Meet the Judges

Jude Allan is Managing Director of OPRL (On Pack Recycling Label), the UK’s leading packaging labelling organisation, and Chair of the Packaging Committee at IOM3. Jude’s background in packaging technology and design gives her a broad view of the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

Jude started as a packaging technologist at Mars, before transferring to a packaging design agency. For almost 20 years, she led the production and creative operations at jonesknowlesrtichie, as it grew from a London-based packaging design agency into a global design business. Jude is committed to a materials-agnostic approach and, at OPRL, she leads a passionate team that focuses on giving consumers the tools and confidence to do the right thing when it comes to recycling.

Dr Margaret Bates is an experienced waste and resource manager with a strong background in sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, circular economy, and policy. With a track record of delivering practical advice to businesses, governments, trade associations, and NGOs, she is also skilled in writing, reviewing, and delivering EU and other grants. She was seconded from OPRL to Defra to establish pEPR Scheme Administrator. Margaret is a Fellow of CIWM, a Fellow of IOM3, a Chartered Environmentalist and an International Wastes Manager

Alison Bramfitt has dedicated over 20 years to the packaging industry, gaining extensive experience in both large retail and FMCG businesses. Throughout her career, Alison has held various roles at Nestlé, including global positions in research and development and sustainability. Currently, she serves as the Head of Packaging for Nestlé UK and Ireland, where she leads a team responsible for packaging development, compliance, and sustainability.

Alison is deeply passionate about circularity, with a particular focus on flexible plastics. She actively participates in several cross-industry collaborations in the UK&I, including Podback, the Flexible Plastic Fund and Flex Collect.

Lisa Cain has spent more than 30 years shaping the packaging industry. Known for her rare ability to combine technical expertise with creative vision, she has led global teams across both disciplines to deliver solutions that balance innovation, design, sustainability, and commercial performance.

Her career spans every major packaging format and some of the world’s most iconic brands in food and beverage, beauty, personal care, electricals, and lifestyle. Sustainability has always been at the heart of her work, driving strategies that make a positive impact for people and the planet.

Lisa now applies that experience at Smurfit WestRock, a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging, where she continues to champion innovation and technical excellence. Beyond her role, she mentors future industry leaders and writes about the topics shaping packaging today: sustainability, design, and innovation.

Ali has over 25 years’ experience in print and packaging, specialising in packaging graphics and brand strategy. A BA (Hons) Graphic Design graduate, she began her career at Safeway, where she contributed to the retailer’s final logo refresh before transitioning into packaging in 2000.
Since then, Ali has led major rebrands for national and global retail and private-label brands, delivering complex, large-scale rollout programmes across the supply chain. Appointed a shareholding board director at just 28, she has built a strong reputation for leading end-to-end NPD strategy and change management, consistently driving efficient, innovative, and commercially robust solutions.

Ali is currently Business Unit Director at Jupiter Prestige Group, where she has completed 15 years of service to date. She became a member of the board in 2012 and continues to play a key role in shaping the company’s strategic growth.

Jennifer Darlington is a Group Operations Director with over 15 years of experience in manufacturing, spanning operations and supply chain. She currently works at Bees Seeds Ltd, a brand buzzing about making growing simple, sustainable, and accessible for everyone. Jennifer brings extensive experience leading complex, multi-site manufacturing operations, with a strong focus on performance, fostering high-performing teams, driving continuous improvement, and embedding sustainability into manufacturing practices.

Fiona has worked in Packaging and Print for over 20 years. She has held a variety of roles working for large Brands and Retailers such as J&J and Boots, she has spent the last 14 years at Asda where she currently leads the Packaging & Print Team. She is particularly passionate about developing sustainable packaging solutions as well as engaging with schools and colleges to inspire future generations of Packaging Technologists.

Fiona is also a judge at the UK Packaging Awards and the Women in Packaging Awards as well as a member of PackUK's RAM Technical Advisory Committee.

Laura fell into packaging by default 10 years ago but soon became her passion and completed a MSc in Packaging Technology and Management. Laura recently joined Ocado Retail as Packaging and Sustainability Manager having worked at M&S previously for a number of years. She is a Board Member of INCPEN, RECOUP and EcoPack at Packaging Innovations and has been a judge for UK Packaging Awards since 2016. An avid promoter of circular economy, Laura is driven to ensure we leave the planet better than we found it.

Sarah Greenwood is a sustainable plastics professional and multidisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of academia, industry, and policy. With a background in product development across manufacturing and retail, her work now focuses on the sustainability of plastics and packaging systems, reuse models, and the relationship between packaging and food waste. She co-led the Many Happy Returns: Enabling Reusable Packaging Systems project at the University of Sheffield and has contributed expert insight on BBC Panorama, BBC Breakfast, and BBC Radio. She recently successfully defended her PhD thesis, Plastic Packaging in the Circular Economy. Sarah is an Accredited Packaging Professional (APkgPrf), Fellow of IOM3 (FIMMM), co-Chair of the North of England Packaging Society, and a member of the Plastics Consultancy Network.

With a background in Biology, Environmental Economics & Environmental Management, Amy has spent the past 12 years in roles focused on advancing sustainable initiatives and systems. She has a keen interest in creating change through the use of research, strategy, and the facilitation of collaborative problem-solving across a diversity of stakeholders, from startups and NGOs to academic institutions and large corporates. At Biffa, reporting to the CIO, she works with internal and external partners to drive innovation in waste management, and support the transition to a more sustainable, circular sector.

