading provider of corrugated packaging in Europe. After 14 years in SCA and 3 in DS Smith, with 8 different job positions and seven years of experience at European level, since November 2016 Michele Bianchi has been CEO of RDM Group. Today, Mr Bianchi has a rooted and valuable knowledge of packaging sector dynamics and trends, and he has developed extensive skills in the management of complex organizations. He also holds important institutional roles: he is President of Pro Carton, President of CEPI Cartonboard and President of Federazione Carta Grafica.
Luis Gerardo Gonzalez
General Manager
Cartomicro
Luis Gerardo González is an engineer with over 20 years of experience in the packaging industry. He is currently the General Manager of CARTOMICRO, one of the largest independent corrugators in Mexico. Throughout his career, he has held key roles in planning, production, supply chain, and sales, driving innovation and efficiency within the company. His focus on product reliability and service quality has been instrumental in building partnerships with leading paper manufacturers worldwide. Outside of work, he is happily married, a father of two, a cycling enthusiast, and a nature lover.
Abigail Sztein
Executive Director, Recovered Fiber
American, Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA)
Abigail Sztein serves as Executive Director, Recovered Fiber for the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). Sztein manages issues and programs that promote increased paper recycling and maintain member company access to mill-quality recovered fiber for use in manufacturing new pulp, paper and paperboard. Until March 2024, she led the state advocacy team and directly managed advocacy in the Northeast on behalf of AF&PA. Sztein’s experience with AF&PA spans various roles in government affairs and public policy, including state and local government affairs, sustainability, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEI&B), recycling policy, and energy and water issues since 2010. Sztein is also co-president of her neighborhood citizens association and coach of her son’s preschool soccer team.
Greg Tucker
Bay Cities
• Chairman and CEO of Bay Cities Packaging and Design, a leading manufacturer of corrugated packaging, point of purchase displays, and digital printing solutions. • Chairman of Digital Print Partners, a joint venture between Bay Cities and Fujifilm that offers innovative digital printing solutions for corrugated packaging. • Former Region One Director and Chairman of the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC), the largest trade association for the independent corrugated industry. • Former Board Member of the Fiber Box Association (FBA), the trade association for the corrugated industry in North America. • Hall of Fame recipient of the AICC, the highest honor bestowed by the association for outstanding leadership and service to the industry. • Board Member of the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF), a non-profit organization that promotes corrugated packaging as a sustainable and innovative material. • Packaging Advisory Board Member and Graphic Communication Advisory Member of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO), a leading institution for packaging and graphic design education.
Paul Charapata
Chief Executive Officer
M2S Group
Mr. Charapata is currently the CEO of M2S Group (Material Science and Solutions Group), a leading material science company providing engineered coating, adhesive, and imaging solutions to valuable global customer partnerships. Mr. Charapata started his career in the labels industry including 5 years working for Avery Dennison, and has spent the last 18 years partnering with four different private equity groups building the M2S Group platform. Today, M2S Group is a world class global operation with 15 facilities and 1200 dedicated team members who service customers in 65 countries. Under Mr Charapata’s leadership, Nekoosa has transformed into M2S Group and expanded from its commercial print product legacy to now provide sign and graphics, extruded products, wide format print media, thermal papers and films, window films, and variable information label solutions. M2S Group is now comprised of four business units including Nekoosa, Iconex, Decorative Films, and Appvion. M2S Group is owned by Wynnchurch Capital Partners based in Rosemont, IL with over $9B of regulatory assets under management. Mr Charapata is also a Director for Breck Partners, a middle market private equity firm, a board member for Dura-Fibre, a solid fibre laminated paperboard solutions company, and a board member for SmartSign, a leading online sign manufacturer and retailer.
