Manuel Rios takes over the COTANCE Presidency
The Extraordinary Assembly General held on Friday 24 September 2021 in Milan unanimously elected Manuel Rios Navarro to guide COTANCE for the next two years. Mr Rios is the CEO of INPELSA, the leading Spanish sheepskin tannery located in Canals (Valencia).
COTANCE President Rios succeeds Mr Andreas Kindermann (Wollsdorf Leather, Austria) whose mandate was extended last year for assuring continuity of leadership throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Rios will be shouldered in the COTANCE Presidency by Vice-Presidents Rino Mastrotto (Italy), Philippe Joucla (France) and outgoing COTANCE President Andreas Kindermann (Austria).
With the new President, COTANCE becomes more fashion-centered after a cycle of chairmen dedicated to technical leathers in the automotive market.
COTANCE President said: I am delighted to receive the trust of my peers for taking the reins of COTANCE. The European leather industry has by large resiliently mastered the difficult Covid years and it now needs to accelerate in its green agenda embracing also strongly the digital economy. Together with my colleagues in the Presidency, we will ensure that COTANCE moves ahead full steam in the transition to the circular economy promoted by the EU.
Outgoing COTANCE President said: I am pleased to have served the European leather industry towards getting stronger and better prepared for the challenges of the future. Today Europe’s tanners are more united than ever, which augurs well for facing present and upcoming challenges.
UNIC President Fabrizio Nuti, host of the COTANCE meeting held at Lineapelle fair in Milan, congratulated the new COTANCE Presidency and expressed his optimism for a return to growth and prosperity for the leather market.
