Tom Carr has been in the Plastic Packaging Industry for 31 years, beginning his career with Trigon Packaging Systems in 1991 as a BSc(Tech) Student. Working in the Research and Development lab of their Hamilton plant, he became proficient in film analysis and physical properties testing of plastic packaging. In 2009, he ventured into the world of packaging regulatory compliance. Mentored by Sealed Air’s Regulatory Directors in Europe (Dario Dainelli) and America (Martin Ecoff), the learning curve was steep, but rewarding, eventually overseeing the compliance needs for Sealed Air’s Australia/New Zealand products, predominantly for Fonterra and the NZ Meat industry.
In 2015, Tom moved his family to Palmerston North to join Fonterra’s Packaging innovation and Development Team as a Senior Packaging Technologist at Fonterra’s Research and Development Centre. For the past 5 years Tom has overseen packaging compliance for Fonterra’s local and export business.
Fun fact: Tom is passionate about Litter reduction, and was Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s “Tidy Kiwi Award for 2017”, for picking up over 1300kg of litter between 2015 and 2017. Tom continues to pick up litter where-ever he goes, and can happily report he has picked up litter in Shanghai, Amsterdam, Berlin, Heathrow, and too many NZ Cities and towns to mention.
Marco has been involving in food contact materials for more than 20 years. In 2008, He worked as a visiting scientist at Joint research Center of European Commission. Marco is the member of Reviewing Committee for China National Food Safety Standards, and the member of Standardization Committee for plastic food contact material and food contact paper. To date, he has published more than 100 papers in journals and academic conferences. Marco was assigned by the authority since 2014 to draft a serial of Chinese legislations including multilayer packaging, wood and bamboo, Paper and paper board, as well as specific migration methods.
Marco was also appointed as the chairperson of expert committee for FCMs in China food industry association ,The chairperson of working force for China sustainable food contact material, and the member of scientific committee (SC) of International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe, dedicating to assist government and industry to manage the safety and sustainable FCMs on a scientific manner.
Joined Dow Chemical since 2003 and engaged in product safety and regulatory compliance during last 17 years crossing multiple businesses. Has extensive experience and in regulatory fields of many product such as general chemical, food/food contact etc. and rich knowledge of product risk assessment. Over years, participated many advocacy projects of product regulations-pharmaceutical DMF regulation, cosmetic material management and food contact national standard etc., also played some leadership roles in local industrial associations-Vice Chair of IPEC (China)(2009-2011), Multiple Food Contact Product Taskforce Leaders in AICM (2011-2017) , and vice chair in Food Contact Expert Committee under China National Food Industry Association (2015-2017). Transferred to current role to take accountability of product compliance and safety stewardship for all Dow P&SP portfolios in pan-Asia since 2016.
Chris Peloso joined Amcor Research and Development over 20 years ago after graduating with an Honours Degree in Environmental Management. His Honours year project was focused on polymer degradation, specifically the antagonism of anti-block and slip additives.
Upon joining Amcor, he moved into the analytical laboratory where he specialised in:
- Materials analysis
- Shelf life testing
- Food contact compliance testing of flexible, rigid, paper and metal packaging materials
- Odour and taint assessment
He has held the roles of Amcor Packaging Science Laboratory Manager and Amcor Australia New Zealand Product Safety Manager. In 2018, he was appointed Product Safety Director for Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific.
Bonnie Zhang graduated from Fudan University as Ph.D, majoring Pharmaceutics. She works in Nouryon as Senior Regulatory Manager who is responsible for monitoring regulatory update and executing regulatory advocacy strategy in agreement with business stakeholders.
She has more than 10 years regulatory affairs experiences with chemical control laws, food packaging, medical device and fragrances. Before joined Nouryon, Bonnie Zhang worked in international companies as Product stewardship and compliance manager where she managed regulatory communication and advocacy, product compliance check, customer support activities in food packaging industry. She also supported Dangerous chemicals, pharma excipient IDL application, cosmetic and medical device certificate related issues.
