Chaoqun Wang is an Art Director based in New York City, currently serving as the Global 2D Design Director at Tom Ford Beauty. In her current role, she leads a multidisciplinary creative team in crafting visual strategies and solutions that resonate on a global scale.

Throughout her career, Chaoqun has driven narrative, design, and digital product strategies, spearheaded rebranding initiatives, developed immersive store experiences, and crafted compelling product campaign visuals. Her expertise in branding has enabled her to collaborate with industry-leading clients such as Google, Instacart, Patreon, TikTok, United Airlines, and Apple.

Chaoqun is passionate about collaborating with bright minds from diverse voices and cultures to push creative boundaries through innovative ideas. Her commitment to craftsmanship, storytelling, and innovation has consistently led her to achieve recognition and awards.

Linda Roman is a Director of Packaging, and North America R&D Fellow at Kraft Heinz . In her current position, Linda leads a Packaging R&D team, focused on addressing critical business strategies and ESG commitments through technology unlocks and partnerships across the entire value chain. Linda is an R&D professional, with over 25 years of experience in the Food and Beverage industry. The majority of her career has been spent in packaging R&D, with over half in innovation and technology development. Linda holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida.

Somdutt Sarkar serves as Design Director at P&G India, where he has received numerous accolades like President’s Circle Award, Global Design Excellence Award, CEO Award throughout his 7 year career. He specializes in branding, digital marketing, packaging, and retail design and has worked for iconic brands like Pampers, Vicks, Ariel, and Gillette. A graduate of NID, Ahmedabad, Somdutt has previously collaborated with clients such as Nestle, Idea Cellular, Electrolux, Raw Pressery and and IDBI on impactful branding projects, and creative campaigns in his design career spanning 14 years.

His expertise lies in harnessing consumer centric design to enhance brand love and drive sales through innovative packaging solutions. A passionate artist and illustrator, his works has featured in various national and international magazines and been a part of multiple exhibitions . His work was recognized by the Dutch Design Ministry when he won Designquest in 2012. Committed to nurturing the next generation of designers, Somdutt actively engages with leading design institutes in India and mentors young design students. Somdutt has a keen interest in communities, culture and craft traditions as well as emerging channels like E-Commerce.

As a packaging engineer who has worked in the Tech, Pharma, Personal Care, and Beauty Industry, Sebba brings over a decade of insight of what it means to have a truly immersive and holistic product experience through packaging. With a passion for brands, I am able to craft a story through beautiful packaging.Fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, I thrive on versatility and relish the pursuit of new challenges.

Sebba has held positions as Director of Packaging Sustainability at MAC Cosmetics, and Director of Packaging Development at Revlon where she led initiatives to drive sustainability across packaging practices. Currently, Sebba serves as a professor of design and engineering , teaching Sustainable Packaging Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and Packaging Engineering (grad school) at Rutgers University.

Sebba is committed to pushing the boundaries of packaging innovation while championing sustainability practices that resonate with both consumers and industry stakeholders alike.

Dr Zeng Xi, a specialist in contemporary art and cognitive science, holds a Ph.D. from the University of Barcelona. He serves as Senior Advisor at the Royal College of Art, Professor at IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), and Distinguished Professor at the China Academy of Art. Forbes recognised him as one of the Top 10 Designers in the Mainland in 2022.

As Senior Director of Product and Design at ByteDance, and formerly at OnePlus and OPPO, Dr Zeng has spearheaded the development of innovative products reaching over 100 million users globally. His notable projects, including the ByteDance AI Companion, OPPO ColorOS, OnePlus Concept One, and OxygenOS, have garnered more than 10 prestigious global design awards.

Motivated by his own lived experience, Marc has emerged as a leading advocate and evangelist in the accessibility space. Working across multiple industries, Marc has driven significant improvements and innovation in accessibility, including the development of the world’s first accessible packaging using code-based technology.

Marc is the Global Accessibility Centre of Excellence Lead at Unilever. In this role, he is dedicated to advancing the accessibility agenda across employee, consumer and customer experiences, ensuring that Unilever's products, services and environments are Unmissable For Everyone.

