IoPP launches online leadership course

Launched in cooperation with management consultancy Fastraqq Corp., the eight-hour Packaging360 Leadership is designed to give packaging professionals a ‘well-rounded education’ beyond packaging technologies and design.

Packaging360 Leadership is taught by Fastraqq president Dan Balan and available as a set of five primary, pre-recorded modules: Mastering Packaging Convergence, Mastering Supply Chains, Mastering Your Customer’s World, Mastering Your Internal Value Chain and Mastering Sustainability.

Each of the five primary modules concludes with a 50-question online exam to test knowledge retention. After successfully testing through each module – 70 percent of the questions answered correctly – participants can download a Certificate of Completion for the module.

The course expands IoPP’s suite of online packaging education options and joins its Fundamentals of Packaging Technology course.

IoPP said the Packaging360 Leadership course has added an advanced-level curriculum to its online course catalog, building on packaging basics learned in the 27-hour Fundamentals course.

Both Fundamentals of Packaging Technology and Packaging360 Leadership are designed to be modular and can either be taken as a full curriculum or tailored to specific content they need.

Those choosing to take the full Packaging360 Leadership course will gain access to a bonus sixth module, Transform Your Packaging in 360 Days: A Structured Approach. This special 70-minute module applies all the principles learned in the course.

Patrick Farrey, IoPP executive director, said: ‘IoPP is excited to launch this much-needed advanced course for packaging professionals.

‘IoPP continues to look for new partnerships as part of our objective to launch training programs that give packaging professionals leading-edge skills while also elevating packaging’s influence among their senior management.’

IoPP director of education Jim George added: ‘Packaging360 Leadership compels you to think about packaging strategically. The curriculum provides a lot of ideas for driving efficiencies and reducing costs.’

Fastraqq president Balan is a global leader in supply chain innovation who has advised global companies such as PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Motorola, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. and Pregis. At no extra charge, Balan will also hold a twice-monthly online ‘packaging excellence hour’, when he will lead live discussions about the Packaging360 Leadership course content for those to have completed the full course.

Balan said: ‘Packaging360 Leadership will equip you to evolve beyond mere tactical skills and designing boxes and cartons. It will educate you to understand the meshing points of packaging and business, so that you become a full-fledged business professional.’