Women in Packaging: Seizing Opportunities, Pushing Boundaries

With the professionals featured in our annual Women in Packaging story bringing so many different backgrounds and experiences to the table, deciding upon an overarching theme can seem daunting. However, it wasn’t long before we identified a common thread that led us to this year’s theme: Seizing Opportunities, Pushing Boundaries.

Denise Lu, Vice President of Global Packaging Coatings at PPG, put it in a nutshell when she offered her advice to young women starting a career in packaging: “Think big and start small. Go beyond the boundaries of your job description and look for opportunities to learn across functions. Ask for new challenges. Stay curious, agile and willing to step outside your comfort zone. Those qualities open doors to unexpected opportunities.”

Lu’s advice hits the nail on the head when it comes to explaining the success of this year’s featured professionals.

Sabrina MacDonald, currently Innovation Project Manager at Saica Pack, knew nothing about corrugated packaging or boxes when she joined the company.

After two years, Sabrina became a fully-fledged National Development Centre (NDC) designer at Saica Pack and set about learning as much as possible when she had time, such as shadowing the creative team and taking over the maternity cover role of a lab technician. When the lab technician didn’t return after her leave, Sabrina picked up her role as part of her job.

Like Sabrina, Nancy Colbert MacDougall, CEO at Colbert Packaging, was relentless in learning whatever she could during her early days in the industry. Colbert Packaging was founded by her father, Charles (Bud) Colbert, in 1959.

“At that time, more women were entering the workforce while also raising families, but when I joined Colbert, I was one of very few women working in the folding carton industry,” Colbert MacDougall notes. “To learn more about the business, I visited other folding carton companies, paper mills, and industry conferences.”

Although Colbert Packaging has been women-owned and operated for more than one-third of its 66-year history, the company in 2024 took the required steps to become a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) company through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women.

“We found that many customers sought to include this supplier designation as part of their sustainability program, so we believe this certification will have a meaningful impact upon the future of our business, and benefit our employees, customers, and suppliers,” Colbert MacDougall notes.

Learn more about the drive and determination that led to the highly successful careers of this year’s Women in Packaging, and find out what advice these outstanding professionals have for young women considering entering the industry.