Packaging trade body appoints its first ever Chief Executive

The Foodservice Packaging Association, based in Horsham, United Kingdom, has appointed Ellen Daniels as its first-ever chief executive, a structural step worth noting for any membership body weighing the move from an elected chair to permanent executive leadership.

Daniels joins from the British Compressed Gases Association, where she was chief executive, and earlier held public affairs roles at the British Coatings Federation. The board pointed to her record in policy development, stakeholder engagement, and strategic leadership across technical trade associations.

Interim executive chair Paul Synnott said the appointment follows an ambitious strategic plan agreed earlier this year, focused on strengthening member value and industry representation. Daniels takes up the post as the sector absorbs Extended Producer Responsibility and Simpler Recycling reforms.

For association leaders, the headline is governance. Creating a chief executive role for the first time signals a body investing in standing executive capacity rather than leaning on volunteer officers alone, a transition many growing associations reach sooner or later.