Five questions with Jenny Stanley and IHS Solutions

March 2025

In regular Q&A sessions, Jenny Stanley, Managing Director at Appetite Creative explores the key challenges, trends and solutions facing experts from across the advertising and packaging industry. Asking five key questions per conversation, Jenny will look to learn more about her interviewee, their career, clients and give them a final word.

This interview with Ian H Schofield, Owner, IHS Solutions Ltd.

1: Name one big achievement from your career? What are you most proud about achieving? 

I’m most proud of being the face of retailing on the BBC for a day or two in January 2018 while working at Iceland. I had the opportunity to declare our commitment to “turning the tap down on plastics,” which was a significant moment. What makes this achievement particularly meaningful is that the message went global, spreading awareness about reducing plastic usage in retail.

2: What are the questions you are most often asked by clients? 

I’m frequently asked several key questions by my clients. First, they want to know how Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will affect their packaging and what steps they need to take to mitigate the associated taxes.

Another common question is about incorporating digital printing into their business – specifically who they can partner with and what impact it might have.

Clients also ask me about the next packaging material to become commercially viable that moves away from petrochemicals. They’re interested in alternative materials that can remove plastic while maintaining the same performance in terms of shelf-life, runnability and other critical factors.

3: What are the biggest challenges your clients are facing today?

My clients are facing several significant challenges in today’s market. There’s a notable shortage of packaging technologists in the industry. I’ve also observed that communication within large organisations tends to be slow, which is allowing more agile companies to gain competitive advantages. 

Many clients struggle with identifying sustainability initiatives that are both meaningful to consumers and compliant with the new legislation that’s bringing high costs. Finding growth in a stagnant market with numerous cost pressures is another common challenge. Finally, many are trying to determine how to best leverage new technologies like AI in their operations.

4: What’s the one piece of advice you give to those clients to combat / resolve that challenge?

The one piece of advice I consistently give to my clients is to always have disruptive people and agencies working for them. In my experience, these individuals and teams consistently come through with innovative solutions and perspectives that can help overcome the various challenges the industry faces today.

5: If you had a spare hour during the day, what would you do with it?

If I had a spare hour during my day, I would listen to music with a cup of tea. This simple activity instantly helps me switch off from work and recharge. It’s my preferred way to take a break and reset before diving back into my workday.

Source: Appetite Creative

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