中文Pro Carton, the European Association of Carton and Cartonboard Manufacturers, has appointed Andreas Birmoser as its new President, marking a leadership transition at a moment when the European packaging industry is navigating some of the most consequential regulatory and market shifts in a generation. Birmoser, who currently serves as Executive Vice President of Cartonboard at Stora Enso, succeeds Michele Bianchi, CEO of RDM Group, whose four-year tenure oversaw a significant expansion of Pro Carton’s role in industry advocacy and outreach.
Birmoser brings more than two decades of international leadership experience in the forest products and cartonboard sectors. In addition to his current role at Stora Enso, his career has included senior executive positions across Europe and South America, including time as Chief Executive Officer of Veracel Celulose. His background covers strategic planning, commercial development, operational management, and business transformation, a combination that Pro Carton believes is well suited to the moment the industry is in.
“It is a real honour to take on the role of President of Pro Carton, especially at such an important moment for our industry,” Birmoser said. He emphasized that increasing economic uncertainty, evolving sustainability legislation, and changing customer expectations require greater collaboration across the packaging value chain. The association, he said, has a vital role to play in bringing the industry together, strengthening its collective voice, and ensuring it remains a trusted partner for policymakers and stakeholders across Europe.
Pro Carton Director General Horst Bittermann welcomed the appointment, noting that Birmoser has served on the association’s Board since 2023 and has a deep understanding of both the organization and the broader cartonboard market. Under Birmoser’s leadership, Pro Carton intends to continue strengthening cooperation across the value chain while promoting fiber-based packaging as a sustainable alternative within Europe’s circular economy.
The appointment lands as the European packaging sector prepares to implement the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), one of the most significant regulatory changes affecting packaging manufacturers in decades. The regulation will shape rules on recyclability, recycled content, re-use, and material efficiency across the continent. As policymakers focus on circularity and resource productivity, the cartonboard industry is likely to come under both new opportunity and new scrutiny. Pro Carton is expected to play an increasingly influential role in representing the sector’s interests in those debates.
For Birmoser personally, the move is also a signal about the strategic importance of industry associations in a more regulated environment. The combination of his Stora Enso role and the Pro Carton presidency puts him at the intersection of corporate strategy and industry advocacy, an unusual but powerful position from which to influence how fiber-based packaging is positioned in Europe over the next several years.
Beyond the regulatory file, Birmoser’s agenda is likely to include the usual heavy lifting of a sector association: communication, education, and networking. Pro Carton has invested heavily over the last decade in explaining cartonboard’s sustainability credentials to brand owners, designers, and consumers, and that work is unlikely to slow. As alternative materials from bio-based plastics to mycelium packaging compete for shelf space, the association’s voice on fact-based lifecycle assessment is more important than ever.
Cartonboard’s market position is also worth watching. The category has benefited from the broad shift away from plastic in food, beauty, and pharmaceutical packaging, but it faces its own challenges, including pulp price volatility, energy costs, and the need to keep investing in barrier coating technology to stay competitive with plastic and bio-plastic substrates. Birmoser’s commercial background at Stora Enso should serve him well in those discussions, both with members and with the broader value chain.
For the broader European packaging value chain, the appointment is also a signal about how seriously the cartonboard sector is taking the PPWR transition. With regulatory compliance now a board-level concern, having a President who can speak credibly to policymakers, brand owners, and converter customers simultaneously is a meaningful asset. Birmoser’s mix of operational, commercial, and strategic experience should serve Pro Carton well as it navigates what is likely to be a busy and consequential few years of industry advocacy in Brussels and across member states.
The transition also creates continuity. Birmoser has been on the Pro Carton Board since 2023, so he is not stepping into the role cold, and the rest of the association’s leadership remains in place. That kind of continuity matters in a regulatory moment like the PPWR rollout, where Pro Carton’s advocacy needs to be consistent, technically credible, and coordinated across multiple workstreams. With Birmoser in place, the association can continue its current advocacy posture while bringing fresh commercial perspective to bear on the most pressing industry questions.
Birmoser’s geographic and operational background is also worth noting. His career has spanning executive roles in Europe and South America, including running a major pulp and cellulose business in Brazil. That international exposure is increasingly relevant for an association that operates in a globalized industry and engages with EU policymakers on issues that have worldwide supply chain implications. Birmoser’s ability to bridge European, South American, and global perspectives could prove useful as the industry navigates an increasingly complex regulatory and trade environment in the years ahead.
Source: INKISH.NEWS
