ECMA elects new executive committee

- Executive committee and advisory members named at inaugural annual general assembly

 

- Association management changes also announced, effective July 1, with Jules Lejuene handing over day-to-day control

 

The European Carton Makers Association (ECMA) has chosen its new executive committee at the first annual general assembly, staged under the new structure of the organization that was adopted at the 2011 ECMA congress.

 

The new executive committee is: Andreas Blaschke, of Mayr-Melnhof Packaging, who is now ECMA president; Tim Whitfield, of Chesapeake Corporation, named treasurer; Arend-Jan Luten from Contego Packaging, who’ll deal with technical affairs; AR Packaging’s Jean-François Roche, taking responsibility for marketing and communications; Christian Schiffers, of FFI, who’ll handle associations development; and Alican Duran, from Duran Dogan Packaging, covering business networking.

 

In addition, advisory members of the executive committee were elected: John Monks, of BPIF Cartons; John de Somer, of Van Genechten Packaging, Orazio Ingenito, of Seda Group; Harald Schulz, of A&R Carton; and Dierk Schröder, of Edelmann Group.

 

The inaugural annual general assembly took place following the first-ever ECMA Folding Carton Leadership Summit, which was monitored by Package Print Worldwide editor Nick Coombes.

 

To execute the strategic tasks of ECMA as adopted at the 2011 congress in Barcelona, the association includes four operational committees; the technical committee, the marketing and communications committee, the associations development committee and the business networking committee.

 

Each of these committees reports into and is represented by a managerial member of the executive committee.

 

Residing under the business networking committee are a number of business-oriented forums, which apart from the existing forums for pharma, tobacco packaging and the SME forum, now includes a suppliers forum, led by Esko’s Jan De Roeck.

 

A future leaders forum for the next generation of business leaders now under 40 will soon be added. Proposed chair for the future leaders forum is Canan Ugur of Cömertler.

 

They will join Roel van Eerd of Van Eerd Packaging, Jerzy Czubak of Amcor Packaging and Vic Acket of drukkerij Acket under the business networking committee.

 

As of July 1, ECMA secretary-general Jules Lejeune will hand over daily management of the association to Hans van Schaik who will carry the new job title of managing director.

 

He will operate in tandem with Rogier Krabbendam, who will act as communications manager at ECMA.

 

The association has also ensured the continued engagement of Jan Cardon who after 10 years in the role of executive director, who will continue as technical advisor and maintain the responsibility for the association’s technical affairs, an area where he will support the technical committee.

 

ECMA president Andreas Blaschke (pictured, top) said: ‘The past 12 months have been crucial in the transformation of ECMA into a dynamic European network of business networks.

 

‘We are getting there step-by-step, and I am pleased with the level of support that the new organization structure is receiving from carton business, suppliers and associations with a strong European interest.

 

‘The meeting in Brussels demonstrated new energy and a clear determination to contribute to a future oriented, dynamic and united platform for the European carton sector.

 

‘Our next challenge is to recruit volunteer leaders from the smaller, independent member companies and I am confident that we will be able to present them at our congress in Copenhagen next September.’

 

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