BOBST pays tribute to its UK and Ireland Managing Director, Neil Jones, who has died following a highly respected 38-year career in the print industry.
Packaging machinery manufacturer BOBST has announced the death of Neil Jones, its Managing Director for the UK and Ireland and Scandinavia Zone Service Director for Northern Europe. Jones was a highly respected figure across the print and packaging industry, with a career at the company spanning nearly four decades.
Joining BOBST as a field service technician in 1988, Jones built his career on practical engineering expertise. He moved into a training role in 1993, instructing operators on corrugated flatbed die-cutters and sheetfed flexographic presses, before becoming UK Service Manager in 1996. After a four-year tenure as President of BOBST Group Japan beginning in 2006, he returned to lead the UK and Ireland business in 2010, eventually expanding his remit to include the Benelux and Scandinavian markets.
Managing Director for BOBST UK and Ireland, Craig Moran, paid tribute to his colleague: “Neil was an exceptional leader and a great friend to so many of us. He understood our industry in extraordinary depth, but it was the way he treated people that made him so special. He listened, made time for others and gave his support generously, whether to a customer facing a challenge or a colleague taking the next step in their career.
“He cared deeply about BOBST and the wider print and packaging community. His leadership was grounded in integrity, practical understanding and a belief in people. We will miss his wisdom, warmth and friendship enormously. He leaves a lasting legacy in the business he helped shape and the many people he encouraged along the way.”
Beyond his corporate responsibilities, Jones was a tireless advocate for industry skills and collaboration. He joined the board of EFIA (now FIA UK) in 2012, serving as Chairman from 2017. He also held a board seat at PICON, volunteered for the Young People in Print and Packaging initiative, and personally championed the early-career development of 11 BOBST apprentices.
Away from print, his philanthropic efforts helped raise more than £100,000 over a decade for the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Benevolent Fund, supporting injured UK military personnel.
Member of the Group Executive Committee and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at BOBST Group SA, Raphaël Indermühle, added, “Neil lived his life in service of others, always ready to help with generosity, humility and extraordinary dedication, and he will remain in our hearts as an inspiration and an example to us all.”