From the Sector

Borealis announces the appointment of Thomas Reutter as Vice President Product Asset Management and Supply Chain, effective 1 August 2021.
He holds a Master’s in Business Administration degree from the Martin-Luther University Halle, Germany, with a specialisation in Controlling and Supply Chain.

Thomas Reutter joins Borealis from Dow and brings extensive product asset management and supply chain experience. Since joining Dow in 2008, he has held various positions with increasing responsibilities in product management, supply chain management and sales in the Netherlands, Mexico and Switzerland. Most recently he has served as Senior Product Director for Linear Low Density Polyethylene, based in Switzerland.

• Experienced leader will work with customers to develop controls obsolescence strategies

Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC)—a division of Barry-Wehmiller and a leading supplier of high-performance converting machinery for the tissue, nonwovens, package-printing and bagconverting industries worldwide—is pleased to announce that Steven Charapata has accepted the position of Aftermarket Sales Executive, specializing in controls obsolescence upgrades.

In his new role, Charapata will work with customers to develop a controls obsolescence strategy by identifying and prioritizing equipment, developing a plan, and proposing solutions that can provide a phased approach to manage risk, downtime and capital expenditures. Charapata has more than 20 years of experience updating obsolete controls systems on PCMC machines and other converting equipment. He joins PCMC from Zepnick Solutions Inc., where he was a controls obsolescence Project Leader.

“Steve’s expertise and extensive controls experience will be assets for our customers,” said Joe Schuh, Aftermarket Sales Director. “Complete controls upgrades can be overwhelming. Steve will work with our customers to create a comprehensive, effective and well thought-out plan that will minimize their risks and downtime. He brings a unique understanding of controls systems, hardware and software design, and capital equipment. We’re thrilled to have him join our team.”

Lectra’s Shareholders’ Meeting appointed Jean Marie (“John”) Canan as a new Director, for a period of four years. Jean Marie Canan becomes a member of Lectra’s Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Strategic Committee.

A Canadian national, at 64, Jean Marie Canan is currently Lead Independent Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of REV Group, an American company listed on the NYSE; Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Acasti Pharma, a Canadian company listed on the NASDAQ and Director of the Angkor Hospital for Children, a leading non-profit pediatric hospital in Cambodia.

Jean Marie Canan, graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Canada and is a Canadian Certified Public Accountant (CPA), began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 1978, starting in their Montreal office, and then two years in their Hong Kong office. From 1990 to 2014, he held many ever-increasing positions of responsibility at Merck & Co, Inc. (“Merck”). These included senior roles in finance, strategy development, business development and operations. He was part of a small team that led the acquisition of Schering-Plough by Merck. He also provided operational oversight for most of the Merck group’s joint ventures, including DuPont-Merck, Johnson and Johnson-Merck, Astra-Merck, and Schering-Plough-Merck. Merck’s Executive Committee selected Jean Marie as one of the five senior leaders charged with defining Merck's new strategy in 2006.

Mimaki, a manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutting systems, has today announced that long-standing employee, Mark Sollman, will be appointed to the role of Product Manager, EMEA on the 1st July 2021. Sollman has been with Mimaki for over 15 years and as such, his extensive knowledge of the business and its diverse product portfolio makes him the clear choice for this esteemed management position.

Sollman will be succeeding Bert Benckhuysen. After four years with Mimaki, Benckhuysen has decided to take on a new challenge as Business Development Director at Colourama. A valued Mimaki customer, Colourama is a company Benckhuysen knows well, having also previously been employed as Production Manager at this thriving Polish textile printer.

RINCO ULTRASONICS is strengthening its market presence in Central America – a significant market for the automotive supply industry – by opening its own subsidiary in Mexico.

Romanshorn, May 2021 – With the establishment of its eleventh global subsidiary and its first in Central America, RINCO ULTRASONICS is highlighting the importance of the Central American market. “The automotive supply industry is one of the strongest sectors of industry in Mexico and one of the most important markets for RINCO. Our subsidiary in Querétaro, which is located 200 km away from Mexico City, will bring us closer to customers and partners alike,” explains Serge Patamia, CEO of RINCO ULTRASONICS. “We already enjoy high levels of confidence from both customers and partners in the region, and local presence will only serve to improve this. Investing in a dedicated subsidiary underlines our commitment to the market in Central America.”

