Although Greg Berguig, vice president of sales and marketing at PAC Machinery (See them at PACK EXPO East, booth 1314), San Rafael, Calif., grew up around packaging machines—as his grandfather started the family-owned company—he relied heavily on his involvement with PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, to gain industry knowledge and network outside of PAC’s own four walls. Now, Berguig is the new committee chair of PMMI’s Emerging Leaders Network. He plans to grow the group through tradeshow events and social media, while also harnessing the creative ideas that emerge from network discussions to advance the industry.
OEM: For those who are new to the network, what are the group’s overall goals?
The network is focused on engaging the next generation of rising stars in the packaging industry, getting them involved in PMMI and creating a network of peers from both younger and older generations. We keep the industry moving forward with the younger generation’s ideas, creativity, views and thought leadership.
OEM: As the new committee chair, what plans do you have in place to keep that momentum in 2018?
We want to keep getting people engaged, as well as provide more resources for these emerging leaders. If young professionals are growing in their roles at their companies, what kind of resources are available to them to help them get to that next level? We want to assist those rising stars whether it is through PMMI’s Leadership Development Program, or other initiatives. We have talked about bringing in industry veterans and asking them to share their point of view on the industry and how they handle trends, demands, collaboration and leadership.
OEM: How can top management scout emerging leaders at their company?
It’s pretty easy to identify employees who take initiative and are eager to move up at their organization. When management notices these rising stars, I think it’s important to give them opportunities for growth and more responsibility. Giving them the opportunity to succeed, fail and try new things will keep them engaged and invested in the company. Management should also keep its emerging leaders and younger employees engaged in PMMI. The PMMI annual meetings are a great place to bring young employees as they offer unique networking opportunities with everyone in the industry. We are always sharing articles on these topics on the Emerging Leaders Network group on LinkedIn, too.
OEM: Why is it important to have a network like this in the packaging industry?
It’s critical, especially in this industry, because while we compete with each other, I wouldn’t say we are competitive. On one of the committees I’m involved with, I work with people who are direct competitors of my company, but we are all learning from each other and networking to improve our companies, as well as improve the industry as a whole. At the PMMI annual meeting, I learned so much about how people handle customer service and sales and marketing. I came back with a whole host of ideas I got from formal sessions as well as while networking with my peers and participating in groups like the Emerging Leaders Network.
OEM: Can anyone join this network?
All young leaders from any department— whether it be engineering, sales or marketing—are welcome to join. We even have network members who are already established at their company. But it’s important to have people from different departments because we can all learn from each other. I was able to partner up with one of my fellow Emerging Leader Committee members to create a new solution for the industry, and we come from completely different companies. It’s much easier to collaborate with people that you know and people you are friends with because friends take care of each other.
OEM: While meeting with people in this network, do you notice any common obstacles or trends being talked about?
Yes. I’ve heard people talk about [business] obstacles when they participate in PMMI’s Leadership Development Program. In this group, you are in a learning environment with other people in your industry, and you start talking about areas for improvement. You start to realize that most companies face similar issues because there are certain things that are just part of our business.
OEM: What advice would you give to young leaders or those new to the industry?
Don’t be afraid to share your ideas. I think most companies are open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Just because we have always done it one way, does not mean we should continue to do it that way. Also, try new things and experiment. In the sales and marketing department at PAC, we are always tweaking our process to see what works and what we can do better.
OEM: What are some upcoming events emerging leaders should keep in mind?
We will hold an event at PACK EXPO East, April 16-18 in Philadelphia. And we will have our annual event at PACK EXPO International in Chicago, October 14-17. We have a fun and exciting venue for this can’t miss event!
