Chelsea Kertes – Conference Producer, Smithers
Lisa Stephens – Division Manager, Pulp & Paper and Nanotechnology, TAPPI
Graham Moore has over thirty years’ experience of the global paper and board industry that has focused on process and product knowledge, recycling, wet end chemistry and product performance research. His recent focus has been directed towards the specialty paper sector where he has assisted a number of paper companies to successfully develop and exploit new specialty products and markets. He has been a regular presenter, chairman and advisory board member for Smithers US Specialty Paper conference held annually in conjunction with TAPPI. In addition to specialty paper, he has undertaken strategic futures based research that has examined the issues and technology trends that affect the papermaking supply chain and co-authored the TAPPI Futurist’s report ‘Postcards of the Future’. He is a member and Fellow of TAPPI, member, non-executive director and Deputy Chairman of PITA (UK), and member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK).
With over 28 years of experience in the paper industry, Ronald graduated from the University of British Columbia, Canada with a Masters of Engineering degree in Pulp and Paper Technology. With short stints at a pulp and paper process consulting company, a paper mill and a pulp and paper research institute, Ronald has spent a large part of his career in the application development and launching of paper making chemicals. He has been with FiberLean Technologies Ltd since 2017 at his current position of manager, paper and packaging applications. He has resided in Sweden since 2006.
Kamran Paynabar is a Fouts Family Career Professor and Associate Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech.
Dr. Paynabar’s research interests comprise both applied and theoretical aspects of data mining and statistical modeling integrated with engineering knowledge. His current research focuses on the analysis of high-dimensional complex data including multi-stream signals, images, videos, point-clouds and network data, for system modeling, monitoring, diagnostics and prognostics using semi-parametric and nonparametric approaches. The generic methodologies he develops have been widely utilized in a variety of applications ranging from manufacturing including automotive, aerospace, medical device, and so forth, to healthcare applications including cardiac surgery and rotator cuff tear surgery.
He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology and Azad University in 2002 and 2004, respectively, and his Ph.D. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from The University of Michigan in 2012. He also holds an M.A. in Statistics from The University of Michigan.
Jürgen Luchtenberg has obtained his doctorate in the field of Polymer-Chemistry.
For more than 20 years he had various positions at Nouryon (previously CP Kelco) and he has always been passionate about the applicatons of products in the paper- and board industry.
Today he works with global responsibility as Technical Support & Development Manager. His focus is to develop new markets and applications and introduce new products and concepts to the industry.
Scott Frasca has 36 years of experience in technical sales and tech service with customers in the pulp, paper, paperboard and wet laid nonwovens industries. He has worked with specialty and commodity chemicals, binders, plastic pigments, surface treatments and precision cut fibers for a wide variety of paper and wet laid nonwovens grades. Scott has been actively involved with both national and local sections of TAPPI, currently chairing two committees on the national level, and past chair of two local sections and is a recipient of the TAPPI Paul W. Magnabosco Outstanding Local Section Member award.
Scott Hyland holds a BS degree in Business Administration from the State College of Vermont at Castleton. His career started in the paper industry with work for Omya, Penford Products, and Ingredion Incorporated where his focus has been related to coatings and surface treatments. Managing demands from various positions as a supplier to the industry, he has worked extensively to expand the use of starch-based polymers designed for higher performance coating applications for specialty paper/ packaging arenas. His current position with Ingredion is in product innovation/ application of specialty coatings and surface treatments; his emphasis is related to barrier coatings in packaging applications.
Gary Robinson specializes in helping companies develop meaningful business and technical strategies to advance Sustainability. Gary holds a packaging degree from Michigan State University and over 25 years in global business leadership. His experience includes major consumer brands such as The Home Depot, Kraft Foods, Newell Rubbermaid, and Amway. Throughout his career Gary has held leadership positions in R&D, Global Supply Chain, Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Marketing, and Business Development. This diverse professional background is the key to success to drive innovation.
For the past 6 years, Dustin Schadt has worked with Stora Enso as the Director of Business Development and Key Account Manager for Specialty Papers and Packaging Materials in North America. His key objective is to build partnerships with Retailers, Brand Owners, and Converters who have specific Objectives to increase the effectiveness of their Paper and Packaging. Though Quality, Service, and Logistics are all key objectives for these companies, Dustin focuses on clients whose primary goal is to find Sustainable Packaging Solutions. Bringing 18 years of experience from the Folding Carton Industry, he ties in many different components of the supply chain in order to find innovative solutions and bring value to the changing market. When he’s not talking about micro fibers, blank paper, or empty boxes, Dustin likes to travel with his family, creating many adventures along the way. Between his love for family and love for paper, there’s never a moment to rest.
Susan Thoman has over 25 years’ management experience within the solid waste and sustainability fields. Susan served on the Cedar Grove Composting senior management team for 12 years, where she pioneered the development of working models to create collaboration between solid waste systems and the food service value chain. In January 2017, she and several partners formed a private industry group, the Compost Manufacturing Alliance, to broaden the vision and scope of compostable products testing across North America. Susan served on the US Composting Council board from 2015-2018, and currently serves on the Recycling Foundation Board in Washington State.
Peter Désilets is Managing Director and Co-founder of pacoon Sustainability Concepts GmbH, based in Munich and Hamburg, Germany. PACOON is a leading agency in Europe for sustainable packaging solutions.
PACOON has been following developments in sustainability for over 13 years and organised the 'SOLPACK - International Conference for Sustainable Packaging' four times with latest news and trends in material, technologies, strategies and concepts. PACOON organises training courses and workshops and advises companies on evaluating and developing solutions.
The agency has a broad network of internationals suppliers and institutes and is itself involved in several customer and funding projects for innovative food packaging.
Summary coming soon
Summary coming soon
Dr. Sandeep Kulkarni is the founder and President of KoolEarth Solutions Inc., a technical consulting and business development company focused on helping companies develop and commercialize new sustainable packaging solutions as well as to improve the sustainability footprint of existing packaging and to reduce/eliminate packaging waste. He is also VP, Plastics and Packaging at Ubuntoo (www.ubuntoo.com), a unique environmental solutions platform to address plastic waste, plastic litter, food waste, sustainable fashion and so on.
Sandeep has over 20 years of industry experience working for several large packaging companies, such as International Paper, Neenah Paper and Georgia Pacific. Most recently he worked for PepsiCo, in the area of sustainable beverage packaging. His diverse expertise includes recycling, bioplastics, paper based as well as molded fiber packaging. Sandeep has 7 granted patents as well as several publications in industry journals. He has also served on conference advisory boards and has delivered several invited presentations, at international conferences, on the topics of sustainability and sustainable packaging. Sandeep serves as an Adjunct Professor at The Packaging School (a spinoff from Clemson University) as well as the North Carolina State University. Recently he was elected to serve as member of the Executive Committee of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) for 3 year term (2021-2024)
Zack Leimkuehler is the Vice President of the Technical Solutions Business Unit and R&D for Ahlstrom-Munksjö. Zack and the North American team lead product development efforts with a focus on delivering sustainable, value-added solutions for Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s customers around the globe. With a strong presence in specialty papers, the team creates a wealth of opportunities for customization and product improvements to deliver value to customers and in turn, create long-term technical and strategic demand for paper. Zack has been involved with multiple different end-use markets, collaborating with customers and brand owners to build lasting value and sustainability with fiber-based products.
Zack has been with Ahlstrom-Munksjö and its North American legacy businesses for more than 20 years and has held positions in Manufacturing, Marketing, and Product Development. Zack is a Paper Science Engineering Graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.