The packaging sector is buzzing with anticipation as the nominees for the highly prestigious 2026 Women in Packaging Excellence Awards have been officially unveiled, reflecting an unprecedented surge in participation this year. This significant increase in nominations underscores a vibrant and dynamic industry landscape, rich with exceptional talent, dedicated leadership, and profound contributions from both women leaders and their crucial male advocates across the entire packaging ecosystem.
Following the triumphant debut of these awards in 2025, which gathered key industry figures in London to celebrate the pioneering women driving innovation, sustainability imperatives, and transformative change, the 2026 ceremony promises to be an even grander affair. The celebration is scheduled to take place on June 18th at the esteemed Hilton Bankside in London.
All individuals who have been nominated are now formally invited to proceed to the next crucial stage: the submission of a comprehensive entry detailing their achievements and impact. This detailed submission is essential for official consideration by the judging panel for an award in their respective category. The final deadline for submitting these comprehensive entries is set for Friday, February 27, 2026.
Simone Broadhurst, the driving force behind the event as Event Director and Publisher of Packaging News, emphasized the critical importance of visibility and mentorship within the industry. "It is imperative that these influential voices are heard," she stated. "While navigating large corporate structures can often silence individual contributions, it is vital for successful women to establish visible benchmarks. These achievements serve as aspirational targets for the next generation. Furthermore, the active mentoring of emerging female talent is not merely beneficial—it is absolutely crucial for the continued evolution and diversification of this essential industry."
Broadhurst also took the opportunity to announce the esteemed roster of corporate partners lending their support to the awards, highlighting the broad industry backing for gender recognition initiatives. "We are immensely proud to confirm that Smurfit Westrock, recognized globally as one of the largest and most influential packaging corporations, will serve as the Headline Partner for the Women in Packaging Excellence Awards. They will also be sponsoring the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award category. To have such a powerful and respected brand align itself with these awards elevates their prestige significantly."
The commitment from other industry leaders is equally robust. ABP Beef has stepped forward to sponsor the highly competitive Rising Star category, recognizing emerging talent. INCPEN will lend its support by sponsoring the Packaging Leader Award, celebrating established figures demonstrating exceptional strategic direction. Additionally, Ecosurety has been confirmed as a key Supporting Partner. Broadhurst concluded by issuing an open invitation: "We strongly encourage engagement from all corners of the packaging supply chain, including major brands and leading retailers. Our dedicated awards team is readily available to provide guidance and support to any company interested in participating or partnering with this important initiative."
The extensive list of nominees showcases the breadth and depth of expertise spanning various facets of the packaging world, from manufacturing and design to sustainability advocacy and supply chain management. The nominated individuals represent a diverse array of companies, signaling a widespread recognition of merit across the sector.
A Snapshot of the Esteemed 2026 Nominees:
The list of nominees is expansive, representing excellence across numerous organizations:
Leading Manufacturing & Production:
Nominees from key players in material production and conversion include Geraint Bowers, Lisa Cain, Emma Cullen, Julie Elder, Suzy Gedney, Jayanna Hughes, Iryna Luchenko, Kristin Luyten, Gemma Penrose, Cori Pickard, Priti Raval, Natalia Stathopoulou, and Kelly Vernon of Smurfit Westrock, demonstrating the company’s deep pool of talent. Andrea Charlwood, Lee Burdass, Suzanne Byrom, Ellie Clapham, Brooke Clark, Irene Comley, Lisa Creighton, Robyn Hemmings, Yvette Liddell, Bea Maddison, Craig Mason, and Emma Rogers from Cepac are also recognized for their contributions to corrugated solutions. Further representation comes from manufacturers like Carole Bayne (Law Print Packaging), Paula Birch and Carol Clark (Parkside Flexibles), Katy Blyth and Natasha Young (Watershed Packaging), Nikola. Bradburn and Justine Moloney (Zeus Packaging), Rebecca Collier, Sally Dent, Lisa Hewitt, Terri Nelson, Jo Ormrod, and Michaela Van-Noordt (Coveris), and Malgorzata Kabat and Christine Peck-Russell (Facer Printers). Innovators like Alexandra French (Xampla) and Heidi Peltola (Sulapac) are acknowledged alongside Victoria Simeonides and Carys Wooldridge (Tata Steel Europe).
