Plastics Europe, the pan-European trade association representing plastics manufacturers, has announced the appointment of Rob Ingram, CEO of Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe, as President of Plastics Europe. Rob Ingram took up this position on 1 January 2026, succeeding Benny Mermans, vice president sustainability at Chevron Phillips Chemical. The new President of Plastics Europe will lead the association’s efforts to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy and to strengthen the competitiveness of the European plastics industry.
Virginia Janssens, managing director of Plastics Europe, thanked Benny Mermans for his many years of contribution to the sector’s development and expressed confidence that the leadership of Rob Ingram will enable the organisation to continue pursuing its ambitious objectives, in particular those set out in the document The Plastics Transition. The Plastics Europe roadmap assumes that by 2050, 65% of plastics in Europe will be circular and climate neutral. The initiative, announced in November 2023, brought the entire industry together for the first time around such a comprehensive and ambitious vision for the restructuring of the European plastics system.
"For more than 30 years of his career Benny has been one of the key figures in our industry and we are extremely grateful to him for his leadership and commitment. At the same time, I am convinced that Rob will build on the achievements of his predecessors in further developing the European plastics industry. His appointment as President comes at a particular moment, at a time when delivering on ambitious transformation goals is becoming an increasing challenge. As chair of the committee for the The Plastics Transition roadmap, Rob has worked with great dedication with a wide range of stakeholders, turning a bold vision into a credible and realistic pathway for our industry. I am sure that as President he will bring the same determination, energy and spirit of cooperation," says Virginia Janssens.
Continuation of The Plastics Transition roadmap
The change in the position of President of Plastics Europe comes at a time when the European plastics sector is simultaneously facing growing regulatory pressure, climate requirements and intensifying global competition. At the core of the association’s activities remains the implementation of the assumptions of The Plastics Transition roadmap, which include, among others, the shift to a circular economy, increasing the share of circular feedstock, and the gradual reduction of the carbon footprint across the plastics value chain.
This vision is to be achieved through coordinated action by polymer producers, converters, brand owners, the recycling sector and public decision-makers. Plastics Europe emphasises that without appropriate regulatory and investment frameworks enabling the development of mechanical and chemical recycling as well as new production technologies, the transformation of the plastics system in Europe will be hampered. In this context, the election of the new President is intended to strengthen the dialogue between industry and EU and national institutions.
Priorities of the new President of Plastics Europe
Upon taking office, Rob Ingram announced the continuation of work on implementing the long-term vision of a sustainable plastics system in Europe, while taking into account the challenges related to competitiveness. "It is an honour for me to take on this role at such a pivotal time for our industry. Two years ago, we set out a clear vision for a sustainable plastics system in Europe. Since then, the realities have changed dramatically and the pressure on the sector’s competitiveness has reached an unprecedented level. Our ambitions, however, remain unchanged. We have a vision, and we also have the knowledge, innovation and capability to make the plastics system circular. Achieving success, however, requires action across the entire value chain and urgent policy decisions that will protect this strategically important industry for Europe and put it back on the path of the necessary transformation towards a circular economy. I look forward to working with policymakers, industrial partners and all stakeholders to deliver this shared vision," says Rob Ingram, President of Plastics Europe.
These declarations are in line with the association’s recent activities, as in recent years Plastics Europe has been heavily involved in work on regulations concerning plastic packaging, recycling, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the improvement of resource efficiency. At the same time, Plastics Europe highlights the role of material and technological innovation in achieving climate and environmental objectives while maintaining the industry’s ability to develop in the European market.
Rob Ingram’s experience in the chemical and plastics industry
Rob Ingram brings extensive managerial and leadership experience to Plastics Europe. For more than three decades he has been active in the chemical and plastics sector, holding senior commercial and executive positions in complex international organisational structures. In 2018 he was appointed CEO of Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe, responsible for the company’s activities in olefin and polymer production in the European market.
Rob Ingram’s previous role within Plastics Europe included, among others, chairing the committee for The Plastics Transition roadmap. In this capacity, he coordinated work on translating the long-term assumptions of the circular plastics economy vision into concrete development scenarios and sets of actions for the industry. This covered technological issues as well as regulatory aspects and investments in new processing and recycling capacities.
New leadership of Plastics Europe
At the general assembly of Plastics Europe held on 17 December 2025, three vice presidents of the organisation were also elected. These positions were taken by representatives of leading chemical and petrochemical groups active on the European market:
- Stephanie Kalil, commercial vice president for packaging & specialty plastics, Dow
- Craig Arnold, executive vice president – polyolefins, base chemicals (HC&E) & circular economy solutions, Borealis
- Lauren Kjelsen, member of the management board and chief operating officer custom solutions, Evonik
The composition of the new leadership of the association reflects the significant role of global plastics producers in the European value chain and their involvement in delivering the sector’s transformation goals. Plastics Europe expects that combining managerial and technological experience within the new board will contribute to more effective representation of the industry’s interests in dialogue with policymakers and to accelerating the implementation of solutions that support the circular economy.
