Liz Mellone on Curiosity, Career Moves, and 28 Years at Colgate

This week on Packaging Speaks, we’re joined by Liz Mellone, a seasoned packaging executive whose career spans more than 30 years, most of it at Colgate Palmolive.

Liz’s path into packaging started with photography school, a packaging 101 course at RIT, and a pivot that led her to Indiana State. From there, she cold-called her way into her first job and has maintained that proactive mindset ever since.

In this episode, Liz reflects on:

• How curiosity and clarity about what she wanted helped her move cross-functionally within Colgate

• The importance of speaking up, asking for help, and owning your role

• Her belief that lateral moves are just as important as promotions

• How packaging engineers are often the hub—not just a spoke—of product development

• Why sustainability, mentoring, and cross-functional empathy matter more now than ever

Now consulting and mentoring after a successful corporate career, Liz shares what helped her grow into senior leadership and what she hopes to pass on to the next generation of packaging professionals.

-The PackStaff Team