中文Miller Graphics Group has appointed Christian Schoyen as its new Group President and CEO, effective August 18, bringing in a leader with more than 25 years of executive experience to guide the European prepress and platemaking specialist through its next phase of growth and market development. Schoyen succeeds Philippe Bataillie, who has served as Group President for the past five years and will remain in an advisory capacity until his formal retirement to ensure a smooth transition.
The appointment is a significant moment for Miller Graphics, a company that has built a strong position in the European flexographic platemaking and prepress market over decades. The choice of Schoyen — whose career spans technology services, consulting, and entrepreneurship rather than printing specifically — signals that the board is looking for a leader who can bring fresh strategic perspective to a company operating in an industry undergoing rapid technological and structural change.
Schoyen holds a Master of Science degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim and has completed executive education at INSEAD in Paris. His 25-year career includes 13 years as CEO, with senior positions at Tieto, IBM, and PwC, and most recently active involvement in entrepreneurial ventures. This blend of large-organization leadership and startup agility is unusual in the printing industry, where executive career paths typically run through printing companies and industry suppliers.
“Miller Graphics is a European market leader operating in a dynamic and evolving industry,” Schoyen said. “I was immediately drawn to the opportunity to lead a company with such a strong heritage and brand. While recognizing both the opportunities, challenges and complexities ahead, I look forward to working with the competent management team and wider organization to drive growth, enhance profitability and further strengthen Miller Graphics’ market position.”
Andreas Jensen, Chairman of the Board at Miller Graphics Group, emphasized the breadth of Schoyen’s executive experience across industries and geographies, including his background in international and decentralized organizations similar to Miller Graphics. “The board looks forward to partnering with him to build on Miller’s strong foundation and take the company to the next level,” Jensen said. He also acknowledged Bataillie’s contribution, noting his long and distinguished service to the company.
The leadership transition comes at a pivotal time for the flexographic prepress sector. Platemaking is being transformed by advances in digital imaging, automated workflow software, and thermally processable plates that eliminate solvent use. Companies like Miller Graphics, which operate at the intersection of plate production, color management, and prepress services, must navigate technology investments, sustainability mandates, and shifting customer expectations simultaneously.
Schoyen’s background in technology services is particularly relevant. The prepress business is increasingly software-driven, and the ability to integrate digital workflows, data analytics, and automated quality control into traditional platemaking operations is becoming a critical competitive differentiator. A CEO who understands both the technology landscape and the operational realities of a service business serving geographically dispersed customers is well-positioned to lead that transformation.
The fact that Schoyen comes from outside the printing industry may also be an advantage. The flexographic prepress sector has a tendency toward insular thinking, with companies often promoting from within and reinforcing established approaches. An external leader with experience across multiple industries can challenge assumptions, bring best practices from adjacent sectors, and push the organization toward new business models and customer segments.
Miller Graphics operates a network of platemaking and prepress facilities across Europe, serving flexo converters in flexible packaging, labels, and corrugated packaging. The company’s distributed model — local production with shared standards and technology — requires strong operational discipline and the ability to maintain consistency across sites, capabilities that align well with Schoyen’s experience in decentralized international organizations.
For the broader flexographic supply chain, the appointment is a signal that prepress companies are increasingly looking beyond traditional industry talent pools for leadership. As the boundary between printing and technology continues to blur, executive teams that combine deep industry knowledge with cross-sector technology and management expertise will be better equipped to navigate the complex challenges of the next decade.
The timing of Schoyen’s appointment is also noteworthy in the context of European packaging regulation. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which takes effect in the coming years, will impose new requirements on packaging design, recyclability, and material composition that will ripple through the entire supply chain, including prepress and platemaking. As converters adapt to these regulations, they will need prepress partners who can support new substrate types, adjust color management for recycled materials, and maintain print quality on sustainable packaging stocks. Miller Graphics’ ability to anticipate and serve these emerging needs will be critical to its growth trajectory under Schoyen’s leadership.
The decision to bring in a CEO from outside the printing industry also sends a message to the broader market. Miller Graphics is signaling that it views itself not merely as a platemaking company but as a technology-enabled services business that happens to serve the flexographic printing market. This positioning — technology services company rather than traditional printing supplier — could open doors to new customer segments, partnerships, and business models that a more traditional leadership profile might not pursue. For an industry that is increasingly defined by software, data, and automation rather than by chemistry and mechanics, this kind of strategic repositioning may be essential for long-term relevance. Whether Schoyen can successfully bridge the gap between his technology services background and the operational realities of flexographic platemaking will be the key question for Miller Graphics stakeholders in the coming months.
Source: Labels & Labeling
