When Henriette Thomas, now the Africa and Middle East General Manager for Point Group, launched her career in print, it was a different world. She is happy to see how women have risen in the industry since then
Packaging MEA: Tell us about yourself and your career.
Henriette: I started my journey in print just after leaving school. I did my apprenticeship in a good old ‘repro’ house and still worked on the light tables, just as Macs became the ‘in thing’. Preparing repro files, plotting film, checking positives, making cromalins, deep-etching on rubilith, dyelines, bromides and even plates. This was way before CTP (Computer to Plate) and everyone speculated it would never replace CTF (Computer to Film). After completing my apprenticeship, I joined an array of agencies from publishing and advertising to branding. I prepared artwork, clipping, trapping, proofs, seps. I loved being a finished artist before expanding into in-house production and heading a renowned agency’s production and finished art studio. In the early 2000s I returned to my roots and joined a prestigious print production factory before eventually finding my way back to procuring print, packaging and POSM.
PMEA: Why did you choose a career in the packaging industry?
H: It always fascinated me; the science behind it and how you get to the final product and finally seeing and holding it. I love the smell of ink and the sound of the presses; it’s intoxicating.
PMEA: What do you enjoy the most in your profession?
H: I love solving challenges and still love seeing the end product knowing all that went into producing it. But most of all the people in our industry – they are very special, with ink pumping through their veins – I love sharing this passion.
PMEA: What are the barriers and challenges as a woman in this industry?
H: People believe you don’t have the background or experience or understand print since you are a woman. I’m generalising, but in most cases this is true. It takes quite a while to win them over, but when this happens the relationship flips 360 degrees and mutual trust blossoms. In recent years, though, an increasing amount of women have raised through the ranks.
PMEA: What global movements do you support?
H: I am a big believer in supporting women in the industry and follow many movements specifically for this cause. I am also a great supporter of sustainability. We only have one planet and need to take care of it.
PMEA: What has been your biggest motivation?
H: In our industry, the only constant is change. I am motivated to stay at the forefront of the latest to deliver value through thought-provoking solutions.
PMEA: Do you think women are underrepresented in the packaging industry?
H: Packaging Digest reports that in 1976, fewer than 5% of packaging industry jobs were held by women. Today, that number has risen to 30-40%. I see more and more women in our industry and gain strength from what we bring to the table every day. We have come so far, but there is always room for improvement.
PMEA: Consumer insight is key to the success of any business. Do you think women offer unique perspective?
H: Eva Peters, global head of packaging development at Novartis Consumer Health, explains in an interview with Packaging Digest that “women bring a breadth of life experience that allows them to provide a unique point of view regarding consumers’ views of packaging… This will provide the opportunity to design packaging that resonates with a more diverse array of focused ethnographic consumer groups”.
PMEA: What signs of progress do you see?
H: We are eliminating obstacles slowly but surely. Speaking particularly about the packaging industry; a study showed a jump in interest in female representation in excess of 70% in the past decade.
PMEA: What is your message to women considering a career in packaging?
H: Believe in yourself – otherwise who will? Don’t dwell on mistakes but learn from them. Don’t go in circles – cut to the chase, the quicker the better. Don’t follow the crowd – you will get lost.