PPEC Celebrates (CONT’D FROM PAGE 30)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
interruptions due to tariffs, I would say cost is now the fore- most concern. Q. You’re active with U.S. industry associations such as the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), while As- tro’s founder, Charles, is involved on the Canadian side with PPEC. From your perspective, what role do indus- try associations play in helping the industry navigate change and represent its environmental interests? With information and regulatory updates coming around the clock, it would take an inordinate amount of time for a business to keep up. When you have industry-specific re- sources like PPEC in Canada and PPC in the U.S. – who are dedicated to keeping tabs on new information, sum- marizing it, and telling you how it affects your industry – you can focus on running your business and pivoting as needed. Another great feature of industry associations is easy access to data and trends. Sustainability is measured in tangible metrics. When dealing with customers and their sustainability teams, your facts must be up to date – which is especially important when your paper-based offering is being pitted against another substrate. Q. The packaging and manufacturing sectors have traditionally been male-dominated. As a woman in a senior operations role, how have you seen the industry change over time? Recently, I was listening to a former CEO of a large folding carton company in California speak about the challenges of being the only woman in the room for many years both at industry events and the C-Suite level of her family’s business. When I recall being at early industry as- sociation meetings myself, I was one of maybe a dozen women in the room. When I look around now, I see wom- en of all ages in leadership roles, as emerging leaders in their family companies and as seasoned owners. I’m also pleased to share that women make up half of our manage- ment team. We have come a long way, but I would love to see more women getting into the trades and becoming operators. Q. What advice would you give to women interest- ed in pursuing leadership roles and/or sustainability-fo- cused careers within the packaging industry? To put it succinctly, don’t stay in your lane and ask questions! I started my journey at Astro in marketing, but when the chance to learn CAD (Computer-Aided Design) came up, I volunteered and began designing and cutting samples for customers. During this process, I spent time on the shopfloor observing and talking to operators about what our equipment was capable of and how small design tweaks could improve efficiencies. I leaned on vendors to learn about new substrates and coatings and ran trials to see how they behaved in real time. All these experienc- es developed my knowledge base and prepared me to become a next generation leader – and it all happened because I ventured out of my comfort zone and stayed curious!
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32 March 16, 2026
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