In addition to his professional achievements, Marc is also a Paralympian, having proudly represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. His unique blend of personal experience and professional expertise makes Marc a powerful voice and a passionate leader in the pursuit of accessibility for all.

Paul is an award-winning brand packaging Design Director with over 10 years experience working on some of the world’s most recognised brands at some of the most iconic design agencies globally, including JKR, Design Bridge, Bulletproof, Bloom, and Taxi Studio.

After obtaining his Bachelors in Graphic Communications with Typography from Plymouth University back in 2014, Paul has worked his way up from Junior Designer to Design Director and been involved in industry-leading work for Kelloggs, Heinz, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Danone and MARS.

Motivated by design’s power to create engaging and multisensory experiences, Ximena enjoys contributing to setting and driving brand strategies, identities, and storytelling. Since joining Nestlé in 2013 as Global Head of Design, she has influenced the direction of brand design experiences for many of Nestlé’s brands. With her team, she focuses on ensuring all teams, regardless of function, understand and are equipped with tools, process, and inspiration to drive brand building activities related to brand identity and design excellence.

Prior to Nestlé, Ximena was Director, Brand Design at Mondelez where she guided design strategy for brands including Milka, Cadbury, Tassimo, and Toblerone. Earlier, Ximena worked mostly agency-side focusing on brand strategy and identity. She started her career in San Francisco working on technology and service branding. Born in Chile, Ximena grew up in Europe and California, and spent time in Japan, France and Chile during her studies.

Andrea has been a key player in the creative world for years, starting at Nintendo of Europe, where she managed creative projects across the continent. Her journey led her to The Coca-Cola Company as Creative Design Senior Manager for Western Europe.

Currently, Andrea is the Creative Director at TheMix Southern Europe, Pernod Ricard's in-house agency in Madrid, powered by OLIVER. She drives projects with a focus on human insights and best practices. Her expertise spans design strategy, ideation, branding, and campaign management.

Andrea's true passion lies in design's power to create lasting impact. She thrives on pushing boundaries and crafting experiences that resonate deeply with audiences.

Cris Grether is the Global Head of Design at Danone. She is also a Brazilian mom and a genuine optimist. For the past 24 years, she has been on the road between London, Rio de Janeiro, New York City, Atlanta and Paris, working both on Design Agency and the Corporate sides. As a Graphic Designer, she is obsessed by the power of a great visual identity, not only for Packaging, but for every Touch Point where a Brand decides to show up.

Hoon Lee is Design Director at Kimberly-Clark, responsible for overseeing brand design for Huggies, Sweety, Kotex, Intimus, Softex, Depend, and Confidence across five key markets: Greater China, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, and Brazil.

With over 13 years of experience, Hoon has a deep understanding of the power of branding and a passion for storytelling, which he combines to develop visionary yet locally relevant design strategies.Prior to his current role, Hoon led the brand design and packaging team for Kimberly-Clark EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) while based in London. Hoon studied at Yonsei University and NUS Business School.

Janty is a Senior Graphic Designer at Huda Beauty. With over a decade of experience, Janty has been instrumental in developing the company's packaging design, seamlessly integrating brand identity, aesthetic innovation, and user experience, creating impactful and memorable design.

With a diverse background spanning across beauty, fashion and media industries, including brands such as Wella, Adidas, Bourjois, Rimmel, and Max Factor, Janty brings a holistic perspective to design, balancing artistry with strategic intent. Passionate about storytelling through design, Janty believes in the power of packaging to connect with consumers and focuses on creating designs that are not only visually appealing but also meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable.

Mayuri is a strong believer in the power of design to tell authentic stories that transform businesses and influence human behaviour. She has led award-winning projects and contributed to the success of both start-ups and global brands like Abbott, Coca Cola, Heinz, Microsoft, Nestle, Paperboat, PepsiCo, Reliance, TATA, Uber, Zydus and many more.

With a remarkable creative career spanning over two decades, Mayuri currently leads the creative vision for Conran Design Mumbai which she helped establish in the middle of the pandemic. Within three years of its inception, Mayuri has helped win notable businesses and awards including Campaign Agency of the Year, Transform Asia and IDA Awards.

