The AIP Distinguished Service Award has been designed to recognise long-standing and significant contribution to the AIP and the wider industry.
For the AIP Board and executive team, there was no question that the 2025 AIP Distinguished Service award would be presented to Keith Chessell, 50-year veteran of the packaging industry and one of the key members of the AIP Education Team.
About the winner:
Chessell was awarded the 2025 Distinguished Service award for his continued support of the packaging industry through excellence in technical advice, in particular, through the 12 months of work that he undertook as a volunteer supporting the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEWW) on the eight-person working group to develop the draft National Packaging Design Standard.
He took the reins of the Design Standard development on behalf of the working group and invested over 200 hours as a volunteer to create a document that would be the start of current consultations within industry.
Chessell wanted to ensure that all stakeholders across the entire value chain had the opportunity to contribute to the Design Standard, and he invested significant hours of time meeting with as many stakeholders across the value chain during the development process, all as a volunteer.
"For anyone that has worked with Chessell, you know that he is detail oriented, thoughtful, mindful and determined to achieve the best outcomes for the wider industry," said AIP executive director Nerida kelton, in her citation to Chessell on the night.
"Keith is supposed to be retired, yet he continues to be instrumental in the packaging industry, and the AIP wanted this award to recognise the outstanding work he has undertaken," Kelton said.
