Antonis Kanavouras, PhD
Faculty Member at Agricultural University of Athens
antoniskanavouras@yahoo.com
Summary
An experienced packaging professional combining knowledge and hands-on experience in engineering within packaging design, manufacturing settings and supply chain demands. Have led, managed and delivered several commercial research projects for many leading global and national brand manufacturers including Unilever Europe, Heineken Global Supply Chain, Danone/Nutricia and various Greek companies. Working closely with R&D, packaging and innovation teams across the packaging and product development cycle to guide and support decision-making - at the critical early stages and all the way through to final validation. Capable of incorporating the sustainability principles into the total product-packaging approach. Experienced with suppliers management, evaluation and mutual benefits project management. Specialties: Packaging Project Management, Putting Structure into Abstract Problems and Concepts, Quality assurance and governance.
Experience
Faculty Member at Agricultural University of Athens January 2015 - Present (1 month) Research and Teaching responsibilities in the Food Packaging sector. Supporting academic and industrial projects regarding food packaging and preservation applications. Experienced consultant for the packaging industry on problems solving with great relevant experiences.
PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY MANAGER at Danone October 2013 - December 2014 (1 year 3 months) Present responsibilities include the definition, the justification and the monitoring of mid term/long term pack R&D programs relevant with business company stakes. As technical referent, I am acting as advisor in and outside the team by delivering consistent packaging recommendations, while in addition I am involved in managing complex projects. My role is to initiate new packaging development/improvement/ booster projects by delivering approved briefing and business cases, to translate business strategy to needed technology development, to justify and to monitor successful three to four years development programs. I am also here to influence the development programs of strategic suppliers towards the Danone’s needed technology developments. My involvement includes creating/maintaining an overview of internal and external technologies for defined packaging area (material / design / process).and maintaining a global network of suppliers and education institutes and follow the technology developments. I am involved in Management of complex projects, in the (co) project management regarding the packaging part in projects. Such activities require packaging functional-technical brief / communication matrix / finance overview /
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project planning / risk assessment/ leadership /communication skills. Furthermore, I am a technical adviser, giving support to solve technical issues, coaching more junior project managers, leveraging the team and participating in the Technology Team towards developing its efficiency and deliverables.
Packaging Materials Specialist at Heineken August 2011 - October 2013 (2 years 3 months) Responsibilities include the supporting of the Heineken's Global Supply Chain on packaging materials issues (mainly paper made). Building knowledge, working on setting specifications and auditing supplier in the relevant but also to more business sectors are part of my activities. In addition, there is a major involvement in the knowledge data development. This mainly concerns the writing of the master, technical and process standards for the packaging materials, parts and production/assembly processes, including the quality control parameters and planning. My third area of activities concerns the Heineken's "Green packaging" initiatives, as part of the Brewing a Better Future strategic platform. I am involved in initiatives concerning the environmental impact of packaging materials and suppliers’ performance regarding the corporate brands. Last but not least, I am involved in the Global Procurement Heineken Company initiatives relevant to the harmonization and standardization of the packaging materials. A major filed of suppliers, operational companies, marketing and procurement collaboration towards a rationalization of the packaging portfolio and design choices in order to enhance cost saving, flexibility and supply chain endurance to the today’s market trends. Consequent support to the Operational Companies for validations and implementation steps are also supported globally. Supporting the marketing brand teams on initiatives regarding design and (re-)innovation projects. A major area of activities is related to the draught beer dispensing systems. Additional developments are mainly related to polymeric packaging components. My competencies are developing in the fields of independence, creativity, market orientation, result orientation, customer orientation, cooperation, persuasiveness and learning ability.
Packaging Manager at Korres Natural Products October 2007 - September 2009 (2 years) Efficient import of new packing applications in the plant increase productivity and solving quality issues related to packaging materials and methods. Unit loads redesign via regrouping and incorporation of distribution and storage requirements for the products in the supply chain. Cost savings program for the packing materials to a sum in the order of hundreds of thousands €/year, with re-design, reductions and optimization of the use of the materials, in collaboration with the purchasing department. Organization of the newly established packaging department, creation and updating of packaging files (Packaging Dossiers, part if ISO 9000 implementation requirements), approval, model and development of new products in collaboration with the Marketing team and the New Product Development team (NPD) in Greek and EU collaborating production sites. Member of the ISO 9001 and the ISO 14000 implementation team. Involvement in the packaging materials quality control and product-packaging interactions for the new products.
Packaging Manager at Unilever - Spreads and
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September 2002 - March 2005 (2 years 7 months) Managing packaging development projects for the European market from idea to post-launch evaluation. Main products were in the fresh food (fresh pasta, sauces and vegetables) and dairy based spreads of short shelf life in the freezer (fresh concept/minimally processed). Additionally, I was supporting the affiliated companies local brands, and production units on factory applications of new packaging formats. A major project was related to the changing of the margarine RSC boxes to wrap around cases for the 3 major production European sites. The responsibilities undertaken were including the packaging design selection, the evaluation of its performance on the lines and the selection of the machines (custom made) to facilitate the changes. I have also been a participant in inquiring programs at the International Centre of Research and Development of Unilever at Vlaardingen. The projects were mainly related to quality issues of fatty products and especially olive oil. The shelf life evaluation and the factors influencing it was my main expertise and I have been the key-contact person among global Unilever colleagues for the shelf-life issues.
Research Assistant at Michigan State University - Dept. of Horticulture January 1998 - December 1998 (1 year)
Languages English (Full professional proficiency) Spanish (Elementary proficiency) Dutch (Elementary proficiency) Greek (Native or bilingual proficiency)
Skills & Expertise Packaging Supply Chain Packaging Engineering Product Development Food Corrugated Plastics FMCG Purchasing Lean Manufacturing Strategy Quality Assurance R&D Manufacturing Procurement
Education Michigan State University - School of Packaging
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PhD, Packaging Engineering, 1998 - 2002 Medit. Agronomic Instit. at Chania MSc, Food Quality Management, 1996 - 1997 Medit. Agronomic Instit. at Chania MSc, Horticulture, 1994 - 1996 Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki, Greece BSc, Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 1987 - 1994
