Interview with Luis Marquez

My professional journey in the packaging industry spans more than 18 years and has evolved from strong technical and operational foundations into full business and commercial leadership roles across Mexico, the United States, and global operations.

I began my career in product development, prepress, and process engineering, working closely with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to translate customer requirements into scalable and repeatable packaging solutions. These early experiences shaped my understanding of how packaging performance, quality, and customer satisfaction are built from the ground up.

As my career progressed, I was entrusted with broader responsibilities, including the design and launch of a digital printing business unit from scratch in Guadalajara. In this role, I led the end-to-end operation with full P&L responsibility, overseeing customer service, prepress, planning, production, quality, and safety. The unit became one of the most profitable in the plant, driven by disciplined execution, customer-centric decision-making, and continuous improvement.

I later joined MCC’s Global Operations team as a Global Digital Champion, collaborating with the CTO and regional leaders across the Americas, EMEA, and LATAM. I contributed to the development of global S&OP frameworks, customer segmentation models, and operational standards for more than 30 digital plants worldwide—bridging global strategy with local execution.

From 2022 to 2025, I served as Business Manager for MCC Label’s Digital Business Unit in Napa, California, leading a multidisciplinary team with full P&L accountability. My focus was on scaling the business, strengthening leadership capability, and integrating ERP and commercial systems to improve visibility, speed, and decision-making. During this period, the business achieved record sales, industry-leading OTIF performance, and sustained profitability despite market volatility.

Most recently, I have acted as Senior Advisor for Business Operations, supporting executive leadership in aligning strategy with execution through KPI governance, Lean initiatives, and transformation planning.

In parallel, I am the co-founder and Head of Business Strategy of Cerveza Chulo, where I lead brand and go-to-market strategy—an experience that keeps me closely connected to entrepreneurship, consumer behavior, and brand-driven growth.

Today, I see my role in the packaging industry as that of a business builder and strategic partner, connecting commercial strategy, operational excellence, and people development to create sustainable growth.

One of the biggest challenges I see today is not a lack of technology or ideas, but the increasing complexity of the packaging environment and the gap between ambition and execution.

First, there is often a misalignment between commercial strategy and operational execution. Many organizations promise speed, flexibility, and customization without having fully integrated planning processes or clear decision frameworks to support those commitments. To evolve, the industry must strengthen cross-functional alignment through robust S&OP models, data-driven forecasting, and disciplined commercial prioritization.

Second, the growing complexity of portfolios—shorter runs, more SKUs, and higher variability—continues to put pressure on margins, capacity, and teams. The industry needs to move beyond simply doing more with less and instead redesign operating models for agility, clarity, and repeatability, focusing on simplification where it truly adds value.

Third, while robotics, automation, and AI receive significant attention, their impact on daily plant operations remains limited in many cases. Too often, these technologies exist as vendor-led pilots rather than integrated solutions that address real operational constraints. The industry must shift toward well-defined, scalable use cases and develop internal capabilities to adopt and sustain these technologies as part of standard operations.

Finally, talent development and leadership remain critical challenges. The packaging industry needs leaders who can connect business strategy, technology, and people. Investing in leadership development, empowering teams with clear structures, and embedding continuous improvement into daily routines will be essential to sustaining long-term performance.

Overall, the industry must evolve from a reactive, project-based mindset to a more integrated and strategic approach—where technology, people, and processes work together to drive sustainable growth.

I believe the packaging industry must continue shifting from being a reactive service provider to a true strategic partner for its customers. Even years after the pandemic, many organizations still operate in reactive mode, often using disruption as a justification rather than addressing the need for better planning, prioritization, and decision-making. The organizations that will shape the industry are those that help customers anticipate challenges, make trade-offs visible, and move from urgency-driven execution to structured collaboration.

Operational discipline will be a key differentiator. In many parts of the industry—especially outside large corporations—processes remain highly artisanal and are often romanticized as craftsmanship. While experience and know-how are valuable, long-term competitiveness requires standardization, clarity, and repeatability. Strong operations should enable commercial growth, not limit it.

Technology will also play a role, but only when applied pragmatically. AI, automation, and digital tools must be integrated into daily decision-making and core processes, not treated as standalone initiatives or experiments. The focus should be on solving real business and operational problems, not adopting technology for its own sake.

Finally, talent and leadership will define the future. Packaging has long been seen as a trade rather than a career, making it increasingly difficult to attract and retain new talent. Organizations must reposition the industry as a place where people can grow, lead, and create impact—combining technical excellence with business thinking and continuous improvement.

In this context, my view is that organizations that connect strategy, execution, and people development will be the ones shaping a more resilient and sustainable packaging industry.

What excites me most is the convergence of advanced digital printing technologies, robotics, automation, and applied AI when they are used to improve real decision-making on the production floor.

