I have only 1 thing, as it waterfalls down onto everything. When your 20, Be a 20 year old, not a 40 year old. Enjoy your early life and career, do all the fun stuff in your 20’s, begin the serious stuff in your 30’s, build onto your career in your 40’s and retire in your 50’s.
As a part of our series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” we had the pleasure of interviewing Gary Orr.
Gary has a background in Business Marketing Management from Technological University Dublin and has a postgrad in Design Thinking and Innovation from UCD. He has held roles such as Head of Branding and Packaging for Lidl Ireland and Head of Sun Branding Ireland before taking up the role of CCO at both Perigord Life Science Solutions and XDS Brand, a Tech Mahindra portfolio company that Perigord powers. Under the umbrella of XDS Brand, Gary works on providing human-centred and purpose-driven experiences to clients, including innovative brand strategies, creating attractive, functional and sustainable packaging and comprehensive marketing communication solutions.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you please tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Well, my very first job was in a Graphic design agency in my teens — however I was the tea boy, so you could say I’ve worked my way up! I actually wanted to do Computer Science when I left school, but I was five points short of the course for which I’d applied. I was then offered my second choice, but I was stubborn and decided not to go ahead with it. However, this setback actually encouraged me to accept a job in the agency world, bringing me down an unexpected but very enjoyable career path. So I guess you could say it was fate! Since then I’ve held Board level positions in global agencies and also worked client side as Head of Branding and Packaging at Lidl to my current role as Chief Commercial Officer and Head of ESG for both Perigord Life Science and XDS Brand.
Can you please share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Founding Link Design in 2008 with my former work colleague and friend Tom Fitzpatrick is my greatest career achievement to date. We set up a very successful creative packaging design agency from his kitchen table. It’s incredibly rewarding to look back and remember how the two of us built this business from such a small operation to an agency employing over 20 people, over a five year period. We sold the business in 2013 to a global player.
Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?
I think continuous learning is important, so you develop professionally and personally. I think you need to have a clear vision of what you want in life, work at it, try to get better at it and stay calm! It’s important to stay in tune with yourself, be grateful for what you’ve achieved and celebrate / acknowledge the successes. And most importantly treat everyone with respect and try to have a little fun along the way.
Ok thank you for that. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?
Simple, it’s packaging! One area we help our clients is to meet their sustainable packaging goals, through digital transformation, digital twins and data. We assist them in lowering their carbon footprint by making the best possible choices with the best possible data available. We use our proprietary SaaS tool called ‘CLEAR’, CLEAR is a Packaging Environmental Assessment Tool which allows companies to understand how to lower their carbon footprint in a cost effective manner. I believe greatly in incremental improvements, a 1% improvement can have large compoundal effects. This is a way that can actually change the world, not thinking of the big bang rather small changes that create compoundal change. particularly in relation to the changing regulations that businesses face in terms of sustainable practices and consumer demands.
Both digital transformation and data can play a vital role in helping businesses meet their sustainable packaging targets, by enabling data-driven decision-making, optimising the supply chain, driving packaging innovation, facilitating collaboration, engaging consumers, improving waste management, monitoring progress, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
By enabling businesses to harness the power of digital technologies and leveraging data, businesses can accelerate their journey towards sustainable packaging practices thus having a very positive impact on the world.
How do you think this will change the world?
There are many ways this idea can change the world, such as reducing material consumption, creating simplified transparent supply chains and customer education. However, most of all, it will help businesses stay up to date with the new demands being made on their products and services. When it comes to new regulations, it’s important that businesses survive this transition phase.
Combining digital transformation with a business’s sustainable packaging goals, will potentially allow the business to achieve greater precision, flexibility and innovation in its sustainable initiatives.
Also, it assists in knowledge sharing. Digital transformation enables global connectivity, allowing companies and organisations to share best practices, innovations and success stories in sustainable packaging. Such collaborative efforts can lead to widespread adoption and create a greater impact, which will help businesses worldwide learn from others and share tips and tricks on how they can strive to best meet the needs of their customers.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this idea that people should think more deeply about?
This is an interesting question, as there are so many benefits of integrating digital transformation into our packaging, I never really think about the drawbacks. But if we are to stick with the theme of these questions, a Black Mirror episode I see playing out in relation to this, is probably technological singularity, where we as humans have lost control. If this was the case, having elements of AI in our packaging as well as so many other products, God knows how it would play out. I don’t think it is anything I’d like to see!
But, the new technology advancements we are seeing are really exciting, and there are so many benefits that we are yet to see come out of it. Instead of living in a future where technology controls us, maybe the Black Mirror episode will end in us collaborating with AI for a better and more just future.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?
I suppose the tipping point has come from the changing world and the increasing environmental regulations that businesses are facing. When we look at the wider system and how to reduce a firm’s carbon production, packaging is an obvious starting point. Then, with all the new technology advancements that are coming onstream, merging the two to make sustainable packaging more appealing to businesses just makes sense.
There really is a need for businesses to start thinking about ways they can reduce their impact on the environment, especially after this Summer, where we’ve seen the devastating effects the climate crisis is having in Europe and across the world. I hope it encourages businesses to really reflect on what they can do to make an impact.
What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?
Education and awareness are key to widespread adoption. We need to raise awareness about the benefits of sustainable packaging and digital transformation, of policy and regulation that incentivise and reward businesses for adopting sustainable packaging practices and digital transformation. Finally, global cooperation is needed to foster an international knowledge exchange that promotes the idea of sustainable packaging with digital transformation across the world. Addressing these factors, I believe will allow for greater widespread adoption of sustainable packaging using digital transformation across the world.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
I have only 1 thing, as it waterfalls down onto everything. When your 20, Be a 20 year old, not a 40 year old. Enjoy your early life and career, do all the fun stuff in your 20’s, begin the serious stuff in your 30’s, build onto your career in your 40’s and retire in your 50’s.
Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?
I think such habits can really impact an individual’s personal and professional development. Personally, the ones I believe are the most important to have are:
- Hard Work
- Goal Setting (5 year plans)
- Resilience
- Adaptability
- Positive attitude
- Respect
Adopting some of these, can empower people to navigate challenges, achieve personal growth and realise their aspirations in various aspects of life. Hard work and Respect should be seen as mandatory.
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
XDS Brand is a Tech Mahindra portfolio company, a part of the Experience Design Services division. We are a full-service brand, packaging and implementation agency with over 40 years of experience. Supported by Perigord and the XDS network, we give our clients global reach, powerful resources, and world-class solutions across every sector of technology, design and marketing. We empower our clients to deliver memorable experiences that span across the digital, physical and everything in between.
When it comes to packaging, the XDS Brand ‘CLEAR’ tool assesses the environmental impact of packaging and your wider portfolio. ‘CLEAR’, allows businesses to assess the environmental impact of their packaging through a comprehensive analysis of various life cycle stages. It provides insights, comparative analysis, and recommendations to guide businesses towards more sustainable packaging choices and continuous improvement.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Readers can find me on my Linkedin.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
XDS Brand and Perigord: Gary Orr’s Big Idea That Might Change The World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.