The New Jersey Packaging Executives Club (NJPEC) celebrated its annual Hall of Fame Awards on May 15th. Industry executives gathered at the Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange, New Jersey for the gala dinner and presentation honoring the inductees.

Boris Schaefer (now the president of CIBS), is the NJPEC Hall of Fame Chair and hosted the memorable event. Christin Cupo NJPEC’s President, welcomed guests. (They are shown in the photo above, with the inductees.)

The NJPEC Hall of Fame Awards recognizes the lifelong achievements of industry executives. This year’s inductees have all experienced significant achievements throughout their careers. We’re excited that our editor-in-chief is among this prestigious group.

The 2025 NJPEC Hall of Fame inductees are:

• Philip Tarrant, Executive Director, Global Cross Brand Packaging & Engineering at Estee Lauder Companies
• Derek Schmidt, Head of New Product Engineering at LG H&H America/The Avon Company
• David Heubach, Director of Packaging & New Product Development at O.Berk
• Leslie Artesona, Package Development – Retired
• Karen Hadden-Wolf, Vice President of Sales at CO II Packaging
• Charles Del Rosso, Regional Sales Manager at Holmen Board & Paper
• Jamie Matusow, Editor-in-Chief at Beauty Packaging Magazine

Congratulations!

Read on for more about this year’s inductees.

NJPEC Inducts Industry Executives into the Hall of Fame

Welcoming ELC & Avon Packaging Executives

Two of this year’s honorees are on the consumer brand side of the packaging industry. They are:

• Philip Tarrant oversees global package development at the Estee Lauder Companies (ELC). He joined the company six years ago. Prior, Tarrant spent 16 years at Coty, where he led R&D and package development.

• Derek Schmidt is Head of New Product Engineering at LG H&H America/The Avon Company, and has over 30 years industry experience. He began his career in package testing at Revlon. Next, he joined Avon’s package engineering department, followed by roles at ELC and L’Oreal. He returned to Avon in 2018 to manage Package Engineering and Development for North America. His role has now expanded to include Technical Services and Beauty Sourcing.

Inducting Packaging Supplier Executives

The NJPEC welcomes these packaging supplier executives:

• Karen Hadden Wolf, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at CO II Packaging, often delivers is creative and strategic packaging solutions. With over 40 years experience, Hadden Wolf began her career in Pharma Marketing. She created her own company, Finer Touch Inc., where she sold cosmetics, pharma, and home furnishings. She has served on NJPEC’s board at for 25 years.

• Charles Del Rosso has served as Regional Sales Manager at Holmen Board & Paper for the past 13 years. He earns his place in the NJPEC Hall of Fame for being a key figure in the packaging industry for 43 years. After beginning his career at AB Maesa in 1982, he held roles at Cartondruck, Keller Crescent, and AGI. A longtime NJPEC member, Del Rosso often entertains guests with his emcee skills at events.

• David Heubach, Director of Packaging at O.Berk, often applies his technical expertise to projects. He has held roles at Avon, Bath & Body Works, Estee Lauder Companies, Batallure Beauty, and Inoac Packaging Group. He excels at helping brands create innovative packaging solutions.

Additional Honorees Complete NJPEC’s ‘Class of 2025’

Completing this year’s NJPEC Hall of Fame inductees are the following industry executives:

• Leslie Artesona has made significant industry contributions throughout her career, which spans several decades. She began her career in the Packaging department at Revlon, and was quickly promoted to Buyer. Her experience includes roles at she held roles at Elizabeth Arden, Estee Lauder Companies, Victoria’s Secret & Co., L’Oreal, and Liz Claiborne. She spent five years at StriVectin before retiring in 2022.

• Our own Jamie Matusow, editor-in-chief of Beauty Packaging Magazine, joins the NJPEC Hall of Fame this year. She joined Beauty Packaging Magazine 17 years ago, where she keeps readers up-to-date on packaging suppliers, beauty brands, and global trends shaping the cosmetics industry. Matusow has decades of journalism experience, with a career spanning tech, yachting, and beauty. 

More About the NJPEC

NJPEC, founded in 1962, is a non-profit professional association of packaging professionals. It provides valuable networking, learning, and business-building opportunities to those working in all areas of packaging industry. Christin Cupo is NJPEC’s current President.

NJPEC welcomes new members. To qualify for membership, you must be a packaging professional living or working in New Jersey, or doing business with a New Jersey-based packaging company.

College students majoring in packaging or design are welcome to apply for free membership.