Women in the Tape Industry
A New Program to Elevate Our Voices Together
This program is designed not just to inspire but to elevate and celebrate the remarkable contributions of women within our industry.
The 2025 Women in the Tape Industry Reception and Program will take place from November 2–3 at the Conrad Nashville Hotel in Nashville, TN.
Women in the Tape Industry Pre-Conference Program
Sunday, November 2: Women in the Tape Industry Reception
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Optional Evening Welcome Reception (Networking + Light Refreshments)
Monday, November 3: Women in the Tape Industry Program
Optional Breakfast 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM & Activity: Guitar String Jewelry with Strings For Hope
Lunch 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Kick off the day’s programming with a light lunchtime buffet.
Keynote: Tracie Sponenberg
"Your Brand, Your Path: Defining Where You Are and Where You're Going"
Every woman in the tape industry has a story about how she’s seen and how she wants to be seen, whether she’s the scientist in the lab, the salesperson building relationships, or the executive at the table. Your personal brand isn’t about social media or being “on” – t’s about understanding your strengths, recognizing your blind spots, and being intentional about your next steps.
This keynote will help participants at every career stage – from recent graduates to seasoned executives – understand their current brand and align it with where they want to go. Using a brief behavioral assessment completed before the session, attendees will gain practical insights into their work style, communication patterns, and natural strengths. We’ll explore real scenarios: How do you speak up in a room full of engineers when you’re in sales? How do you transition from being “the mom who always leaves early” to “the strategic leader”? How do you leverage your scientific background when moving into management?
Key Takeaways:
· Personal brand assessment based on pre-event behavioral survey
· Practical strategies for being seen and heard in a male-dominated industry
· Tools for navigating career transitions at any stage
· Action steps for closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be
Tracie Sponenberg is a globally recognized people strategist, keynote speaker, and founder of Tracie Sponenberg LLC, a boutique HR consultancy focused on transforming people operations for companies with deskless workforces. With nearly three decades of experience—including as Chief People Officer at The Granite Group—Tracie has led organizations through acquisitions, digital transformations, and cultural reinventions.
Tracie is a four-time global OnCon Icon Top HR Professional and was named one of the “Top 100 Global Thought Leaders” by PeopleHum and one of the “20 Top HR Thought Leaders” by Compt. She’s also been recognized as one of the “35 Employer Branding Experts” by Eightfold.ai and one of “22 Innovative HR Leaders to Follow” by AIHR. Her thought leadership has been spotlighted by media outlets including BBC, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.
As the former Chair of the American Supply Association’s Women in Industry, Tracie helped lead the organization through a period of significant growth, expanding its reach and impact across the industry. She is also a trusted advisor to AI and HR tech companies and a frequent speaker on leadership, culture, and the future of work.
In her keynote, Tracie brings her passion for empowering women in traditionally male-dominated industries to the forefront. She’ll guide attendees through understanding and owning their personal brand—whether they’re just starting out or leading at the executive level. With practical tools, real-world scenarios, and insights from a pre-event behavioral assessment, Tracie helps women close the gap between how they’re seen and how they want to be seen.
Panelists
Cathy Boysko is the North American PSA Director at Bostik, where she’s been steering the pressure sensitive adhesives business with energy and vision since 2020. With over 30 years of experience—including a long and impactful career at Ashland—Cathy knows the adhesive industry inside and out. She’s led high-performing teams, driven innovation, and built strong customer partnerships across the business. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she builds strong, empowered teams and believes the best results come from listening, learning, and leading with purpose. Whether she’s driving innovation or mentoring the next generation, Cathy’s passion for adhesives is matched only by her commitment to making work meaningful and fun. Cathy brings a dynamic blend of strategic thinking and hands-on leadership, and she’s passionate about making things stick—literally and figuratively.
Zhaohui Sun has served as Vice President of the Polymer Business at Franklin International since 2019, overseeing the P&L for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives, Homopolymers, and Specialty Polymers. She leads strategic growth through innovation, market expansion, and team development.
Previously, she held global leadership roles at Ashland Inc., including Global Business Leader for Transportation Composites and Industry Manager for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives. Her career spans product development, technical leadership, product management, marketing, and commercialization across multiple regions.
Zhaohui holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from The University of Akron.
Danielle Wiltrout is a Product Manager with Avery Dennison Performance Tapes, where she is responsible for the General Industrial, Transportation, and Electronics portfolios.
With more than 10 years of industrial experience, Danielle has a proven track record in managing P&L for high-impact product portfolios, driving revenue growth, and enhancing profitability through strategic pricing and optimized portfolio management. She is skilled in new product launches and experienced in crafting tailored communication strategies across various channels.
Danielle is a strong collaborator with cross-functional teams, including Sales, R&D, and Operations, to bring products to market and support growth initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Saint Vincent College.
