Jen Benolken on Packaging Leadership, Standards, and Giving Back

This week on Packaging Speaks, Christian is joined by Jen Benolken, MDM & Regulatory Specialist at DuPont and a recognized leader in medical device packaging. With more than three decades of experience spanning both manufacturers and suppliers, Jen has built packaging teams, led projects, and played an active role in shaping the standards that define the industry.

In their conversation, Jen reflects on her path into packaging; a career she fell in love with during a co-

op program that first introduced her to sterile pack operators and Tyvek. Beyond her work at DuPont, Jen is deeply involved in standards organizations like AAMI, ISO, and ASTM, as well as industry groups such as the Medical Device Packaging Technical Committee (MDPTC) through IoPP and the Kilmer Innovations in Packaging group. Her commitment to volunteering and mentorship underscores her belief that packaging professionals grow stronger as a community when they give back.

The conversation also explores sustainability in medical device packaging, from Tyvek’s recyclability to DuPont’s introduction of Tyvek with renewable attribution. Jen shares candid thoughts on the challenges of moving sustainability forward in a highly regulated, life-critical space, while still maintaining performance and patient safety.

For packaging engineers early in their careers, Jen offers encouragement to “be part of the they”; get involved in professional organizations, take leadership opportunities, and learn from others. For those later in their careers, she emphasizes paying it forward and helping the next generation keep their spark alive.

This episode is a reminder that medical device packaging may not always be glamorous, but its impact is profound.

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-The PackStaff Team