FINAT’s president Kurt Walker has been chosen as the recipient of the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Label Industry Global Awards.
The R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award, is bestowed upon an individual who has made a substantial and key contribution to the label industry over a minimum of 25 years.
After graduating from university, Mr Walker entered the printing industry where he has held various positions in sales and marketing. In 1988 he joined the label industry and acted, until his retirement in 2012, as CEO of tesa Bandfix in Switzerland. He became a member of the FINAT board in 1999 and has also served as vice-president, membership committee member and treasurer before being appointed president of the worldwide association for the self-adhesive labelling industry in 2011.
A significant supporter of the L7, now L9, Mr Walker has been instrumental in helping grow the alliance’s profile and importance, whilst also helping secure and ensure the on going success of FINAT’s Young Managers Club. Mr Walker joins the ranks of eminent and distinguished past winners including: Suzanne Zaccone of GSI Technologies, Tomas Rink of Ritrama, RotoMetric’s Steve Lee, Helmut Schreiner, Nilpeter’s Lars Eriksen and FLEXcon’s Neil McDonough.
Mike Fairley, chair of the judges explained, ‘Kurt Walker was the unanimous choice of the judging panel. His impressive long-term industry pedigree as CEO of tesa Bandfix, as well as terms as treasurer, vice-president and president of FINAT – where he encouraged and built global links and supported the establishment and growth of the highly successful Young Managers Club – made him the stand-out choice for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. We look forward to honoring Kurt and the other winners in person at the awards ceremony in September.’