New generations of digital printing platforms—such as high-speed digital technologies—are expanding what is possible in terms of quality, flexibility, and throughput. When combined with robotics and automation, they create opportunities to rethink traditional setups, reduce manual intervention, and improve consistency across operations.

I am particularly interested in how AI can be applied in a practical way to support better and faster decisions—for example, optimizing job sequencing, recommending optimal press and finishing setups, or reducing trial-and-error during make-ready. The real value is not in replacing people, but in augmenting their judgment with data-driven insights.

Overall, what excites me is moving beyond technology as a showcase and toward integrated solutions that simplify complexity, accelerate execution, and enable teams to perform at a higher level every day.

First, deeply understanding the customer’s real need.

I start by going beyond the initial request to understand the business context, constraints, and objectives behind it. Many packaging challenges are not printing problems, but decision, timing, or supply chain problems that require a broader perspective.

Second, acting as a problem solver rather than a printer.

My approach is to position the packaging team as a solution partner—helping customers evaluate options, trade-offs, and risks instead of simply executing specifications. This mindset allows us to create value through clarity, speed, and better decision-making.

Third, designing solutions that can be executed consistently.

From the early stages, I ensure that the proposed solution is feasible, scalable, and aligned with operational realities. Successful business development happens when commercial intent and operational execution are connected from day one.

Together, these principles help turn packaging projects into long-term partnerships rather than transactional engagements.

Packaging suppliers will win by combining customer intimacy, execution reliability, and practical AI. The strongest players act as solution partners, helping customers balance cost, lead time, performance, and sustainability. They also deliver consistent OTIF and quality through standard work, flexibility, strong planning, and daily management—especially as SKU complexity grows. Finally, AI creates value only when embedded into real workflows (forecasting, scheduling, setup optimization, quality prediction) and supported by strong leadership and talent.

Customers and brand owners are balancing more SKUs, shorter runs, faster launches, and tighter budgets—often at the same time. The biggest challenges are making the right trade-offs (cost vs. speed vs. sustainability vs. performance), managing supply and lead-time volatility, and ensuring consistent quality across materials, sites, and changing demand. Many also struggle with limited visibility and data across the packaging value chain, which makes forecasting, redesigns, and decision-making slower and more reactive.

Sustainability moving from “nice to have” to a design constraint—lighter structures, recyclability targets, and clearer ESG expectations are reshaping material choices and specs.

Digital printing at scale, with presses that are significantly faster and more production-ready—enabling shorter runs, faster artwork changes, and more SKU complexity. In parallel, more brands are adopting smart labels (e.g., QR/NFC/serialization) to strengthen traceability and product security.

Automation in finishing and material handling, which is becoming essential to manage variability, labor constraints, and consistency.

Data and AI applied to execution (planning, scheduling, setup optimization, quality prediction, waste reduction), with the biggest impact when embedded into daily workflows.

Over the next five years, I expect the industry to become more data-driven and execution-focused. AI and automation will move from pilots to embedded tools for forecasting, scheduling, setup optimization, predictive maintenance, and color-quality prediction—especially to prevent drift and reduce waste. Robotics and smarter material handling will expand to address labor constraints and improve consistency, while digital print and smart labels continue scaling. At the same time, sustainability will shift from goals to non-negotiable requirements, and the industry will need to invest in upskilling and talent attraction to keep pace with these changes.

I see a strong opportunity around visibility and distribution. The content is valuable, but to grow reach and influence, Packaging Connections could create more consistent presence across social platforms—starting with LinkedIn, and expanding into Instagram and short-form video where many emerging leaders spend time. Repurposing key insights into short clips, carousels, and highlights would help the platform become more discoverable, attract new audiences, and drive recurring engagement back to the website.

AI will reshape packaging in three practical ways: faster design decisions, smarter production execution, and more resilient supply chains. On the design side, AI will accelerate iteration and scenario testing—but it will also require greater customer intimacy earlier in the project, so suppliers and brand owners can align quickly on requirements, constraints, and trade-offs (cost, lead time, sustainability, performance) before committing. In production, the biggest impact will come from AI embedded into daily workflows—job sequencing, setup recommendations, predictive maintenance, and quality prediction (especially color stability and drift prevention) to reduce waste and make-ready time. Across supply chains, AI will strengthen forecasting, inventory positioning, and risk sensing, enabling earlier decisions when demand, materials, or lead times shift.

Data-driven packaging can enhance value in two areas: customer experience and operational execution. For customers, analytics and smart features (e.g., connected codes or sensors) enable traceability, authentication, condition monitoring, and richer consumer engagement, which increases trust and brand interaction. Operationally, IoT and production data improve real-time visibility across printing and converting—supporting faster root-cause analysis, tighter process control, and predictive quality (including color consistency) to reduce waste and rework. When integrated end-to-end, it also strengthens forecasting, inventory decisions, and service reliability.

