The Industry Packaging Professional of the Year award is designed to recognise and acknowledge the outstanding achievements and contribution by an individual currently working within the Packaging in both Australia and New Zealand.
The judges look for individuals who have demonstrated vision and leadership, shows innovation and not afraid to take risks over a long and sustained period.
The 2025 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year is a prominent figure in the global packaging industry, recognised for their extensive contributions and leadership, and has become one of the most prolific and recognisable packaging educators in the world.
Selected from a strong field of finalists, the 2025 Industry Packaging Professional of the Year was Pierre Pienaar, education director at the AIP, and immediate past president of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO).
About the winner:
To describe the contribution Pienaar has made to the field of packaging science and technology, one must take a multi-dimensional approach.
Is it through the dimension of packaging training and education, where he has helped train and educate tens of thousands of people around the world?
Is it through his leadership to develop and sustain the Master of Food Innovation and Packaging with the University of Melbourne, which is now in its 10th year with over 500 hundred students from across Australasia having completed the degree.
Is it leading the AIP away from being domestic-based to now providing packaging leadership across the Asian region?
Is it strengthening industry recognition for Packaging Technologists through the Certified Packaging Professional Certification, now being exclusively run in Asia by the AIP?
Is it spending his valuable time with any person, in any country, who has expressed an intention to learn more about good packaging choices? We have all viewed this dimension of him on many occasions and seen the results on the lucky people who receive his guidance.
Pienaar is the only person in the world who has been president of three organisations: Institute of Packaging South Africa (IPSA), the AIP, and the WPO. He is also the only person that has been education director in three different countries and in three different organisations.
His contribution to the packaging industry far exceeds that of mere mortals and his dedication and passion as a volunteer to improve the access to packaging training and education across the globe is unparalleled.
Pienaar continues to be instrumental in advancing packaging education and sustainability initiatives worldwide.
His passion for training other packaging professionals is what drives him, and he has personally trained tens of thousands of people – online, in Australia and New Zealand, as well as all corners of the world. The AIP said it does not believe that anyone else has trained as many packaging professionals in the world.
Looking after students is what drives Pienaar and the AIP said it sees it every day when he lectures, tutors, or is standing in front of a classroom of primary school students. According to the Association, being in a classroom with students makes Pienaar light up.
Pienaar believes that you can never, ever stop learning about packaging and the advancements to materials and technologies.
