Guest: Laura Thompson, Vice President, Trade Shows, PMMI

Nobody thought when PMMI closed the curtain on PACK EXPO International 2018 that it would take four years to return to Chicago’s McCormick Place. This unPACKed with PMMI podcast welcomes PMMI vice president trade show Laura Thompson to remind everyone exactly why the PACK EXPO International in-person experience is so important to the global packaging and processing community. Thompson covers all of the PACK EXPO staples and takes a deep dive into a laundry list of new features making their 2022 debut.

Register for PACK EXPO International 2022

Guest: Donna Ritson, President, DDR Communications

The future is now for cobots and robots in packaging and processing. Donna Ritson, president, DDR Communications takes a closer look at The Robot and Cobot Report from the PMMI Business Intelligence Committee. Ritson explores how robots and cobots are being utilized in manufacturing, where deployment has increased in packaging and processing and what more industry professionals need to further advance usage.

Guest: Grace Danao, Research Associate Professor, University of Nebraska

Seeing food recalls and the FDA in news headlines is always an ominous feeling for brand owners and consumers alike. Pet owners were on high alert when news broke earlier this summer that some pet food brands were self-recalling because of salmonella risk. At unPACKed with PMMI, we went straight to an expert to get to the bottom of this latest scare, reaching out to Grace Danao from the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska. Professor Danao walks us through what happened, the impact on brands and the public and procedures like high-pressure processing that can be put in place to ensure something like this doesn't happen again.

Guest: Jonathan Darling, CPG-IA Market Segment Lead, Schneider Electric

Leadership is often confused with title, position, or status, with many thinking that only the men and women in charge are in a position to lead. On this episode of unpacked with PMMI, Jonathan Darling from Schneider Electric turns that tired, old-fashioned view of leadership on its head. He will help listeners learn how to lead and how every individual can make a massive impact in their workplace and communities, even if they're not the boss.

Guest: Brad Meltzer, Author and TV Host

As a television host on the History Channel and a New York Times, best-selling author of dozens of fiction and non-fiction books, unPACKed with PMMI guest Brad Meltzer has crafted a career telling stories. He has learned that everyday interactions with people can and are often extraordinary and a noteworthy part of each person’s history. Packaging and processing includes creating and ensuring the receipt of what most would consider everyday things. However, many of these items are impactful, letting people live their daily lives and allowing them to have hopes and dreams and achieve the things they never thought possible.

Guest: Jason Dorsey, President, The Center for Generational Kinetics

It’s easy for older generations to forget that Millennials are not as young as they think they are, with some already in their 40s with established careers in management and leadership roles. Since it’s no secret that Millennials do things differently than their Baby Boomer and Gen X predecessors, organizational changes must happen now as this next generation continues to take charge. PMMI Executive Leadership Conference speaker Jason Dorsey, president of The Center for Generational Kinetics, joins UnPACKed with PMMI to help explain some generational myths and uncover the hidden behavioral drivers of each age group.

Guest: Dr. Jessica Kriegel, Chief People & Culture Officer, Experience.com

Much of how society thinks about each generation is made up and not data-driven, according to unPACKed with PMMI guest and Executive Leadership Conference speaker Dr. Jessica Kriegel. This Workplace Culture Expert explains how to avoid putting people in generational and stereotypical boxes at work. Instead, she provides guidance for fostering a culture that creates an environment where people want to work for you because, as we all know, the push for talented employees is at an all-time high.

Guest: Donna Ritson, President, DDR Communications

The pharmaceutical white paper from PMMI Business Intelligence explores the trends shaping the future of pharmaceutical processing and packaging. This episode of UnPACKed with PMMI takes a deep dive into the white paper with Donna Ritson, President of DDR Communications. Ritson discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted pharmaceutical production and how that disruption affected the industry. She also highlights that, more than ever before, pharma companies are open to input and cooperation from OEMs to find ways to prevent this deep disruption in the future.  

Read 2022 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Trends Shaping the Future

Guest: Donna Ritson, President, DDR Communications

The End of Line Equipment Report from the PMMI Business Intelligence Committee details the major trends shaping the EoL machinery market and how OEMs and suppliers can better position themselves and their products in the market. Today we chat with longtime friend of the podcast and president of DDR Communications Donna Ritson about her key messages to glean from this report.

Check out the report: 2021 End-of-Line Equipment: Purchasing Trends and Design Insights

Guest:  Lisa Rathburn, VP of Engineering, T. Marzetti Company

Not only does PMMI’s OpX Leadership Network bring together CPGs and OEMs to develop best practices and protocols for free industry adoption, but it also serves as a resource for tackling more significant industry issues. This unPACKed with PMMI episode revisits women in manufacturing with Lisa Rathburn, VP of engineering at T. Marzetti Company and active member of OpX Leadership Network and the Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network. Hear Rathburn provide success stories, inspiration, and tips that will help and encourage women currently in the industry and offer guidance for young women looking to manufacturing as a career.