Keynote Speakers Announced for TAPPI’s 2024 FlexPack PLACE Conference

(ATLANTA) December 4, 2023 – TAPPI’s International Flexible Packaging & Extrusion Division (IFPED) has announced three prominent industry keynote speakers for its 2024 conference being held April 14-17, 2024 in San Diego, CA:

• Eric Klingenberg, Ph.D., Material Science Program Lead, Mars Advanced Research Institute (MARI), “Flexible Packaging – Approaches to Improve Recycling and the Role for Compostables;”
• William (Bill) Jackson, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Amcor Global Flexibles

“The Role of R&D in Driving Product Sustainability and Profitable Growth;” and

• Alison Keane, Esq., CAE, President and CEO of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), “The State of the Flexible Packaging Industry”

The TAPPI FlexPack PLACE Conference is a biennial event that brings together the entire supply chain, and serves all key industry sectors, including food & beverage, consumer packaged goods, cosmetics, pharma, retail, industrial and more. Registration for the Conference is now open.

As the head of materials science for MARI, Klingenberg focuses on leading the development of new sustainable packaging designs and materials, and supporting the development of infrastructure for recycling packaging materials. He works closely with the Mars business segments and is actively engaged with material suppliers and recycling organizations to provoke long-term innovation breakthroughs and transformations in sustainable plastics packaging.

Klingenberg also serves as a lead in the Closed Loop Composting Consortium, is a member of the U.S. Plastics Pact compostable working group, serves as a co-chair of the Sustainable Plastics Coalition Composting working group, and is on the leadership council of the U.S. Composting consortium. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Pennsylvania State University and a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Biology from Geneva College.

Prior to Amcor, Jackson served as Bemis Company’s Senior Vice President and Global Chief Technology Officer from 2013-2019. He also spent five years with Dow Chemical as Vice President of Global R&D for Dow Building and Construction. Before Dow, he spent 16 years at General Electric with leadership roles in GE Plastics, GE Lighting, GE Consumer & Industrial, and GE Corporate as well as two years with Shell Oil Company. Jackson is currently serving as Chair of FPA’s Board of Directors. He has served on the Cornerstone Building Brands Board of Directors and also served as Chair of the US Industrial Advisory Board to the Department of Energy US/China Clean Energy Research Center. 

Jackson received his Bachelor of Arts from the College of Wooster (Ohio) and received his Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University. He currently holds five U.S. patents and has published over 40 papers in international journals.

Before her current role at FPA, Keane previously served as counsel and then vice president of government affairs and industry programs with the American Coatings Association. In addition, she has been an environmental attorney with experience in the association and government sectors. Keane has also held a position within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Maryland State Senate. She received her B.A. from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in Marine Biology, and J.D. from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

To register and learn more about the 2024 Conference visit events.tappiflexible.org or contact IFPE Division Manager Mary Beth Cornell by email or by phone at 404-510-0696.

About TAPPI IFPED
TAPPI’s International Flexible Packaging & Extrusion Division (IFPED) continuously strives to provide highly-valued education, innovations, and technical advancements to the Flexible Films and Laminates industry. IFPED provides forums for presentation and discussion of relevant and leading-edge topics, in addition to networking opportunities and mentoring programs to ensure best practices and technology transfer across our industry’s entire supply chain. Learn more on the Division’s website.