{"id":9601,"date":"2025-10-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=9601"},"modified":"2025-10-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T04:00:00","slug":"women-in-packaging-seizing-opportunities-pushing-boundaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=9601","title":{"rendered":"Women in Packaging: Seizing Opportunities, Pushing Boundaries"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div wp_automatic_readability=\"99.237421383648\"><!--- Back to Top for long articles ----><br \/>\n<button onclick=\"topFunction()\" id=\"TopBtn\" title=\"Go to top\">Top<\/button><\/p>\n<link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\"\/>\n<link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\"\/>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Nunito+Sans:ital,opsz,wght@0,6..12,200..1000;1,6..12,200..1000&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/ext\/resources\/css\/PS-articles.css\"\/>\n<style><![CDATA[<![CDATA[<![CDATA[<![CDATA[\n\t.profilename {\n\t\ttext-transform: uppercase;\n\t}\n\t\n\t.circle {\n\t\twidth: 300px; height: 300px; border: 5px solid #E9F6FF; border-radius: 50%; margin: 0px auto 3px auto; box-shadow: 0 4px 8px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2), 0 6px 20px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.19);\n\t}\n\t\n\t.column4 {\n\t\tflex: 25%; padding: 5px; text-align: left;\n\t}\n\t\n\t@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {\n\t\t.circle {\n\t\t\twidth: 250px; height: 250px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 3px;\n\t\t}\n\t\t.column {\n\t\t\tflex: 100%; max-width: 100%; margin: 5px;\n\t\t}\n\t\t.column4 {\n\t\t\tflex: 100%; max-width: 100%; margin: 5px;\n\t\t}\n\t}\n\t\n\t.profileBtn {\n\t\tbackground-color: #293335; border-radius: 100px; box-shadow: rgba(241, 250, 255, .2) 0 -25px 18px -14px inset, rgba(241, 250, 255, .15) 0 1px 2px, rgba(241, 250, 255, .15) 0 2px 4px, rgba(241, 250, 255, .15) 0 4px 8px, rgba(241, 250, 255, .15) 0 8px 16px, rgba(241, 250, 255, .15) 0 16px 32px; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-family: CerebriSans-Regular, -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, sans-serif; padding: 7px 20px; margin-top: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; transition: all 250ms; border: 0; font-size: 16px; user-select: none; -webkit-user-select: none; touch-action: manipulation; text-transform: uppercase; margin-top: 5px;\n\t}\n\t\n\t.profileBtn:hover {\n\t\tbox-shadow: rgba(241, 250, 255, .35) 0 -25px 18px -14px inset, rgba(241, 250, 255, .25) 0 1px 2px, rgba(241, 250, 255, .25) 0 2px 4px, rgba(241, 250, 255, .25) 0 4px 8px, rgba(241, 250, 255, .25) 0 8px 16px, rgba(241, 250, 255, .25) 0 16px 32px; transform: scale(1.05) rotate(0deg);\n\t}\n\t\n\t.profilecontainer {\n\t\tbackground-color: #f1faff; padding: 20px;\n\t}\n\t\n\t.align {\n\t\tdisplay: flex; align-items: center; float: right;\n\t}\n\t\n\t.align span {\n\t\tpadding: 10px;\n\t}\n\n]]]]]]]]><![CDATA[><![CDATA[><![CDATA[>]]]]]]><![CDATA[><![CDATA[>]]]]><![CDATA[>]]><\/style>\n<p>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\u2019t long before we identified a common thread that led us to this year\u2019s theme: <em>Seizing Opportunities, Pushing Boundaries<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#DeniseLu\"><strong>Denise Lu, Vice President of Global Packaging Coatings at PPG<\/strong><\/a>, put it in a nutshell when she offered her advice to young women starting a career in packaging: &#8220;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.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Lu\u2019s advice hits the nail on the head when it comes to explaining the success of this year\u2019s featured professionals.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#SabrinaMacDonald\"><strong>Sabrina MacDonald<\/strong><\/a>, currently <strong>Innovation Project Manager at Saica Pack<\/strong>, knew nothing about corrugated packaging or boxes when she joined the company.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019t return after her leave, Sabrina picked up her role as part of her job.<\/p>\n<p>Like Sabrina, <a href=\"#NancyColbertMacDougall\"><strong>Nancy Colbert MacDougall, CEO at Colbert Packaging<\/strong><\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;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,&#8221; Colbert MacDougall notes. &#8220;To learn more about the business, I visited other folding carton companies, paper mills, and industry conferences.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s Business Enterprise (WBE) company through the Women\u2019s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation\u2019s leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe 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,\u201d Colbert MacDougall notes.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more about the drive and determination that led to the highly successful careers of this year\u2019s Women in Packaging, and find out what advice these outstanding professionals have for young women considering entering the industry.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"profiles\"\/><br \/>\n<!