Sustainability and Circular Economy Champions:
The push for a circular economy is strongly represented, with individuals like Jude Allan and Emily Gardiner (OPRL), Alison Appleby, Sonia Drake-Pighini, Louisa Goodfellow (Ecosurety), Vikki Chesterman (WRAP), Adele Fash (WRAP), Emma Wilkinson (WRAP), Helen Clements and Catherine Conway (GoUnpackaged), Jacquie Hanton and Kayli Smith (Friendlier), Natalie Smith (Friendlier), Daphna Nissenbaum (TIPA), Safia Qureshi (Clubzero), Rosie Sharp (Hubbub), Monique Maissan (Waste2Wear), Cathy Morio (The Pallet Loop), and Rachel Watkyn (Tiny Box Company) being nominated for their impact on environmental performance and waste reduction strategies.
Design, Innovation, and Branding Leaders:
Excellence in creating appealing and functional packaging is highlighted by nominees such as Nidhi Agarwal (DesignNbuy), Giulia Angelucci and Caru Hopkins (Transcend Packaging), Suzanne Baldwin (Reelvision Print), Jane Bear (Ferrero), Bharti Pindoria (All Points Fibre), Rachel Buchanan and Amy Gooding (Makemarks), Claire Burnet (Chococo), Rebecca Cusworth and Lisa Skinner (Sun Branding), Lindsay Ferriman and Alice Mayo (Linney), Stephanie Fletcher (Charlotte Tilbury), Gillian Garside-Wight (Aura Consultants), Georgia Glynn-Smith (Glynnsmith), Magda Grabowska (Facer Printers), Kitty Lai (Mebranddesign), Leigh Mann (Piroto Labelling), Paula Pozza (Studio Zak), Rachael Sawtell (Planglow), Sneh Sheth (Thedesignpeople), Mamta Singhal (Pulpex), Dhruvi Thakkar (Sleeve Office), Clare Tomalin (Transcend Packaging), Jo Wass (Madeby Classic), Emilia Webb (Aura Consultants), and Rachel Wray (Nandos).
Supply Chain and Operations Expertise:
Critical roles in logistics, procurement, and operational efficiency are recognized through nominees including Tracy Apps and Sophy Cox (Bunzl), Lauren Atkinson (IFCO), Amira Aluar and Birgit Hösch (MM Group), Casey Cambridge and Monika Gajewska (Culina Group), Joanne Burr (Springfield Solutions), Naomi Carlin (Biffa), Virginie Celli (Sabert), Jessica Cook (Label Solutions), Liann Cutts (Weedon Group), Eva De La Torre (Corplex), Fiona Dempster (PG Paper), Joana Domingues and Dália Moreira (Sogrape), Jayne Frodsham (Enviropax), Jaime Fleming (Cask), Joyce Friedrich-Phung (Proampac), Natércia Garrido (Silvex), Marta George, Cliona Keating, Jamie Losty, Deirdre O’Reilly, Colette Sheehan (Kerry), Nicola Gordon and Hannah Holding (Boxmart), Alison Hobson (Justpeel), Samantha Hocker (Roberts Mart), Lara Hodgson (Bunzl), Uli Hosse (Micvac), Andrea Jex and Siobhan Parks (Hilton Food Group), Dany Jammal and Kate Loosmore (Valpak), Andrea Jex (Hilton Food Group), Nikola Juhasz (Sun Chemical), Mandy Kelly (Ace UK), Marian Keogh (Showcase Creative), Jo Kershaw (Antalis), Ton Knipscheer (ThePackHub), Vlad Kolesnik, Natalia Kovtiukh, Evgenia Krynina, Volodymyr Kudriashov, Olena Kudriashova, Victoriya Litvinchuk (Univest), Jessica Lowther (Primark), Shezmin Madhani (Bunzl), Denise Mathieson and Raquel Sanchez (Loadhog), Melanie May and Erin McMahon Ansell (Go-Pak Group), Sarah McManus (Bakkavor), Ann Mesher-Smith (Amazon), Laura Milillo and Camilla Young (GS1 UK), Nicki Harris (Peli Biothermal), Helen Nickells (ABP UK), Becky O’Connor (Zeus Packaging), Skye Oudemans (Sonoco), Tia Salt (Saica), Isabel Santos (Sogrape), Katherine Shaw and Liz Walters (Bunzl), Lucy Shepherd (Warburtons), James Skidmore, Lorraine Wilson (Valpak), Hayley Slack (Little Coffee Cup), Eva Soares (Pont Packaging), Linzi Sorensen (Culina Group), Vicky Stacey (Facer printers), Meg Styles (Halfords), Sharon Todd (Ardagh Group), Brodie Vander Dussen (Veritiv), Bebiana Velosa (Westpak Group), Dana Voges (SEA ME), Sarah Walker (Iceland), Jessica Walklett (Unilever), Ann-Marie Warrender (Bunzl), Victoria Whyley (Aldi), and Rachel Wray (Nandos).
