Advisory Board
Advisory Board
Members
The 2019 Digital Packaging Summit will feature a range of
industry experts discussing the trends and topics attendees need to
help them make difficult decisions and deploy solutions. The
program will feature Conference Co-Chairs Marco Boer and Kevin
Karstedt, and several other industry thought leaders and
experts.
Marco Boer, Vice President, IT Strategies
(Conference Co-Chair)

Marco Boer is recognized as a trusted consultant to the digital
printing industry. He has a reputation for being able
to put complex information and concepts into a context that is
easily understood by his audience. With more than 22 years of
experience in advising and guiding senior executives of Fortune
1000 and smaller innovative companies to successful business
solutions in emerging digital printing markets, Mr. Boer has
developed an extensive network of industry contacts in both the
printing and investor community.
Mr. Boer is Vice President at I.T. Strategies where he focuses
on product planning for graphics, transaction, and publishing
printers and emerging industrial digital printing applications such
as label printing, packaging printing, other non-document
applications. During his tenure in the industry he has
concentrated on researching applications and sizing markets for ink
jet and laser printing technology, and has been a proponent for the
use of digital color printing in business and industrial
applications. Mr. Boer is an alumnus of the University of
Maryland located in College Park, Maryland. He holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and international
business. Mr. Boer has lived and traveled extensively through
Europe, and has spend more than 500 days in Japan during his career
in the digital printing industry.
Kevin Karstedt, CEO, Karstedt Partners,
LLC (Conference Co-Chair)

Company founder and CEO, Kevin Karstedt has been a sought after
speaker on digital workflows and Digital Printing for many years.
Kevin has been asked to speak on four continents and has presented
to 1000s of people at venues large and small. He has been in 100s
of plants, spoken to 1000s of innovators, and signed and initiated
100s of Non Disclosure Agreements. It has been said
about Karstedt Partners that they know more about "what's
'cookin' in the kitchen" at technology developers than the patent
office.
Building on a corporate reputation of being both visionary and
pragmatic, Karstedt Partners, LLC offers insightful and
actionable guidance to companies looking to; use existing
technologies in innovative ways, build new processes or solutions
and bring them to market, validate business and technology
prospects. Since 1996 Karstedt Partners has been a
trusted source for insights, innovations, and consulting services
to constituents in all sectors of the consumer products and
packaging supply chain. Brand Owners, Graphic Service Providers,
Package Printers, and OEMs have counted on Karstedt
Partners counsel and guidance with developing efficient and
effective workflows and tools aimed at improving time-to-market and
product quality.
Bob Leahey, Director, Keypoint Intelligence -
InfoTrends

Bob Leahey has many years of experience in consulting to the
peripherals and supplies industries. At Keypoint Interlligence -
InfoTrends, where he has worked since 1996, he regularly conducts
custom research projects, most often on laser, ink jet, thermal
print technologies used for and industrial applications. In 2009,
he started a subscription consulting service that focuses on the
use of production level color digital presses for printing
packaging and labels. Bob's clients include many printer and
supplies manufacturers in all regions. He has also been author or
co-author of many syndicated research reports, on topics such as
color digital packaging and label presses, ink jet coders, and
point of sale receipt printers. He is working now on a report about
the current and prospective markets for digitally printed packaging
in China.
Christopher J. Curran,
Executive Vice President - Printing, Packaging, Publishing, NAPCO
Media

Chris brings more than 20 years of
experience to the DPS Advisory Board through his association with
the printing industry. He has held numerous leadership roles with
Heidelberg, HP Indigo, and LANDA in equipment sales, financial
consulting, business development, public relations, and marketing
communications. He is actively involved in launching PRINTING
United in partnership with the Specialty Graphic Imaging
Association (SGIA). Today, Curran is Executive Vice President at
NAPCO Media for the Print, Packaging, and Publishing Group which
encompasses their brands, Printing Impressions, packagePRINTING,
and In-Plant Graphics.
Brian Ludwick, VP,
Publisher/Brand Director, packagePRINTING

Brian has been Publisher of packagePRINTING, the leading
industry trade magazine and marketing services resource for the
packaging printing and converting industries, for over 28 years.
packagePRINTING serves the tag & label, flexible packaging,
folding carton and corrugated markets. His extensive industry
knowledge and contacts has led Brian to serve on many panels and
boards across the U.S. He continues to work closely with trade
shows, associations, converters and suppliers to help promote not
only their individual interests, but the entire industries as a
whole.
Cory Francer, Editor-in-Chief,
packagePRINTING

Cory Francer has served as editor ofpackagePRINTINGsince 2014,
and has spent the last 10 years working in the journalism, media
and publishing fields. In his time withpackagePRINTING, Cory has
helped grow the publication in print and beyond, positioning it to
serve as the leading source of industry news and information for
all packaging segments and printing technologies. Cory has helped
developpackagePRINTINGinto an omni-channel brand that includes
digital and print content, multimedia, research, e-learning, live
events and more.