Tracie Sponenberg
Tracie Sponenberg is a globally recognized people strategist, keynote speaker, and founder of Tracie Sponenberg LLC, a boutique HR consultancy focused on transforming people operations for companies with deskless workforces. With nearly three decades of experience—including as Chief People Officer at The Granite Group—Tracie has led organizations through acquisitions, digital transformations, and cultural reinventions.
Tracie is a four-time global OnCon Icon Top HR Professional and was named one of the “Top 100 Global Thought Leaders” by PeopleHum and one of the “20 Top HR Thought Leaders” by Compt. She’s also been recognized as one of the “35 Employer Branding Experts” by Eightfold.ai and one of “22 Innovative HR Leaders to Follow” by AIHR. Her thought leadership has been spotlighted by media outlets including BBC, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.
As the former Chair of the American Supply Association’s Women in Industry, Tracie helped lead the organization through a period of significant growth, expanding its reach and impact across the industry. She is also a trusted advisor to AI and HR tech companies and a frequent speaker on leadership, culture, and the future of work.
In her keynote, Tracie brings her passion for empowering women in traditionally male-dominated industries to the forefront. She’ll guide attendees through understanding and owning their personal brand—whether they’re just starting out or leading at the executive level. With practical tools, real-world scenarios, and insights from a pre-event behavioral assessment, Tracie helps women close the gap between how they’re seen and how they want to be seen.
Danielle Wiltrout
Danielle Wiltrout is a Product Manager with Avery Dennison Performance Tapes, where she is responsible for the General Industrial, Transportation, and Electronics portfolios.
With more than 10 years of industrial experience, Danielle has a proven track record in managing P&L for high-impact product portfolios, driving revenue growth, and enhancing profitability through strategic pricing and optimized portfolio management. She is skilled in new product launches and experienced in crafting tailored communication strategies across various channels.
Danielle is a strong collaborator with cross-functional teams, including Sales, R&D, and Operations, to bring products to market and support growth initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Saint Vincent College.
Zhaohui Sun
Zhaohui Sun has served as Vice President of the Polymer Business at Franklin International since 2019, overseeing the P&L for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives, Homopolymers, and Specialty Polymers. She leads strategic growth through innovation, market expansion, and team development.
Previously, she held global leadership roles at Ashland Inc., including Global Business Leader for Transportation Composites and Industry Manager for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives. Her career spans product development, technical leadership, product management, marketing, and commercialization across multiple regions.
Zhaohui holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from The University of Akron.
Cathy Boysko
Cathy Boysko is the North American PSA Director at Bostik, where she’s been steering the pressure sensitive adhesives business with energy and vision since 2020. With over 30 years of experience—including a long and impactful career at Ashland—Cathy knows the adhesive industry inside and out. She’s led high-performing teams, driven innovation, and built strong customer partnerships across the business. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she builds strong, empowered teams and believes the best results come from listening, learning, and leading with purpose. Whether she’s driving innovation or mentoring the next generation, Cathy’s passion for adhesives is matched only by her commitment to making work meaningful and fun. Cathy brings a dynamic blend of strategic thinking and hands-on leadership, and she’s passionate about making things stick—literally and figuratively.
Vinita Sharma
Chief Commercial Officer
Vybond
Vinita Sharma is the Chief Commercial Officer at Vybond Group, where she oversees Sales, R&D, Product Management, and Marketing. Vinita joined Vybond following the sale of the Tapes business from Berry Global to Nautic Partners in January 2025. She began her tenure at Berry in 2020 as VP of Product Management, R&D, and Marketing for the Tapes and Building & Construction business.
Before Berry, Vinita was Senior Director of Product Development and Product Management at Katerra, a unicorn startup focused on construction technology. Her earlier career includes managing a business group at Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, across various markets such as Aerospace, Automotive, and Building & Construction. Vinita started her career at Tyco Adhesive & Plastics, specializing in Tapes and specialty films in Research and Development and Product Management.
With over 25 years of experience, Vinita has a proven track record of delivering sustainable organic growth through product development and commercialization. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with a Specialization in Polymer Science from the University of Akron.
Amy Randall, PhD
Senior Vice President of Research, Development and Sustainability
Shurtape Technologies
Dr. Amy Randall represents Shurtape Technologies in the role of Senior Vice President of Research, Development and Sustainability.
She has 20 years of progressive experience in the materials industry including automotive, building envelope, waterproofing, tape and adhesives. She is excited to lead the global research and development team with an increasing strategy of sustainability. She is passionate about building a sustainable foundation into Shurtape products, packaging, and manufacturing processes. She is also responsible for product stewardship and chemical compliance to ensure Shurtape products lead the global tape industry.
Dr. Randall achieved her PhD in Polymer Science at the University of Akron, Ohio and her Chemical Engineering Degree from the University of Minnesota. Amy holds an impressive number of patents and publications.