Michael D'Angelo
President
AICC, The Independent Packaging Association
Mike is a 40+ year veteran of the packaging industry with experience in the corrugated, folding carton and flexible packaging markets. After graduating from Villanova University, Mike went to work for Bobst North America in a sales support role. Over the next 32 years he rose through various leadership positions in the Bobst organization in diverse packaging equipment markets. This growth culminated in an 18-year role as Vice President of Sales and Service. Goss International recruited Mike to be its North American Managing Director and to transition its web offset printing press business from the publication and newspaper markets to the packaging markets. This challenge was successfully met, resulting in the sale of Goss to a private equity company. After Goss, Mike continued to pursue service to the paper-based packaging industry by joining AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, as Vice President in October 2016. He was elevated to the President’s role at AICC on July 1, 2019. Prior to joining AICC, Mike had been a 20+ year Associate Member of the Association. Mike has served on the Board of Directors of the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF) including a term as Chair. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA). Both Board experiences showed him the satisfaction that can be achieved in Association management. Mike and his wife Susan are the parents of two grown daughters. They live in Dumfries, Virginia.
Rachel Kenyon
Senior Vice President
Fiber Box Association (FBA)
Rachel Kenyon is the Senior Vice President of the Fibre Box Association (FBA), a nonprofit trade association representing North American manufacturers of corrugated packaging. Rachel’s primary responsibilities include the association’s management, communications, marketing, and member relations. Rachel joined the Fibre Box Association in 2008 as FBA’s Director of Member and Industry Relations and began serving as Vice President in 2011. She was promoted to Senior Vice President in December 2019. Prior to joining FBA, Ms. Kenyon was the Vice President of Marketing and Product Development and a member of the business management team for Weyerhaeuser’s Containerboard Packaging and Recycling Business. During her nearly ten years with Weyerhaeuser, she held several positions in marketing and management. Rachel was the first director of the Corrugated Packaging Council, the precursor to the Corrugated Packaging Alliance, and was active in several industry committees during her time at Weyerhaeuser. Ms. Kenyon is a former board member of the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation. Rachel is a proud Spartan graduate of Michigan State University
Mohamed Azzouz
Continuous Improvement Manager
Royal Containers Ltd
Mohamed Azzouz started his career in graphic design, information technology, marketing, and multimedia, including photography and filmmaking. He honed his skills in these diverse disciplines before transitioning into the manufacturing sector, specifically the automotive industry, where he first delved into and applied lean principles. In 2017, Mohamed joined Royal Containers Ltd, where he held various roles, including Pre-press coordinator, plant manager, and currently, continuous improvement manager. He played a pivotal role in the successful planning and execution of relocating new and existing assets to the current state-of-the-art sheet plant in the city of St. Thomas. Passionate about lean manufacturing, Mohamed advocates for the integration of technology and automation in the packaging industry. Born and raised in Cairo Egypt, Mohamed developed a passion for technology from a young age. This passion led him to pursue Managerial Information Systems at the Modern Academy. Throughout his career, Mohamed has demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement, striving to achieve operational excellence. Outside of his professional endeavors, Mohamed enjoys photography, volunteering for various charity causes, and spending time with family. Currently residing in London, Ontario, Mohamed continues to work on multiple projects always seeking new opportunities for growth and making an impact in the packaging industry.
Aleks Zlatic
VP Product Portfolio & Market Development
ePS Packaging
Aleks Zlatic is a recognized leader in industrial software and high tech focused on manufacturing and production. In the last several years he has been specializing in sustainability-focused innovations within the packaging and print industries. Having held prominent roles at Danaher’s Esko, Xrite Pantone, as well as EFI the last 20 years, Aleks has consistently driven technological advancements that align with environmental goals. Currently, he leads teams that develop technology enabling the packaging supply chain to execute more efficient and sustainable production practices through enhanced traceability and scoring. His work focuses on creating solutions that empower companies to track, optimize, and improve margins and sustainability of their production processes, fostering transparency and environmental responsibility across the supply chain. Aleks lived and worked in Canada, Brazil, Mexico and now the USA and holds an Global Executive MBA from IE Business School.
