Avery Dennison appoints Sam O’Keefe Vice President of R&D EMEA

Avery Dennison Corporation has announced the appointment of Sam O’Keefe as Vice President of research and development (R&D) for its Label and Graphic Materials group in Europe (LGM-EU), effective immediately.

She will be reporting to Pascale Wautelet, Vice President of global R&D, becoming part of the European leadership team of LGM.

Sam brings more than 25 years of industrial experience and materials science with major international companies.

She joins Avery Dennison from Sensient Technologies, where she worked as technical director – Industrial Colors and prior to Sensient, she held technical and leadership roles with several companies, including Unilever, InterfaceFlor, Ashland and Saint-Gobain.

Sam earned her Ph.D. in physical science (rheology of polymer-modified cements) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry in Bristol, England.

Wautelet, said: “In this role, Sam will provide vision and direction to the R&D organisation in the EMEA region and lead new-product development, material re-engineering and adhesive development for Avery Dennison’s LGM business across Europe.”