Automation and robotics will be a key competitiveness lever as the industry faces more variability, shorter runs, and labor constraints. In production, robotics and vision systems can improve repeatability, safer/faster changeovers, and consistent quality—especially in converting and finishing. In logistics, automation can strengthen material flow and accuracy, supporting more predictable lead times. The biggest gains will come when automation is implemented alongside standard work, maintenance capability, and trained teams, not as a standalone equipment upgrade.

We are addressing sustainability through a mix of design choices, operational discipline, and supplier collaboration. On the solution side, we help customers move toward simpler, more recyclable structures where feasible, and we evaluate trade-offs early (performance, shelf life, aesthetics, cost, and end-of-life). Operationally, we focus on reducing waste and rework—especially during make-ready and changeovers—because that is where the fastest environmental gains typically sit. Finally, we work closely with material and technology partners to keep improving responsible sourcing, process efficiency, and consistency, so sustainability becomes part of how the business runs, not a separate initiative.

Packaging will increasingly act as a brand touchpoint and a media channel, not just a container. As digital print scales, personalization becomes more practical—limited editions, regional variations, and faster artwork changes without excess inventory.

On the engagement side, connected experiences (QR/NFC/serialization) will link physical packaging to digital content—education, provenance, loyalty, and authenticity. I also expect augmented reality to grow as storytelling becomes more important and brands seek a more consistent narrative across every customer touchpoint. The brands that win will keep these tools simple, relevant, and value-adding, avoiding features that feel like a gimmick.

The next wave of packaging innovation will be defined by collaborations that connect materials, data, and end-to-end execution. I see a few that will matter most:

Material science + converting + recycling infrastructure to design structures that perform well and are realistically recoverable at scale.

AI/analytics + OEMs + converters to embed decision support into planning, scheduling, maintenance, and quality control (including color consistency).

E-commerce platforms + packaging engineers + logistics carriers to reduce damage, optimize right-sizing, and improve cost and sustainability in distribution.

Smart label technology + brand owners + regulators/traceability ecosystems to strengthen authentication, compliance, and product transparency.

The strongest innovations will come from partnerships that solve real operational problems and can be deployed broadly—not just prototypes.

My advice is to learn the fundamentals first—materials, print/converting basics, quality, and how value is created on the production floor. Just as important, deeply understand the target industry or industries, because each one has its own constraints, regulations, operating rhythms, and definition of value.

Then build fluency in data and AI with a practical mindset: focus on use cases that improve decisions (planning, waste reduction, color consistency, uptime), not technology for its own sake. For startups, spend time with customers and in plants, solve one painful problem end-to-end, prove measurable impact, and make adoption easy for operators and teams.

A few leaders have influenced me throughout my career. Early on, I learned a great deal from mentors like Víctor del Abrego and Gabriel Ramírez at MCC Guadalajara. However, the person who most shaped my professional growth was José Antonio Torres, then Director of Operations at MCC Guadalajara.

He had a rare ability to combine high standards and operational discipline with a strong focus on people. He pushed for clear expectations, daily accountability, and problem-solving at the root cause—while also coaching leaders to stay close to the floor and develop teams. That balance of performance and leadership became a reference point for how I approach operations and continuous improvement.

I try to keep my mornings simple and consistent. I start with water and a short walk or light movement to “wake up” my attention, then I spend 10–15 minutes planning the day: my top 3 outcomes, the one task that must get done, and the key risks I need to manage.

I also use a few habits I learned at Berkeley through the Becoming Superhuman approach: I work in focused sprints, protect my first deep-work block, and schedule short breaks to reset attention. During the day, I batch meetings and messages where possible, and I end with a quick review of what I completed and what needs to be set up for tomorrow.

1. Prioritize outcomes over activity: I define the 2–3 results that matter most each day and protect time to deliver them.

2. Work in focused blocks: deep work early, when possible, with short breaks to reset attention.

3. Use simple systems: standard templates, checklists, and routines to reduce decision fatigue and execution errors.

4. Batch and limit context switching: group meetings and messages instead of reacting all day.

5. Close the loop daily: a brief end-of-day review to capture actions, remove obstacles, and start the next day with clarity.

What keeps me motivated is seeing real progress—especially when a team starts to feel more confident, more aligned, and less reactive. I enjoy turning complexity into clarity and building systems that make work easier for people, not heavier. When customers feel the difference in reliability and quality, and the team feels proud of what they deliver, that’s very energizing for me.

I also stay inspired by learning. I like to stay curious, listen, and keep improving—small adjustments that compound over time. My personal philosophy is simple: protect your energy, focus on what matters, and lead with humility. If I had to put it in a short mantra, it would be: “Make it better, and make it meaningful—every day.