Dr. Zhang is leading a team of regulatory experts in AP region covering China, Korea and Japan. Service scope of her team incl. industrial chemicals, food contact materials and cosmetics. As a regulatory toxicologist with 15 years experiences, Dr. Zhang helps Chemical manufactures understand and comply with global regulations during producing and using of new and existing chemicals. She has successfully delivered compliance solutions to more than 200 International chemical manufacturers.
Dr. Zhang has extensive expertise on global chemical notification programs and product safety assessment strategies base on different applications e.g., food packaging materials and cosmetics raw ingredients. With GLP experiences and regulatory expertise, her team helps chemical industry address challenging regulatory requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner, by developing and successfully executing of test data, and providing expert judgment of waiving statements.
Dr. Zhang acquired her Medical Doctoral Degree in School of Pharmacy Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She is now a Member of Council of Chinese Society of Toxicology (CST) and a subcommittee member of the Society of Toxicity industrial chemicals, subcommittee member of food safety, alternative toxicology, CST.
Danhof Lee is currently the Consultant for Regulatory Affair & Technical Administration, Asia Pacific PPG Packaging Coatings. He graduated from Shanghai University. Before joining PPG he had worked as engineer and subsidiary company director of a state-run paint coating manufacturer. After joining PPG Packaging Coatings he was Business Manager, Coating and Ink Technical Service Manager, China. Since 2007 he had been PS & Technical Administration Manager of AP and Director of Regulatory Affair & Technical Administration, Asia Pacific. Mr. Lee has been in the role of leader who encourages and inspires team with insightful guidance. He possesses talent of foreseeing, evaluating the needs from home and abroad, to ensure R&D run on a more effective and correct way. In 2010 Mr. Lee was elected as Coating Subcommittee Chair of Industry Policy Advocacy Committee (IPAC), AICM and has been working with it till now.
David Ettinger is the chief representative in Keller and Heckman’s Shanghai, China office. Mr. Ettinger counsels multinational companies on the import and export of food and food-related products to ensure compliance with regulations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He also counsels clients on compliance with the laws and regulations in China regarding consumer products and tobacco-related products, such as e-cigarettes. Mr. Ettinger worked in the firm’s Washington, DC and Brussels offices, and is uniquely positioned to counsel foreign companies who need to navigate the regulatory landscape in Asia.
Mr. Ettinger is on the Executive Board and Chair of Mackrell International. He is on the leadership committee of the American Chamber of Commerce Shanghai’s Food, Agriculture & Beverage Committee. He is a frequent lecturer and author on international food safety matters. Mr. Ettinger is a Chambers and Partners ranked attorney in the area of Life Sciences (International Firms) – China and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2016 (FDA Law).
Prior to joining Keller and Heckman, Mr. Ettinger was a trademark attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, he has extensive trial experience as a former assistant district attorney in the Nassau County District Attorney's Office in New York where he prosecuted felonies and misdemeanors.
Mr. Kenny is an experienced regulatory attorney who has worked and consulted for nearly 30 years in the food and consumer products space. A food contact and food additive Subject Matter Expert, Mr. Kenny founded Decernis LLC in 2003, which grew to eventually cover food and consumer products regulations for every country in the world.
Decernis was acquired in June 2019 and Mr. Kenny became a member of the Executive Leadership Team at FoodChain ID in 2020 as SVP Compliance Services. In his final two years, Mr. Kenny worked with industry leaders to build out Packaging Sustainability product- and service offerings for FoodChain ID. He retired from FoodChain ID in April 2024 but continues to consult for them on a part-time basis.
Mr. Kenny recently founded a new online product safety and regulatory training company called Invenimus LLC, which will offer both in person and online global courses on all matters of chemical product safety, food and cosmetics packaging and regulatory compliance.
Alistair manages the Food Packaging Safety Section within Smithers. This involves advising clients on the safety legislation which applies to food packaging in a wide range of different countries throughout the world and coordinating work programmes to ensure that clients' products meet these requirements. His expertise spans all the EU countries, USA, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Russia and all the South American countries.
Alistair graduated with a degree and PhD in Chemistry from Birmingham University. After working for BP and the Department of Health, he joined Smithers in 1994, taking up his current position in 1995.