Recognized as ‘Creative director of the year’ - Asia by Transform Magazine, Mayuri has also been voted as one of India’s 40 under Forty go-getters in the creative field by Impact Magazine. Amongst numerous other representations as a leading voice for design, Mayuri has been on the jury panel for Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia, Transform North America as well as all major national festivals including serving as jury chair for Abbys (powered by One Show).

Mayuri is passionate about mentoring the next generation of creative talent and regularly conducts lectures and workshops at leading design schools in India.

Caroline is currently Senior Brand Design Manager at HEINEKEN and is based in Amsterdam. In this role her focus is primarily on the development of Heineken’s visual identity, building distinctive and premium brand power in bars, restaurants, and clubs around the world.

Previously Innovation and Creative director at agency side.

Laila Rotter is a Design Manager at Tátil, where she works on projects for global brands. Previously, she coordinated branding initiatives at Interbrand Latam, collaborating with international teams. She founded and led the Tête-à-Tête studio for a decade, earning over 30 design awards. She is also the co-founder of Projetar.org, a creative competition portal for students, which was the largest in Latin America for over 10 years. In academia, she contributed to establishing the first undergraduate Graphic Design course in western Paraná, serving as a coordinator, lecturer, and researcher in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for six years. Currently, she serves as a director of ADG Brasil, a member of the General Coordination of the 14th Brazilian Design Biennial, and a co-curator of Zupi and Pixel Show. She has been a jury member for major national design awards such as BDA and DFBW and held leadership roles in organisations such as Clube de Criação do Paraná and ProDesign/PR. She organised the first World Creativity Day in Cascavel/PR and earned the Creative Leadership Professional® certification.

With over 20 years of experience in the packaging and branding industry, Gareth brings a deep passion for transforming brands from initial concept to market success. His expertise lies in guiding new product development, revitalizing established brands, and driving creative innovation that resonates with consumers.

Gareth thrives on both the grand visions and the intricate details, believing in the power of simplicity to solve complex challenges. His approach seamlessly merges creativity with strategic thinking to deliver design solutions that are both impactful and enduring.

Throughout his career, he collaborated with major global brands across diverse sectors, including Food & Beverage, Personal Care, Automotive and more. His portfolio includes work with industry leaders such as Tesco, Coca-Cola, Mondelez, Colgate-Palmolive, Pernod Ricard, Carlsberg, Bacardi, Disney, and Biersdorf, to name a few. He's consistently challenged these iconic brands to reinvent themselves through design-led innovation.

As a judge, he brings a discerning eye and a commitment to excellence, grounded in years of hands-on experience and a deep understanding of what makes design truly exceptional.

Steffi is the Global Director of Brand Identity & Design for Mars Snacking. She has responsibility for managing the brand experience and identity strategy for the portfolio of brands, and driving design excellence across the globe. She looks after some of the most beloved confectionery brands, such as M&M'S, Snickers, Extra/Orbit gum, and Skittles.

Steffi joined Mars in 2012 from the agency world, where she spent 8 years leading brand building projects for iconic names. One of her proudest initiatives was being the lead strategist for the Oreo brand identity refresh in 2011. The ‘Oreo Smile’ that was created is still the cornerstone of the brand’s digital identity today.

Born and raised in China, she has lived in Europe and has been a long-time Chicagoan. Outside work, she enjoys expanding her native perennial garden and traveling with her friends.

Marie is a Creative Director at Dragon Rouge Paris, where she co-manages the creative studio.

She began her design career in 2012 in a small edition studio in which she worked for Nike, Canal+ and more. She then joined The Brand Union Paris (WPP), where she worked on 360 brands such as Chivas, Desperados, Havana Club, Pelforth, Edelweiss, Strongbow, Ricard, J&B etc. & won a Gold Pentawards for a pet food packaging.

At Dragon Rouge she leads global & local brands both in Corporate & Product Branding, such as UPSA, Kenvue, Mondelez, Coca-Cola, IPSEN, Natixis, Emmaus, Groupama, Essilor…She loves strategy, insight-driven approach, and cross-cultural thinking.

