Performance Specialist

Paris Packaging Week unveils Future Leaders Class of 2027. A coatings chemist developing alternatives for personal care packaging, a designer behind a Maison Margiela collector's box and an entrepreneur championing refurbished machinery are among ten young professionals named in Paris Packaging Week's Future Leaders Class of 2027. Representing businesses across Europe, Africa and North America, the ten selected professionals will be celebrated at Paris Packaging Week on 3 & 4 February 2027 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. Their achievements span materials development, luxury design, manufacturing and entrepreneurship. Future Leaders is Paris Packaging Week's flagship programme for emerging talent, recognising ten young professionals each year for their achievements, potential and contribution to the packaging industry. Meet the Future Leaders Class of 2027 The ten selected professionals are: * Romain Vanwijnsberghe, Business Development, Cosmetics Atelier, Belgium * Rania Elqadah, Packaging Designer, IDP Direct, United States * Anja Macan, CMO, Macan, Croatia * Rica Hakim, Product Development Chemist, PPG Industries, Germany * Eugénie Rovere, President, MATCHY MATCHA, France * Dhruvi Thakkar, Founder & Lead Packaging Designer, Sleeve Office Ltd, United Kingdom * Tendresse Lokole, Managing Director, MMB, Democratic Republic of the Congo * Eloise Masquelier, Material Science Expert, Albéa, France * Rawy José Baranco, Sales Manager, Mach4Food, Netherlands * Mandana Vahedi, Product Development Manager, Planet B BV, Belgium A new generation delivering results From developing new materials and bringing packaging concepts to market to extending the life of existing machinery, the Future Leaders Class of 2027 is already delivering results across the industry. At PPG Industries, Rica Hakim has helped develop two BPA-NI internal coatings for personal care packaging, including work towards water-based alternatives ahead of changes to EU regulations. Eloise Masquelier of Albéa Cosmetics & Fragrance is also advancing materials innovation, leading the qualification of recycled resins and contributing to the company's achievement of exceeding its 10% recycled-plastic commitment in 2025. Several members of the class have already translated their packaging expertise into measurable commercial results. MATCHY MATCHA founder Eugénie Rovere led the development of glass-bottle packaging for a ready-to-drink matcha latte that has since sold more than 15,000 bottles and reached over 100 outlets, including Carrefour. Having grown up around the family business, Romain Vanwijnsberghe did a packaging factory internship in China at just 16, then went on to gain experience at Cosmei and Notino. He later helped develop MYC in France, before joining Cosmetics Atelier, where he supports European brands in designing their packaging with Asian and European manufacturers. Rawy José Baranco of Mach4Food is extending the working life of metal packaging machinery, helping attract more than 15 new customers seeking refurbished equipment over the past year. At Planet B, Mandana Vahedi has contributed to an aluminium refill system for WONDR personal care products and a sugarcane-based detergent bottle for POWR, addressing the practical challenges of developing alternatives to conventional single-use packaging. "Beyond the product itself, the real challenge is convincing consumers to change their habits: refilling rather than throwing away, adopting a new routine, accepting a different material or texture," said Vahedi. "Without that buy-in, even the best innovation stays niche, and can end up as a commercial failure despite its ingenuity." It's a challenge recognised by Future Leaders judge Marion Quesson, Senior Art Director at Sowine, who emphasised the importance of developing innovations that can succeed beyond the initial concept. "What I find particularly interesting is the ability to go beyond the idea and build viable solutions, while understanding consumer expectations and behaviours early on. That's essential if innovation is going to truly change habits and have an impact at scale." Creative and technical expertise also feature prominently. Rania Elqadah of IDP Direct developed the structural design of the Maison Margiela Tabi Collector Box, while Anja Macan of Macan helped create Señor's Fussnota perfume packaging, combining specialist print finishes with a distinctive opening structure. Dhruvi Thakkar, founder of Sleeve Office Ltd, has worked across major FMCG and beauty brands, improving packaging workflows at Vibrant Foods and translating creative concepts into production-ready designs at Unilever. As Thakkar observed: "I do not think packaging is suffering from a shortage of good ideas. The bigger challenge is that too many good ideas break down between the design studio and the factory floor." In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MMB Managing Director Tendresse Lokole is taking a different approach to industry development, helping local entrepreneurs strengthen their brands through accessible, customised packaging tailored to their markets. More than recognition Beyond recognition at Paris Packaging Week, participants gain speaking opportunities, specialist media interviews and access to a community of more than 39,000 industry professionals. They also receive VIP access to the event and join a growing alumni network, creating opportunities to build relationships with senior industry figures. Thomas Bernad, founder of Be Morpho and a member of the Class of 2026, has developed a new generation of spray cans powered by compressed air rather than conventional petroleum-based propellants. Reflecting on his experience of the programme, he said: "I'd say it's been a real springboard. Not just because the programme gave me visibility, but above all because it allowed me to step out of my laboratory and put my work to the test with people who have a completely different perspective to my own." Recognising achievement and ambition The 2027 class was selected with the involvement of a judging panel comprising Katarzyna Wisniewska, Head of CSR for EME at Sephora; Louis Marty, founder of Merci Handy; and Marion Quesson, Senior Art Director at Sowine. For Louis Marty, the defining quality of this year's class is its ability to translate ambition into real achievements. "What impressed me about this year's Future Leaders was the range of challenges they're already tackling, from developing new materials and improving manufacturing to building successful businesses. What connects them is their ability to turn ambition into something tangible." For fellow judge Katarzyna Wisniewska, the diversity of this year's class reflects the breadth of talent driving change across the packaging industry. "Talent can be found at every level of the value chain, across every role and in companies of every size. It's really encouraging to see that transformation can happen anywhere."

