FINAT’s Kurt Walker to receive lifetime achievement award
FINAT’s president Kurt Walker has been chosen as the recipient of the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Label Industry Global Awards.
Judging for the 12th annual awards programme took place during the FINAT European Label Forum (ELF) in Amsterdam, where the judging panel met to consider nominations across this and three additional award categories.
Sponsored by Avery Dennison, the Lifetime Achievement Award is bestowed upon an individual who has made a substantial and key contribution to the label industry over a minimum of 25 years.
Walker joined the label industry in 1988 and acted, until his retirement in 2012, as CEO of tesa Bandfix in Switzerland. He also became a member of the FINAT board in 1999 and has also served as vice-president, membership committee member and treasurer before being appointed president of the worldwide association for the self-adhesive labelling industry in 2011.
Known for being innovative and forward thinking, Walker has been influential in unifying the wider global label industry. A significant supporter of the L7, now L9, Walker has been instrumental in helping grow the alliance’s profile and importance, whilst also helping secure and ensure the on-going success of FINAT’s Young Managers Club.
During the same meeting, the judging panel also announced details of the finalists for the three other categories, including the two Awards for Innovation (for companies with more than 300 employees and for companies with up to 300 employees), both sponsored by Flint Group Narrow Web, and The Award for Sustainability, sponsored by Xeikon. More information on the Awards can be found here.
Mike Fairley, chair of the judges explained: “Kurt Walker was the unanimous choice of the judging panel. His impressive long-term industry pedigree as CEO of tesa Bandfix, as well as terms as treasurer, vice-president and president of FINAT – where he encouraged and built global links and supported the establishment and growth of the highly successful Young Managers Club – made him the stand-out choice for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. We look forward to honouring Kurt and the other winners in person at the awards ceremony in September.”
The winners of all Awards will be announced at the Label Industry Global Awards ceremony and dinner on September 29, held as part of Labelexpo Europe in Brussels, where Walker will also officially be presented with the award.