José Armando Vázquez, the newly appointed country manager for Mexico, brings both passion and specialist expertise to his role. Having grown up in the automotive industry, Vazquez knows the needs and requirements of the supplying industry and the plastics sector inside out.

In José Armando Vázquez, customers and interested parties in Mexico have a local point of contact who is bringing Swiss perfection to Querétaro in the form of RINCO ULTRASONICS MEXICO. In addition to sales, RINCO in Mexico also offers technical services such as an application-based test laboratory and various service facilities to promote the building of partnerships and the delivery of new projects.
“Our aim is to captivate users with our ultrasonic technology and offer them tangible added value so that by using solutions like our AGM Pro ultrasonic generator, for example, they can save time and user fewer materials,”, says Serge Patamia, summarising what customers in Central America can expect.

At Lectra’s Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting held on April 30, members voted to appoint Céline Abecassis-Moedas as a new independent director. Nominated for a period of four years, she becomes a member of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Strategic Committee.

The appointment of Céline Abecassis-Moedas to Lectra's Board of Directors will notably strengthen the Strategic Committee, which will be called upon to examine an increasing number of investment projects in innovative companies and the continued development of our offers for Industry 4.0.

Céline Abecassis-Moedas will also draw upon her international experience as an independent director, through positions held for nearly ten years at four companies in Spain and Portugal: Europac (Papeles y Cartones de Europa) from 2012 to 2019, CTT (CTT Correios de Portugal) from 2016 to 2020, CUF since 2016, and Vista Alegre Atlantis since 2020.

Céline Abecassis-Moedas, 49, is now Dean for Executive Education and Associate Professor at Católica-Lisbon. She began her career in research at France Telecom R&D, before joining Lectra in New York as an e-business product manager in 1999, then AT Kearney in London as a consultant in 2000. From 2002 to 2005, she was Lecturer in Strategy at Queen Mary University of London, then joined Católica-Lisbon University as Assistant Professor in Strategic and Innovation Management.

From 2014 to 2020, Céline Abecassis-Moedas was also Affiliate Professor at ESCP and co-scientific director of the Lectra-ESCP Chair's "Fashion and Technology".

Céline Abecassis-Moedas is a graduate of the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan, of the Université Paris Dauphine (DEA in Scientific management methods), holder of a Ph.D. in Management from the École Polytechnique and holder of the INSEAD Certificate in Corporate Governance obtained in 2017.

• EMMA SCALCON is the winner of the first edition of the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION AWARD, an international competition for communication in sustainable fashion.

The award was established in October 2020 by Connecting Cultures and C.L.A.S.S. with the aim of creating new visual imagery and innovative communication models in sustainable fashion. Stylists, photographers, designers, illustrators, artists and other creatives, invited to rethink how to communicate the new generation of values of an ethical and sustainable fashion system, joined the open and international call.

The name of the winner of the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION competition was announced during a webinar on March 30th at 4pm led by Giusy Bettoni, CEO of C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub; Anna Detheridge, President of Connecting  Cultures; Lucy Orta, Chair, Art & the Environment, University of the Arts London; and Dio Kurazawa, Founding Partner of The Bear Scouts.

Born in Padua, Italy, 22 years old, and a student in her second year in Textile & Fashion Design at IAAD - Istituto d'Arte Applicata e Design, Emma Scalcon won the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION competition with her project TAKE A WALK ON THE GREEN SIDE, designing communications crafted with strong and impactful images and simple but detailed wording intended for younger consumers to inform them about sustainable fashion issues.

