Fbca - The Food and Beverage Carton Alliance has announced the appointment of Sebastian Bartels as its new CEO. The executive, considered a pioneering expert in sustainability, brings with him more than two decades of international experience in managing strategic change across multiple industry sectors. "His appointment comes at a crucial time for the Alliance, which is expanding its action beyond Europe to strengthen its global role in building resilient food systems and in the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy," reads a note from the federation.

Fbca is also present with its own representation in Italy, led by director Micol Bertoni , as evidence of the Alliance's active commitment to dialogue with national players in the supply chain for the promotion of increasingly circular and low carbon footprint packaging practices.

According to Patrick Verhelst , president of Fbca, Bartels ' "deep expertise in sustainability" "combined with experience in various sectors and geographical contexts, makes him the ideal person to lead the next phase of development of the Alliance. We are confident that he will be able to amplify the impact and future reach of Fbca, moving from discussion in international forums to participatory activation from the bottom up, to the sharing of data and expertise along the supply chain".

Bartels has a long career in leadership roles across multiple countries in industries including manufacturing, logistics, packaging, consumer goods and energy, providing him with first-hand knowledge of operational and environmental challenges in a wide variety of markets.

Most recently, Bartels led Dekra’s Sustainability Services, responsible for a global portfolio of more than 500 services supporting companies in energy transition, product sustainability and responsible business practices. Previously, he served as Head of Global Quality & Safety Strategy at Deutsche Bahn, a global transport, logistics and infrastructure group, where he coordinated global governance for risk, safety and quality. In addition to his managerial experience, Bartels also brings institutional experience: he served as a city councilor for six years and has held leadership roles in national and international industry bodies.

“Joining Fbca is a tremendous opportunity for me,” said Bartels . “Food and beverage cartons play a key role in reducing waste and supporting safe, low-carbon food systems. I am excited to collaborate with our members to strengthen the industry’s global voice and accelerate innovation across the supply chain.”