Paris Packaging Week has announced the winners of its first ‘Future Leaders’ programme, a group of young professionals from across the packaging sector who embody the industry’s newest generation.

The Class of 2024 includes representatives from packaging manufacturers, design agencies, and brands, as well as a mix of start-ups and well-established businesses, from France, UK, South Africa, USA and the Netherlands:

- Maria Baranova, CSR Project Leader at French beauty packaging specialist Albéa.
- Manush Barvar, Co-Founder of Brauzz. BV, the Belgium-based refillable cleaning product innovator.
- Clémence Droit, Development Project Manager (Design Office) at French beauty packaging manufacturer Qualipac (Pochet Group).
- Léa Egger, CEO, and Julie Zimmerman, COO of Parisian cosmetics brand Pardi.
- Laurine Friche, Material Science Expert at Albéa.
- Hector Odendaal, Project Manager at South African packaging manufacturer Bowler Plastics.
- Petros Palandijan, Founder & CEO of innovative refill service Good Filling LLC from the USA.
- Tiffany Schollmeyer, CEO at TICO and co-founder of French skincare brand BYE.
- Anna Jayne Withey, Midweight Creative Designer at Tangle Teezer, the British hair brush manufacturer.
- Peipei Yang, Product Stewardship Analyst at Trivium Packaging, the global metal packaging group.

The group of passionate packaging influencers and entrepreneurs was selected from more than 40 nominations, by a panel of three design and innovation experts in the premium and luxury packaging sector: Emmanuelle Bonardi, Director of Operations at AmorePacific; Thierry de Baschmakoff, founder of the De Baschmakoff design agency; and Gérald Martines, founder of innovation consultancy In-Signes. The judges convened in Paris in early September at a meeting hosted by the luxury packaging supplier Jujin New York to decide the ten winners.

In a context where the recruitment and retention of young talents is a crucial issue for brands and manufacturers, this program is also a way to promote and showcase the work of these professionals.

The Future Leaders will participate in panel discussions at the upcoming Paris Packaging Week on January 17 & 18, 2024, sharing their vision of the future direction of the sector and today’s challenges that they aim to overcome.

Paris Packaging Week features four jointly held exhibitions focused on packaging innovation: ADF for aerosols and dispensing systems; PCD for the perfume, cosmetics and personal care markets; PLD for the premium and luxury drinks markets; and Packaging Première for luxury products such as fashion, watches and jewellery, homewares, fine food and confectionery.