Scalcon ranked first among the finalists selected by a high profile jury composed of:
·   Anna Detheridge, Founder and President, Connecting Cultures
·   Giusy Bettoni, CEO and Founder, C.L.A.S.S.
·   Rita Airaghi, Director, Gianfranco Ferré Foundation
·   Paola Arosio, Head of New Brands & Sustainability Projects, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion)
·   Jeanine Ballone, Managing Director, Fashion 4 Development
·   Evie Evangelou, Founder and President, Fashion 4 Development
·   Chiara Luisi, Sustainability Projects Coordinator, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion)
·   Sara Kozlowski, Director of Education and Sustainable Strategies, Council of Fashion Designers of America  
·   Dio Kurazawa, Socio fondatore, The Bear Scouts
·   Renata Molho, Founding Partner, The Bear Scouts
·   Lucy Orta, Chair, Art & the Environment, University of the Arts London
·   Stefania Ricci, Director, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo

Emma Scalcon was awarded the €3,000 prize, made possible by the Main Sponsor ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei and by the other sponsors of the project: ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei - a latest generation fabric collection that promotes responsible innovation with advanced high-tech performance, C.L.A.S.S., and the Greek smart cotton SUPREME GREEN COTTON® by Varvaressos.
 
“It is time to be pioneers in communication and for this we have supported the Imagining Sustainable Fashion Award,” commented Takaaki Kondo, global marketing department manager for ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, the Main Sponsor of the award. ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei is a high quality stretch fibre with an innovative range of intelligent functions to satisfy every modern wardrobe need for sports, underwear, and fashion. “We believe that together with responsible innovation, communication is the key to bring sustainability to the next level: to inspire, educate, inform and allow both professionals and consumers to make the right choices.”

“The competition is an opportunity to rethink how to communicate the new and different values of an ethical and sustainable fashion system,” explained Anna Detheridge. “I am quite impressed with the results of the competition — the diversity of forms that we received show both an interesting change in sensibility and a practical approach to communicating these values. There is less visual rhetoric and reliance on compelling images and more investment in basic information and a greater variety of narratives.

It is a great pleasure to see the energies from a wealth of young creatives, small businesses, and designers from all over the world with cross-disciplinary interests and a diversity of talents who are ushering in a new culture of design. My heartiest congratulations go to Emma Scalcon".

“I completely agree with Anna's comments on the quality of the work submitted by participants in the competition and together we have renewed our intention to continue IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION into 2021 with a new edition of the award,” stated Giusy Bettoni. “After this initial experience, we find ourselves even more motivated to explore some of the themes that emerged during the selection process, in particular those regarding the ethics of intellectual and cultural property, a topical issue in an industry like fashion. For this reason, we are already working together on organizing a webinar on this topic with outside specialists, including legal experts.”

 21 Grams, the group comprised of Veronica De Nigris, Serena Paone e Immacolata Esposito, won a special contest open to the public among the finalists selected by the jury, receiving the most votes from Instagram followers on C.L.A.S.S.’s corporate Instagram profile. The media partner for the initiative is Renoon, the leading search tool and data hub for sustainable fashion, a rising start-up of the year, aggregating +190 brands offering sustainable options to consumers. 

Based on Article 27 of Regulation 3 on measures to combat the Corona Virus (COVID-19), the Board of Directors of Rieter Holding Ltd. decided that shareholders can exercise their voting rights exclusively by authorizing the independent proxy. Shareholders therefore could not attend the Annual General Meeting in person. The AGM was held on the premises of Rieter Holding Ltd. at the company’s headquarters in Winterthur.

At the Annual General Meeting of Rieter Holding Ltd. on April 15, 2021, the independent proxy represented a total of 2 084 shareholders who hold 63.6% of the share capital.

The shareholders approved the proposal of the Board of Directors not to distribute a dividend in view of the negative business result. In addition, they approved the proposed maximum total amounts of the remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors and of the Group Executive Committee for fiscal year 2022.

The Chairman of the Board, Bernhard Jucker, and the members of the Board of Directors This E. Schneider, Hans-Peter Schwald, Peter Spuhler, Roger Baillod, Carl Illi and Luc Tack were confirmed for an additional one-year term of office. Stefaan Haspeslagh was newly elected to the Board of Directors for a one-year term of office.

Furthermore, This E. Schneider, Hans-Peter Schwald and Bernhard Jucker, the members of the Remuneration Committee who were standing for election, were also each re-elected for a one-year term of office.

