Dow's Packaging Innovation Awards once again includes an independent judging panel of packaging professionals representing major brands, converters, OEMs, media and industry associations. The 14 judges represent a global perspective across the fields of design, engineering, retail, converting and academia, from organizations including Amazon, Bemis, Mintel, P&G and others.

The judges will come together in Houston in May to draw on their experience and industry insights to select the winners of this year’s awards. The judging panel evaluates each entry based on the criteria of Technological Advancement, Responsible Packaging and Enhanced User Experience and selects winners based on the total scores.

This year’s judges are:

• Lead judge David Luttenberger, global packaging director, Mintel
• Philippe Blank, head of Innovation & Sustainability, Henkel
• Aparecido Borghi, senior business manager of Packaging and Supply Chain, Daymon Latam
• Olaf Clemens, President & CEO, SN Maschinenbau GmbH
• Scott Fisher, design director, Blue Clover Studios, powered by Berry Global
• Eileen Franer, section head of Global Oral Care Packaging, P&G
• Nina Goodrich, director, Sustainable Packaging Coalition and executive director of GreenBlue
• Kim Houchens, worldwide director of Customer Packaging Experience, Amazon
• Qiang Lu, vice president, R&D Asia Pacific, Bemis
• Claire Sarantopoulos, senior scientist, Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos (ITAL)
• Gisela Schulzinger, president, Brazilian Packaging Association (ABRE)
• Tim Sykes, Head of Content, Packaging Europe
• Marzban Thanevala, senior vice president for Innovation, Business Development and Marketing, Huhtamaki-PPL
• Frank Wang, packaging R&D director, Mengniu Dairy

“This year’s panel of judges represents the entire packaging industry which allows them to recognize the most innovative packaging that is commercially available today,” said Marco Amici, global marketing leader, Dow Pack Studios and Packaging Innovation Awards leader. “The panel operates completely independently, which allows the truly innovative packaging to rise to the top and be recognized regardless of the company that submitted the entry, the country where it was developed or the material that is used.”

This is Dow’s second year sponsoring the independent awards program that brings together the most innovative packaging the world has to offer, carrying on the tradition started by DuPont more than 30 years ago.

Visit www.DowPackagingAwards.com to learn more.