--- Begin profiles ---><\/p>\n<hr style=\"border: 3px dotted #f1faff;\"\/>\n<figure class=\"row\">\n<figure class=\"column\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h3 class=\"profilename\">Melissa Bosnyak<\/h3>\n<h4>Product Manager<br \/>\n<br \/>Videojet Technologies<\/h4>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/articles\/105088-stem-in-the-spotlight-dana-austin-iwk-north-america-general-manager\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: none;\" target=\"_parent\"><br \/>\n<button class=\"profileBtn\">Read Profile<\/button><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"column\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<a name=\"DeniseLu\"\/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"profilename\">Denise Lu<\/h3>\n<h4>Vice President<br \/>\n<br \/>PPG<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/ext\/resources\/ISSUES\/2025\/10-October\/Features\/Women-in-Packaging\/DeniseLu-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Denise Lu\" class=\"circle\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/articles\/105089-stem-in-the-spotlight-jessica-fischer-parts-and-service-manager-omv-technologies-usa\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: none;\" target=\"_parent\"><br \/>\n<button class=\"profileBtn\">Read Profile<\/button><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<hr style=\"border: 3px dotted #f1faff;\"\/>\n<figure class=\"row\">\n<figure class=\"column\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<a name=\"SabrinaMacDonald\"\/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"profilename\">Sabrina MacDonald<\/h3>\n<h4>Innovation Project Manager<br \/>\n<br \/>Saica Pack<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/ext\/resources\/ISSUES\/2025\/10-October\/Features\/Women-in-Packaging\/SabrinaMacDonald-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sabrina MacDonald\" class=\"circle\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/articles\/105090-stem-in-the-spotlight-babitha-george-portfolio-manager-for-packaging-solutions-tetra-pak-us-and-canada\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: none;\" target=\"_parent\"><br \/>\n<button class=\"profileBtn\">Read Profile<\/button><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"column\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<a name=\"NancyColbertMacDougall\"\/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"profilename\">Nancy MacDougall<\/h3>\n<h4>CEO<br \/>\n<br \/>Colbert Packaging<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/ext\/resources\/ISSUES\/2025\/10-October\/Features\/Women-in-Packaging\/NancyColbertMacDougall-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Nancy Colbert MacDougall\" class=\"circle\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/articles\/106009-women-in-packaging-nancy-colbert-macdougall-ceo-colbert-packaging\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: none;\" target=\"_parent\"><br \/>\n<button class=\"profileBtn\">Read Profile<\/button><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<hr style=\"border: 3px dotted #f1faff;\"\/>\n<figure class=\"row\">\n<figure class=\"column\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h3 class=\"profilename\">Sarah Marshall<\/h3>\n<h4>Interim Senior VP<br \/>\n<br \/>NOVA Chemicals<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/ext\/resources\/ISSUES\/2025\/10-October\/Features\/Women-in-Packaging\/SarahMarshall-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sarah Marshall\" class=\"circle\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/articles\/105094-stem-in-the-spotlight-amy-mercante-general-manager-of-specialty-products-ppg\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: none;\" target=\"_parent\"><br \/>\n<button class=\"profileBtn\">Read Profile<\/button><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"column\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h3 class=\"profilename\">Elizabeth Rhue<\/h3>\n<h4>Vice President and GM<br \/>\n<br \/>Sonoco North America<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/ext\/resources\/ISSUES\/2025\/10-October\/Features\/Women-in-Packaging\/ElizabethRhue-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Elizabeth Rhue\" class=\"circle\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/articles\/105095-stem-in-the-spotlight-amy-phinney-market-manager-nova-chemicals\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: none;\" target=\"_parent\"><br \/>\n<button class=\"profileBtn\">Read Profile<\/button><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<hr style=\"border: 3px dotted #f1faff;\"\/>\n<figure class=\"row\">\n<figure class=\"column\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h3 class=\"profilename\">Ayla Wolk<\/h3>\n<h4>Business and Design Manager<br \/>\n<br \/>Veritiv<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/ext\/resources\/ISSUES\/2025\/10-October\/Features\/Women-in-Packaging\/AylaWolk-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Ayla Wolk\" class=\"circle\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/ext\/resources\/ISSUES\/2025\/10-October\/Features\/Women-in-Packaging\/AylaWolk-300x300.jpg\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: none;\" target=\"_parent\"><br \/>\n<button class=\"profileBtn\">Read Profile<\/button><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.packagingstrategies.com\/articles\/106008-women-in-packaging-seizing-opportunities-pushing-boundaries\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Top 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\u2019t long before we identified a common thread that led us to this year\u2019s theme: Seizing Opportunities, Pushing Boundaries. Denise Lu, Vice President [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":9602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[884,186,1488,1490],"class_list":["post-9601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-packaging-news","tag-packaging-innovations","tag-sustainable-packaging","tag-women-in-packaging","tag-women-leaders"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}