Cross-Sector Influence and Leadership:
The nominations also recognize influential figures from adjacent sectors and regulatory bodies, including Natalia Agathou (L’Oréal), Jess Ainley (Danone), Sarah Badesha (Pernod Ricard), Natasha Bamford and Maria Bernabe (Premier Foods), Erica Bhasin (Rangoon), Kathryn Birch (Bidfood), Alison Bramfitt (Nestlé), Gaynor Bray (Aura Consultants), Sophie Bullen Brown (Watershed Packaging), Virginie Celli (Sabert), Sophie Christie and Caroline Kelly (Tesco), Debbie Clements (MPMA), Eimear Collins (Proampac), Sophy Cox (Bunzl), Dominika Czyzo (Pont Packaging), Nick Davies (Seda International Packaging Group), Fiona Dobson (Asda), Amy Draycott (Premier Foods), Isobel Duignan (Nestlé), Lorna Eddy (Danish Crown), Cara Edgar (AG Barr), Laura Fernandez (Ocado Retail), Helen Fenwick (Unilever), Jayne Fisher (Seaways Services), Hannah Feiner (Pepsico), Monika Gajewska (Culina Group), Gemma Gascoyne (ALDI), Carolina Gregorio (Dow), Viktorija Griziene (RETAL Baltic Films), Poonam Gupta (PG Paper), Marjo Halonen (Metsä Board), Corinne Held (Proampac), Lisa Hewitt (Coveris), Chandrika Hillman (Chandrika Thomas), Seija Hiltunen (Brandid), Lara Hodgson (Bunzl), Claire Hughes (Me), Suzana IvÅ¡ac Munjas (Molvik), Neha Jain (Zerocircle), Lyndsey James-Williams (PG Paper), Nikola Juhasz (Sun Chemical), Malgorzata Kabat (The Cardboard Box Company), Cliona Keating (Kerry), Ton Knipscheer (ThePackHub), Sarswati Koul (Neptune Nanotechnologies), Sarah Kroon (Aura Consultants), Hannah Langford (Woodway UK), Greg Lawson (Aura Consultants), Huong Li Pham (Bunzl), Jessica Lowther (Primark), Bea Maddison (Cepac), Denise Mathieson (Waitrose), Rachel McEvoy (CTPA), Helen McFarlane (McDonald’s), Helen Mcgeough (ICIS), Holly McIntyre (PG Paper), Laura Milillo (GS1 UK), Dália Moreira (Sogrape), Kirsty Mumford (Pont Packaging), Bee Murai (Cepac), Christine Nichols (Smurfit Westrock), Kirsty Nicholson (Glencairn), Deirdre O’Reilly (Kerry), Claudia Rasouri (Ocado Retail), Amy Redmond (Transcend Packaging), Emily Rempel (Fine Print), Hannah Richards (Valpak), Tais Santos (Nestlé), Rachael Sawtell (Planglow), Zahra Sheikh (Premier Foods), Victoria Simeonides (Tata Steel Europe), Natalie Smith (Friendlier), Eva Soares (Pont Packaging), Rachel Stanton (Nestlé), Holly Tasker (Nestlé), Sema Tezel Basbug (Easyfairs), Sharon Todd (Ardagh Group), Olivia Tomlinson (Nestlé), Katja Tuomola Tuomola (MM Group), Bebiana Velosa (Westpak Group), Dana Voges (SEA ME), Jessica Walklett (Unilever), Nikki Waltham (Culina Group), Clover Walton (Faerch), Ann-Marie Warrender (Bunzl), Ella Waterhouse (Aldi), Charlotte Wenman (Ahl), Louise Wheatley (Premier Foods), Adrienne Wheeler (Go-Pak Group), Tracie White (Premier Labellers), Rebecca Whittle (Premier Foods), Emma Wilkinson (WRAP), Monika Williams (ABP Beef), Elaine Wilson (Board24), Lois Wilson (Facer Printers), Victoria Wood (Woodway UK), Camilla Young (GS1 UK), and Barbara Zukrowska (Peli BioThermal).
The depth of the nominee pool, covering every segment from raw material sourcing and advanced manufacturing to brand guardianship and legislative compliance, underscores a sector actively promoting and celebrating its leading female talent as it navigates complex challenges toward a more sustainable and innovative future.