Nicola Jones has been part of the steel packaging industry since 1999. Building extensive experience through involvement in a broad range of industry initiatives and collaborations. With a vast professional network and a deep understanding of the sector, she is a strong advocate for the role and advancement of women in Packaging. Nicola is delighted to return as a judge for the Women in Packaging Awards, continuing her commitment to recognising excellence, leadership and positive change across the industry.

Boma is Senior Marketing Manager at Thirst, a creative partner to the world’s most ambitious beverage brands.

A cultural champion at heart, Boma is obsessed with the intersection of people, trends, and storytelling — and how brands show up meaningfully in culture. With experience spanning tourism, fashion, and design, she brings a broad, human-centred perspective to conversations around brand, relevance, and creative impact.

At Thirst, Boma leads the agency’s marketing and communications — shaping how its work, thinking, and point of view are expressed across platforms, partnerships, and the wider industry.

Denise has decades of experience within the packaging industry, having started in print in 1989. She took up the position at Waitrose in January 2024 after many years at Tesco. She has judged the UK Packaging awards for many years, and sits as a technical advisor to OPRL and RECOUP, and participates widely within UK Plastic Pact Advisory and Steering Groups. She is passionate about circularity and recycling, believing we all have our part to play in improving the quality of the packaging we put on the market and the recycling rates in the UK though working together collaboratively across the supply chain and UK retailers.

Lisa, a fellow of IOM3, is a Packaging Engineer with over 30 years' experience across Food, Drink and Beauty Based FMCG. With a strong bias towards integrating technical knowledge with consumer Insights, operational constraints and customer requirements, Lisa has developed numerous global solutions for many of Britain's much-loved brands.

During her 24year tenure with P&G, Lisa worked across multiple beauty platforms including Personal Cleansing and Cosmetics. She was the regional R&D Package Development leader for Skin Care, the Global packaging strategy owner for the Olay Total Effects brand and, the high viscosity dispensing lead, driving strategy, use and collaboration. At Britvic, Lisa was a Senior Innovation Leader, leading new bottle development work on the Robinsons brand as well as being Chair of the Packaging council. For Waitrose, sitting in the Own Brand and Innovation team, Lisa looked after multiple categories including Produce, Horticulture, Bakery and the broad BWS category. Today, Lisa is Head of Packaging for the International DIY company Kingfisher Plc. under retail banners that include B&Q, Screwfix, Castorama, Brico Dépôt and Koçtaş.

Nila Patel Cooper is a Business Development Manager at GXO where she drives strategic growth, develops new commercial opportunities and builds long term client partnerships across complex supply chain environments.

Specialising in value added services, including co packing and packaging solutions, Nila partners with customers to design flexible, scalable solutions that boost efficiency, accelerate speed to market and unlock greater end to end value.

Known for her structured, detail driven approach, she excels at translating customer requirements into commercially robust, operationally effective solutions. Nila plays a key role in high value commercial initiatives and cross functional programmes, contributing to major strategic workstreams across GXO’s UK business. She blends strong commercial acumen with collaborative delivery, aligning teams around shared objectives and driving impactful results.

Rachel has over 20 years’ experience in the packaging industry. A member of the Greiner Packaging UK team for over 16 years, Rachel worked in various business development roles, until being promoted to the new role of Sustainability and Innovation Manager in 2022.

Rachel says: “Ever since I joined Greiner Packaging, we have been on a constant and well-planned journey to deliver the most sustainable packaging solutions. My role creates the opportunity to provide our customers with the reassurance that they can avoid the dangers of greenwashing, by adopting packaging which measurably improves their carbon footprint and sustainability position.

Joanna is Managing Director of Think B2B Marketing Limited, a leading international marketing and communications agency specialising in print and packaging. After a career spanning over 30 years in the print and packaging sector, today she leads a team of 25 employees, is an active member of Young People in Print and advocate of Diversity and Inclusion in the sector.

Tom is the Senior Packaging Development Controller at Bakkavor. Bakkavor are an industry leading food manufacturer in the Fresh Prepared Foods category.

He has 15 years’ experience in delivering packaging materials and solutions that provide a commercial, innovative or sustainable benefit to brands, brand owners and retailers.

Sustainability and doing the right thing for the future of our planet is at the heart of what he does

Paul Vanston became Chief Executive of the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) in May 2017. That followed 26 years in central and local government.

Paul is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Ministerially-appointed member of the Pack UK Steering Group, and the Communications & Behaviour Change Advisory Group. Member of the Green Alliance Circular Economy Task Force. Member of the DRS Industry Forum. Founder supporter of the UK Plastics Pact. Member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM).

Emma transitioned from a career in advertising and marketing with blue-chip companies to leading a major contract manufacturing and packing business. With extensive experience in third-party outsourcing, she initially focused on membership development and marketing for the BCMPA before being appointed CEO in June 2023. Since taking the helm, Emma has spent the last two years raising the profile of BCMPA members within the contract manufacturing, packing, fulfilment, and logistics sectors, while advancing the strategic interests of the Association.

With over 20 years’ experience in the creative industry, Bronwen has partnered with both global behemoths and ambitious challengers across luxury, drinks and FMCG. Her career spans agency leadership and in-house roles, including serving as Creative Director for Ron La Hechicera prior to its acquisition - she currently sits on the advisory board for Vidrate alongside her role as Executive Creative Director for Denomination in London. 

Bronwen brings a rare breadth of perspective, shaped by first-hand experience of the strategic and creative challenges brands face from early-stage start-ups to established global icons. She has led international, multidisciplinary teams to deliver cohesive, sustainable and commercially effective brand solutions, earning multiple awards and industry recognition worldwide.