In this exclusive interview, senior editor Kathryn Greene chats with Alison Keane, the newly appointed president of ISPA. Learn about Alison’s journey to the top, her passion for manufacturing and sustainability, and her exciting plans for the ISPA.
Transcript
Kathryn Greene
Kathryn Greene here with Alison Keane, who was recently named the new president of ISPA. First of all, congratulations. How does it feel?
Alison Keane
Thank you. I’m very excited.
Kathryn Greene
So, what drew you to ISPA?
Alison Keane
I’ve known Ryan, my predecessor, for quite a while. I used to work with the Paint and Coatings Association, and we started a recycling arm called PiaintCare. Ryan’s very smart, as I’m sure almost everybody in the industry knows. He came to me and said we’re going to start the Mattress Recycling Council. How did you do it?
I’m not going to start from scratch. We worked together about 15 years ago, and he basically mirrored a lot of MRC after PaintCare. We’ve stayed in touch ever since. When he was deciding on finally retiring, he reached out to me.
Kathryn Greene
So, what are you excited to learn about this industry?
Alison Keane
Oh, everything. I do not know the mattress industry at all. I know how to advocate, and I know how to run an association, but I have to learn the entire industry. And that’s what makes it so exciting for me to get up every day and learn something new to keep me young.
Kathryn Greene
I love it. And what do you hope to focus on for the next couple of years?
Alison Keane
Well, my passion is advocacy, and I think MRC and ISPA have a great story to tell. So I want to get out there and tell it, right? I mean, mattresses—you spend a third of your life on them—are so important for your mental health and well-being. And I want to get out there and promote them and advocate on behalf of a really great industry.
Kathryn Greene
So we know you’ve worked for the Flexible Packaging Association, the American Coatings Association, sustainability issues, and with the EPA. What would you say has been the common thread throughout your career?
Alison Keane
Yeah, I think it’s just a passion for manufacturing, in the United States and globally, and a passion to see that these products that we use every single day also can be sustainable and innovative. Right? So we’re constantly innovating to make it more sustainable yet retain what the consumer needs for, again, products you use daily. You might not even realize it, but there are a lot of folks behind the scenes who are making those products work for you and making them better for the environment as well.
Alison Keane
And tying those two together is just a great way to earn a living.
Kathryn Greene
Amazing. It is kind of incredible—all of the people behind something that most people never think about.
Alison Keane
Yeah, you use it every single day, but you don’t think anything of it until you get into an industry like this. And I will learn, and you know how important it is.
Kathryn Greene
Amazing. And, you know, I have to ask one sleep-related question since we are in the bedding industry, after all. What is one of your best sleep tips?
Alison Keane
Okay. Get a big enough bed that all of your pets and significant others can fit in. I can tell you that we’re a house of one dog and three cats right now, and I’m glad I’m in this industry because I will need a bigger bed.
Kathryn Greene
It’s going to say to keep you comfortable and them comfortable as well.
Alison Keane
The humans and the pet furry friends. Comfortable.
Kathryn Greene
Well, Alison, thank you so much for joining us. We’re so excited about this newest chapter in ISPA history.
Alison Keane
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
