Avery Dennison appoints R&D VP in EMEA

Avery Dennison has appointed Sam O’Keefe as vice president of research and development (R&D) for its Label and Graphic Materials group in Europe (LGM-EU), effective immediately.

Avery Dennison appoints R&D VP in EMEA

O’Keefe brings more than 25 years of industrial experience and materials science with major international companies to the role. She joins Avery Dennison from Sensient Technologies, where she worked as technical director, Industrial Colors. Prior to Sensient, she held technical and leadership roles with several companies, including Unilever, InterfaceFlor, Ashland and Saint-Gobain.

She will be based at Oegstgeest, reporting to Pascale Wautelet, vice president of global R&D. She will become part of the European leadership team of LGM and have a dotted reporting line to Jeroen Diderich, vice president and general manager of LGM-EU.

This appointment reinforces Avery Dennison’s continued focus on innovation and sustainability, which includes ongoing investments and external partnerships with suppliers, universities, other business partners and new ventures.

Wautelet commented: ‘Sam will provide vision and direction to the R&D organization in the EMEA region and lead new-product development, material re-engineering and adhesive development for Avery Dennison’s LGM business across Europe.’