Chris Ellison has been elected as president of FINAT
Chris Ellison, managing director of OPM (Labels & Packaging) Group has been elected to the position of president of FINAT, the European labelling association based in The Netherlands.
‘It’s a massive honour, to be elected president’, he said. Replacing outgoing president Thomas Hagmaier, managing director, Hagmaier Etiketten, Mr Ellison has over 30 years’ experience in the industry, and a strong personal history of business development and innovation to contribute to his new role. He will be supported by newly-elected vice president Francesc Egea of IPE Innovaciones.
FINAT’s activity base has magnified in line with the industry the association serves, is today committed to offering state-of-the-art support to its members, who represent the whole supply chain. As Mr Ellison said, ‘Packaging and labelling production is one of the most sustainable industries of all, because it continually replenishes itself – always reflecting changing market needs and fashion trends in a youthful way. That’s why I’m particularly passionate about FINAT’s current focus on recruiting young people into the business. As the founders of the original small, often family-owned, label companies are now beginning to take retirement, we’re facing a real skills shortage that we need to address right now. I know this is a great industry to work in – lively, challenging, and rewarding! – and I’m keen to promote it as the attractive career proposition it is, but I’m also well aware that today we’re competing with many other seductive ‘techno’ options, so it’s a top agenda item for me to have FINAT promote the labels and printed packaging production sector as a clean, lean career choice today.’
At his own local level, Chris Ellison is committed to establishing a stronger link for FINAT with the UK’s BPIF Labels, ‘In view of the possible implications of Brexit’, he said. His role as FINAT president will also involve participation in the major international events and features of the label industry calendar – including Labelexpo in Brussels in September and the annual FINAT European Label Forum – and, at an even broader international level, leadership of the L9 – the association of nine national label associations around the world.
‘I believe FINAT can really help us change – how we should be thinking, in terms of adding value, technology, recruiting young people. Supporting the label industry national associations, FINAT underlines the international nature of our industry now, which today features a very complex remit – so we have to be as mobile as we possibly can… Fast forward: that’s the main agenda I’ll be addressing during my presidency.’
