At the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) Annual General Meeting on the 30th of June 2025 John Bigley MAIP officially completed his three-year term as President.
Upon reflection, John identified some key milestones and outcomes that were delivered during his term.
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A standout for John was the growth of the monthly AIP State of Industry Webinars that were borne out of COVID and lockdowns and have grown to be a very successful platform for the industry..
“In 2025 alone we saw over 1500 people attend our State of Industry Webinars from over 12 countries and that is remarkable. The library of information that the AIP is now developing from these webinars is astounding,” Mr Bigley said.
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“One of the key milestones under my Presidency was the development of a Strategic Plan for the Institute. I sincerely congratulate the Board and the Executive Team for their hard work in pulling together the strategic framework represented by 5 key pillars. As I complete my term, I know that the Strategic Plan and the pillars will help guide our way forward and prioritise our actions for the next few years,”
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“For me though it needs to be seen as a living and dynamic document to support our regional ambitions and our global involvement in supporting minimising Food Loss and Waste. The AIP are independent and apolitical, and against the backdrop of packaging reform we are very well placed to concentrate on expanding our education and training offerings to develop and upskill all of the packaging professionals regionally. Technical qualifications in packaging are the core of the AIP, and we are ready to help,” he said.
“I can’t quite believe that it has already been three years. I have personally learnt so much and understand so much more now about who the AIP really is at its core, and what we can uniquely offer packaging professionals within the industry. My own journey of truly appreciating the AIP and what respect it holds in the Asian region was at ProPak Asia a few years ago. The AIP have a rich 63-year-old history and incredible strength and depth in technical packaging education and training expertise. There is no other peak professional body in the region like the AIP and for that we should all be very proud,”
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“As I close my term I have to admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed my 3 years and thank the Board, the executive team and the broader AIP team for their support, and especially Nerida Kelton for her support and guidance. To Ralph Moyle FAIP, CPP and Prof Pierre Pienaar FAIP, CPPL I have been eternally grateful to have them readily available as sounding boards over my tenure. Lastly, thank you to each and every AIP Member for their support and encouragement over the three years. I am not going anywhere I have accepted the role of AIP Treasurer under the new President.” Mr Bigley said.
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New President – New Era
Nerida Kelton FAIP, Executive Director of the AIP, said that ‘with a 40-year career in the packaging industry and as a strong supporter of the Institute, it is only fitting that Michael Dossor MAIP, Chief Executive Officer of Result Group, takes over as the next AIP President.
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“Michael has been in the packaging industry for four decades and joined the AIP Education Team as a trainer and lecturer close to 10 years ago. He is as passionate about packaging as the rest of the AIP Executive Team and we all welcome him to the role,”
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At the close of the AIP Annual General Meeting Michael Dossor received the formal handover from John Bigley and commented that ‘It is very humbling and a great honour to be endorsed by my industry peers as the next President of the AIP.’
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“I know that myself, the board, the executive and most importantly the AIP team led by Nerida Kelton, are all committed to leading the AIP into a new era,” Mr Dossor said.
“We are also so grateful for having John guide us for the last three years and it was under his leadership that the AIP developed the Strategic Plan and Pillars. This will be the driving force in delivering growth for the AIP,”
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“My role will be help support the growth areas and strengthen other areas of the AIP pillars. We will be communicating regularly, and in a very transparent way all that we do, to our individual members, sponsors, association partners and government bodies,” he said.
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“The next generation of packaging professionals are also critical to the continued work required solve the challenges our industry faces today, tomorrow and into the future. The AIP will continue to take the lead in technical packaging training and education for the region and to ensure that all packaging technologists and professionals in the industry have the qualifications to take the lead in this era of change that is coming,”
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“Now more than ever, with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and eco-modulation just around the corner, we need to ensure that we have the technical packaging qualifications and competencies within all teams across the region and the AIP are ready to train everyone,” Mr Dossor said.
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Michael added that ‘Fit for purpose, functional Packing Design that offers the lowest environmental impact can no longer be an afterthought. Packaging plays a critical role in all businesses, and the AIP is best placed to help guide the Australasian industry through these changes,’
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“The AIP are and always will remain independent; we are simply here to help guide the technical aspect of packaging for all businesses, to support and provide guidance to government, and help support our sister associations. That is the uniqueness of the AIP,”
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“To become the AIP President is something I will forever be grateful for.” he said.