Leo Young, founder of Good Nugget, is on a mission to diversify the creative industry by empowering underrepresented talent. As a nonprofit social enterprise, Good Nugget helps underrepresented talent break into creative careers, giving them the skills and confidence to succeed while helping companies build inclusive teams to spark fresh ideas. With 15 years of experience at award-winning agencies, Leo combines his industry expertise with a passion for creating meaningful change

Flora is a sustainability professional with 15+ years of experience in the field. She is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and ecodesign expert currently responsible for UPM Raflatac’s Label Life service that provides customers with comprehensive, credible and actionable LCA metrics, supporting them in making more sustainable choices. She is part of a team driving the sustainability agenda across the business and supporting the implementation of ambitious climate targets. In her previous role at Sphera, Flora was senior consultant product sustainability, and lead designer of the GaBi Packaging Calculator, an online tool generating simple sustainability metrics for packaging products. She has managed 30+ international LCA and ecodesign projects and contributed to further 50+ such projects with a focus on the FMCG sector (packaging, food, apparel, electronics). Flora holds degrees in Tropical Aquatic Ecology (MSc) and Biology (BSc). She hails from Hungary, living in her second home, Germany, for the past 22 years.

Experienced packaging professional with 17+ years’ in the FMGC, mainly in Luxury perfume category such as Gucci and Paco Rabanne, Isabelle is a packaging design and development leader for Innovation programs. Her expertise is fragrance blockbusters: successful delivery with low staffing, challenging designs, agressive cost target, very low quality incident rate, and excellence of execution.As a packaging solution strategy owner, she knows how to develop a deep brand understanding within a global portfolio and to build strong connections with beauty business to leverage industry expectations and know-how.

Emmanouela Bitsaxaki is the Founding Managing Partner of 2yolk, a renowned branding and design agency headquartered in Athens, Greece. A graduate of Middlesex University, London, with an Honors BA in Graphic Design, Emmanouela started her career in the early '90s in London, gaining valuable experience in leading design offices before co-founding 2yolk in 2003 with George Karayiannis.Her dedication to creating impactful, visionary, and meaningful brands has positioned 2yolk as a global player, collaborating with major clients across three continents. Under her leadership, the agency has earned numerous accolades, including the Pentawards, Red Dot Awards, and European Design Awards, solidifying its reputation for design excellence.

Fluent in English and French, Emmanouela combines creativity with strategic insight, directly overseeing projects to ensure exceptional results. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, fashion, and spending time with her family, reflecting her dynamic and multifaceted personality.

A dynamic cross industry leader in customer experience design and digital innovation, currently leading Experience Design and Digital at NatWest Group. Known for blending creativity with strategic vision to drive commercial impact, Stephanie has championed customer-centric approaches that redefine business landscapes.

With an illustrious career spanning industry giants like Reckitt, JWT and Disney, she has driven innovation that captivates audiences, elevates brands, and sets new benchmarks for excellence. At Disney, she has brought to life some of the most beloved franchises, fostering cultural impact and consumer delight through groundbreaking design and storytelling.

An advocate for the power of design, Stephanie serves on the board of the Design Business Association (DBA), promoting its role as a catalyst for business and societal growth. She is also a Twenty/Twenty mentor supporting the next generation of design leaders.

Founding Experimenta, Fe’s goal was to replace fear with humanity, through Radically Shared Responsibility, Expanded Empathy and Creative Clarity toward branding, design, problem-solving and creative endeavours. Striving for ‘sustainable creativity’, Experimenta focuses on Branding, Design & Creative, done while transforming cultures, with its focus on the people doing the work.

After growing up a hands-on design creative in Brazil, Fe’s Design background is a hybrid of agency and in-house. A Designer, Creative Strategist and Leader, she has led the E2E Design for Coca-Cola North America, as well as working on Brand Design Vision for Danone North America, Strategy & Design for digital design & UX Pennsylvania-based firm and culture and reimagined design systems for The Hershey Company’s portfolio of iconic brands.

Alongside her work, Fe is a creator- rediscovering art and illustration, a yoga enthusiast – enjoying blue skies and the outside world and an empathetic and compassionate leader. And she’s proud of doing that all as a woman and a Brazilian immigrant in the creative industry.