Expert Details
Packaging Engineering & Design, CPG Packaging Commercial Excellence, Packaging Sustainability & Cost Reduction
ID: 740758
Wisconsin, USA
Expert's career spans senior packaging engineering, director-level, and consulting roles across food and beverage, automotive components, cosmetics, and industrial printing industries. Expert has led global packaging programs with multimillion-dollar budgets, managed cross-functional and multi-site teams, and driven substantial cost savings and revenue growth through sustainable packaging redesign, automation, and supply chain optimization. Notable achievements include increasing labeling production line output and speeds, reducing packaging material and freight costs through redesign initiatives, and pioneering new product packaging launches from concept through commercialization.
Prior to specializing in packaging engineering, Expert also held sales and marketing leadership roles within the packaging and printing industry, managing large sales teams and budgets while driving revenue growth. Expert also operated an independent packaging consultancy for several years, providing tailored packaging strategy, cost reduction, and sustainability consulting services to clients across multiple industries. Expert has broad international business experience across Latin America, Turkey, Eastern Europe, and Canada, and deep technical proficiency in CAD/3D modeling, StageGate product development processes, and packaging testing methodologies.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1984 | Degree: BA | Subject: Business Management & Administration | Institution: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee |
| Year: 1986 | Degree: Associates | Subject: Packaging Science | Institution: Milwaukee Area Technical College |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2025 to 2025 | Employer: Generac Power Systems | Title: Sr. Packaging Engineer | Department: Engineering |
Responsibilities:• Serves as a key contributor enhancing packaging programs and inner-plant stock transfer processes, focusing on packaging efficiency, logistics optimization, and material waste/cost reduction.• Strengthened supplier relationships to improve cost efficiency, quality, and alignment with sustainability and diversity initiatives. • Led critical packaging transfer programs and enhanced collaboration between packaging procurement and engineering teams. • Monitored and analyzed category packaging performance metrics to identify optimization opportunities. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2022 to 2024 | Employer: Good Foods Group, LLC | Title: Director of Global Packaging | Department: Purchasing |
Responsibilities:• Oversaw all aspects of product packaging and new packaging solution development, setting portfolio direction aligned with business and customer needs; managed 1 direct report and a global $19M packaging spend, including co-manufacturing outsourcing.• Implemented packaging standards improving cGMP, SQF, and HACCP compliance by 20%. • Led cold-chain package design innovation from concept to launch within a stage-gate development process. • Increased labeling production line output by 22% through automation and increased production line speeds by 42%, contributing $733K in additional annual revenue. • Pioneered the packaging program for a cosmetics skincare product launch. • Achieved $640K in packaging cost savings, surpassing KPI targets by 23%. • Reduced minimum order quantity from 850K to 10K units, cutting air freight costs by $30K per shipment. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2021 to 2022 | Employer: Northern Engraving Company | Title: Senior Packaging Engineer & Continuous Improvement Specialist | Department: Engineering |
Responsibilities:• Directed primary and secondary packaging strategies for cost reduction and process improvement across the U.S. and Mexico; managed an $18M packaging budget and 12 direct reports.• Led sustainable package design initiatives, eliminating expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam for $160K in annual savings. • Formulated capital plans improving equipment downtime by 30%. • Redesigned aluminum sheet cartons, achieving 38.73% cost savings on materials, freight, and ergonomic expenses. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2014 to 2021 | Employer: Cain Design | Title: Owner | Department: Engineering |
Responsibilities:• Provided bespoke packaging consultancy services from new product development through launch, covering primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging optimization, cost reduction, and sustainability.• Delivered over $630K in annual client savings through SKU rationalization and labor cost reductions, and $500K through packaging quality and cGMP compliance improvements. • Delivered $440K in savings by restructuring a client's packaging supplier contract. • Directed all phases of product development for a client, managing packaging spend growth from $2.5M to $110M. • Decreased a client's non-compliance incidents by 40% annually through improved design and QA standards. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2012 to 2014 | Employer: International Paper | Title: Regional Sales & Marketing Manager | Department: Management |
Responsibilities:• Led a sales team and engineers in developing and executing strategic plans exceeding sales targets; managed a $12M budget and 16 direct reports.• Increased top-line revenue by 22% through strategic customer engagement and developed a comprehensive sales plan improving retail display effectiveness. • Maintained profitability during a company-wide price increase and was recognized by senior management for revenue growth contributions. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| • Member, Packaging Coalition Council • Member, Institute of Packaging Professional • Member, Packaging Consultants Council |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| • Certified; Member, Packaging Coalition Council • International Automotive Task Force (IATF) 1649 |
Fields of Expertise
abrasion-resistant coating material, abrasion resistance, aluminum packaging, beverage packaging, bottle packaging, blister packaging process, consumer product packaging, flexible packaging film, electronic packaging, food packaging material, can packaging, cosmetic packaging, corrugated packaging material, food packaging plastic, distribution packaging material, food service packaging, industrial packaging, beverage packaging process, dairy product packaging material, cold seal packaging process