Shareholders also adopted all other motions proposed by the Board of Directors, namely the approval of the annual report, the financial statements and the consolidated financial statements for 2020, and formal approval of the actions of the members of the Board of Directors and those of the Group Executive Committee in the year under review.

Outlook Updated
As already communicated at the Results Press Conference on March 9, 2021, Rieter expects the market recovery to continue in 2021. The company expects an order intake exceeding CHF 500 million in the first half of 2021. For the first half of 2021, Rieter still anticipates that sales will be below break-even point. For the full year 2021, Rieter expects an operating profit.

• Waiver of dividend
• Expansion of Board of Directors

The shareholders of Autoneum Holding Ltd approved all proposals of the Board of Directors at today’s Annual General Meeting and agreed to forgo dividend payments. Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli were newly elected to the Board of Directors. Based on Art. 27 of the Covid-19 Ordinance 3, the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd decided to hold the 2021 Annual General Meeting without physical attendance by the shareholders. For this reason, the Company had asked them in advance to exercise their rights exclusively via the Independent Proxy. He represented 63.5% of a total of 4 672 363 shares.

The shareholders approved the Annual Report, the Annual Financial Statements and the Consolidated Financial Statements 2020. In view of the net loss in the 2020 financial year, the Board of Directors proposed forgoing dividend payments, which was approved by a large majority of the shareholders. Hans-Peter Schwald, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said: “2020 was extremely challenging for the entire automobile industry and also for Autoneum. The pandemic-related drop in revenue has impacted profitability. Despite the net loss, Autoneum reached important financial improvements in 2020. We expect to return to profitability in 2021 and our aim to distribute at least 30% of the net profit attributable to Autoneum shareholders as dividends remains unchanged. The Board of Directors, the Group Executive Board and the Company as a whole are committed fully to ensuring that Autoneum continues to make significant operational and financial improvements.”

Chairman Hans-Peter Schwald and the other members of the Board of Directors, Rainer Schmückle, Norbert Indlekofer, Michael Pieper, This E. Schneider and Ferdinand Stutz were confirmed in office. Newly elected to the Board of Directors were Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli.

With Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli and the resignation of Peter Spuhler, who did not stand for reelection in order to be able to focus on managing Stadler Rail, the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd has expanded from seven to eight members. Hans-Peter Schwald explained: “The expertise of Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli in the areas of finance and corporate management is of great value to Autoneum. As the Board of Directors, we look forward to this enhancement to the Board and to working with both of them.”

Peter Spuhler has been an important driving force since the Company became independent, he played a major role in shaping Autoneum thanks to his entrepreneurial expertise and showed great commitment to the Company. The Board of Directors thanks him sincerely and wishes him continued success.

This E. Schneider, Hans-Peter Schwald and Ferdinand Stutz were re-elected to the Compensation Committee. Oliver Streuli was elected as a new member of this committee. In addition, the shareholders of Autoneum Holding Ltd granted discharge to all members of the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Board with a large majority.

The consultative vote on the 2020 remuneration report was approved by 83.4%. Due to the severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Group’s business development, the members of the Board of Directors renounced half of their compensation for the 2020 financial year and, in order to  align their remuneration with shareholder interests, decided to receive it entirely in Autoneum shares. In addition, a waiver of salary amounting to 10% of the basic salary for a period of three months was agreed upon with the senior management as part of a reduction of personnel costs.

The proposals for the remuneration of the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Board for the 2022 financial year as well as the other proposals were also approved by a large majority.

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber through finished sewn products, held its officer elections for fiscal year 2021 today.

NCTO has re-elected David Roberts, CEO of Cap Yarns, as Chairman and David Poston, President of Palmetto Synthetics, as Vice Chairman.

In addition to the appointment of a new chairman and vice chairman, NCTO elected chairs for each of its four councils. NCTO is comprised of four councils to ensure a broad representation of the industry supply chain. Each council has an allotted number of members who are elected to the association’s Board of Directors, in addition to the Executive Committee.*

“This is a critical juncture for our industry, which answered the call of the nation to produce lifesaving personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim. “We will continue to engage with all stakeholders to press for policies that support the industry overall, help onshore PPE production and create a permanent domestic supply chain.”

*See attached document for more information.