What PPG Industries (PPG) said on its Q3 earnings call. PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) reported record third-quarter earnings for 2026, supported by organic sales growth, pricing actions and strength in its Aerospace and Architectural Coatings Latin America businesses. Net sales increased 7% year over year to $4.4 billion, while organic sales rose 5%, including 2% volume growth. Adjusted earnings per share increased 6% to a third-quarter record of $2.25, and adjusted EBITDA margin exceeded 18%, Chairman and CEO Tim Knavish said during the company's earnings call. Knavish said the quarter marked PPG's seventh consecutive period of organic sales growth and that the company outpaced its industry by 300 basis points. He also said commercial actions fully offset cost-of-goods-sold inflation during the quarter, reaching companywide neutrality within six months. Segment results. Global Architectural Coatings recorded net sales of approximately $1.1 billion, up 4% from a year earlier. Organic sales rose 2%, as higher selling prices across all regions offset lower European volumes. Mexico delivered robust retail sales, while project-related sales grew moderately as foreign direct investment sequentially recovered, according to Knavish. Architectural Coatings Latin America and Asia-Pacific organic sales increased by a mid-single-digit percentage, driven by pricing and Latin American volume growth. In Europe, organic sales rose by a low-single-digit percentage as pricing more than offset lower volumes. Segment EBITDA increased 19%, while EBITDA margin expanded 300 basis points to 24%. Knavish said margin performance reflected pricing, volume and mix in Mexico, pricing in Europe, and European cost-reduction efforts. He added that a stronger Mexican peso provided some benefit during the quarter, though it was not the primary driver of the year-over-year earnings improvement. Performance Coatings net sales grew 10% to $1.6 billion, with organic sales up 8% and volume up 5%. Aerospace posted double-digit organic sales growth and maintained an order backlog near $300 million. Automotive Refinish organic sales increased by a mid-single-digit percentage, supported by both volume and pricing. PPG's Protective and Marine Coatings business delivered high-single-digit organic growth, extending its volume-growth streak to 14 consecutive quarters. The company cited above-market marine volume growth in Asia-Pacific, supported by its technology offerings. Segment EBITDA increased 21%, and margin expanded 220 basis points to 23.9%. Industrial Coatings net sales rose 5% to about $1.7 billion, while organic sales increased 4%, evenly split between price and volume. Industrial Coatings posted high-single-digit organic growth, including double-digit growth in powder coatings, while Packaging Coatings generated double-digit organic sales growth. Packaging volumes were up more than 20% on a two-year stacked basis. Automotive OEM Coatings organic sales declined by a low-single-digit percentage because of lower industry production, although PPG said it outperformed global automotive production. Industrial segment EBITDA declined 11%, and EBITDA margin fell 260 basis points to 14.4%, as cost inflation moved ahead of the timing of index-based pricing mechanisms. Aerospace investment and cash deployment. PPG expects Aerospace sales to exceed $2 billion this year. Knavish said the company is investing more than $500 million to expand capacity and improve productivity in the business. That figure includes a recently announced $70 million expansion of aerospace transparencies operations in Huntsville, Alabama, intended to increase capacity for cockpit and passenger windows. The company ended the quarter with $1.6 billion in cash and short-term investments. Net debt was $5.2 billion, down approximately $200 million from the prior-year quarter, while net leverage declined to 1.8 times net debt to adjusted EBITDA. Year-to-date operating cash flow totaled approximately $1.2 billion, about $100 million above the prior year. PPG repurchased about $150 million of shares in the quarter, bringing year-to-date repurchases to $320 million, and paid more than $480 million in dividends during the first nine months. Fourth-Quarter outlook. For the fourth quarter, PPG expects total organic sales growth of a low-single-digit percentage and adjusted EBITDA margin to range from flat to up 100 basis points year over year. The company expects high-single-digit cost-of-goods-sold inflation in the period and intends to address it through pricing actions. * Global Architectural Coatings organic sales are expected to range from flat to up a low-single-digit percentage. * Performance Coatings organic sales are expected to increase by a low- to mid-single-digit percentage. * Industrial Coatings organic sales are expected to range from down a low-single-digit percentage to up a low-single-digit percentage. Knavish said reduced automotive-build forecasts, particularly in China, are the main reason for a more modest Industrial Coatings outlook. He said index-based pricing started to provide some benefits in the third and fourth quarters, but most of the benefit is expected in the first and second quarters of 2027 because of contract structures. PPG raised the midpoint of its full-year adjusted EPS outlook and narrowed its projected range to $7.90 to $8.10 per share. Looking ahead. Management declined to provide detailed 2027 guidance, saying it was too early amid demand, geopolitical and inflation uncertainty. However, Knavish said the company expects organic growth and margin expansion to continue based on its commercial pipeline, pricing catch-up in certain businesses, and productivity and restructuring actions. He said PPG expects roughly $100 million in combined restructuring and productivity benefits across 2026 and 2027. In Architectural Coatings EMEA, the company expects a significant share of restructuring benefits to come from four previously announced plant closures, with the larger impact expected during the first half of 2027. About PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG). PPG Industries, Inc is a global manufacturer of paints, coatings and specialty materials. The company develops products designed to protect, decorate and improve the performance of surfaces and components used in transportation, construction, manufacturing and consumer products. Its product portfolio includes automotive and commercial vehicle coatings, aerospace coatings, industrial and protective coatings, architectural paints, packaging coatings, and coatings used in marine and other specialty applications.

PPG appoints Olivier Ubrich as General Manager of Industrial Coatings EMEA. PPG has named Olivier Ubrich as General Manager for its Industrial Coatings business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Ubrich brings more than 20 years of senior management and technical experience in chemical engineering and coatings technologies to the role. 20 October 2026