Joachim Klein
StepChange Consulting
Joachim is of German-Swedish origin and holds a master's degree in business administration. Since 1996 he has worked with global companies in the sector to define strategies, improve performance, transform supply chains and integrate acquired companies. Prior to founding StepChange in 2006, he worked for 10 years as a management consultant with a large international management consulting and technology firm, where he was operationally responsible for building the pulp and paper consulting practice. In addition to his specialization in the forest, pulp & paper industry, he has consulting experience from a wide range of other industries.
Dan Klein
Executive VP of Analytics
Markus Gartner
Mondi Corrugated Packaging
Markus Gärtner is responsible for the entire corrugated value chain at Mondi as CEO Corrugated Packaging since 2019. Prior to joining Mondi, he held various roles in strategy, sales, and general management with Novelis, a global aluminum rolling company. Markus started his career at McKinsey & Company, working on numerous operational and strategic projects across a variety of industries. He holds a Doctorate of Technical Sciences from ETH Zürich and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.
George DuCharme
Associate Director for Procurement
Tyson Foods
George DuCharme is based in Springdale, Arkansas and serves as an Associate Director for Procurement for Tyson Foods. His team is responsible for the commercial & strategic sourcing activities for the paper based and rigid plastic categories. George began his career in Finance with various companies before transitioning to Procurement in 2010 with Alcoa. In 10 years with Alcoa/Arconic, George served in a number of procurement roles including plant operations, international projects, and development of a centralized capital procurement team. Now with Tyson for nearly 5 years, he focuses on supply chain continuity for Tyson’s network of +100 facilities, optimization of packaging materials, continuous improvement, and sustainability opportunities related to his categories. George is on the forefront of alternative material development for single use plastics in protein applications and deeply passionate about finding the best solutions in this space. George earned his Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Arkansas State University and his MBA from the Walton College of Business.
Stephanie Hsia
Latin America Tissue Economist
Stephanie joined Fastmarkets in 2023 as a Latin American Economic Analyst, covering mainly tissue business. Her responsibilities include overall market analysis and insight, and she also helps with the Outlook for World Tissue Business and the World Tissue Business Monitor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a specialization in sustainability and environmental studies.
Jorge Luzuriaga
Director of Latinamerica, GA-K Overseas and VP, Amexiccor
GA-K, Amexicorr
Over 15 years of experience in various sectors, including Packaging, Pulp & Paper, Banking, Plastic Resins, Distribution and Entertainment. My dream is to scale and do worldwide trading and developing productive assets. Business Developer, Brand Lover, World Traveler. Always looking for new trends and ways to improve our industry. Trying to be a voice in the industry. Strategist. Business intelligence.
Renata Mercante
Senior Editor
Renata Mercante is a senior news editor for PPI Pulp & Paper Week. She covers the North American graphic paper markets and has done so since March 2019. Before that, she covered news, prices and market developments all over Latin America for over 12 years, including pulp, recovered paper, packaging and graphic paper. Renata joined Fastmarkets as the Editor of PPI Latin America in September 2006, when the company opened its Latin American office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. During her time in the industry, she has interviewed many of the CEOs at the leading pulp and paper companies and visited many pulp, paper and packaging plants. She also assists with Fastmarkets conferences and other special events. She speaks fluent Portuguese, English and Spanish and has a working knowledge of Italian and French. Prior to joining Fastmarkets, Renata spent five years working for ABTCP, the Brazilian Pulp and Paper Technical Association, covering the Latin American pulp and paper market for the O Papel magazine. She holds a degree in journalism and communications and also a degree in law.
Tony Mulvey
Senior Analyst in Economic & Transportation
FreightWaves
Tony Mulvey is a Senior Analyst in Economic & Transportation at FreightWaves SONAR, where he specializes in producing custom research for clients, connecting economic trends with freight market analysis. His expertise lies in offering strategic insights that help companies navigate the complex intersection of the economy and transportation sectors. Outside of work, Tony enjoys spending time on the golf course and staying up to date with the latest trends in financial markets. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Tennessee.
Joslyn Faust
CEO and Founder
HeyBamboo