Cleto Sagripanti to become president of CEC in May

By

Maite Ruiz-Atela

Published
Feb 24, 2015

Jean Pierre Renaudin, the current President of the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC) and the French Footwear Federation, had already indicated to FashioMag.com at end of 2014 that he would not stand for another term as president of the former.

This May, the members of the CEC are supposed to choose among the nominees that were presented to them until last December. According to FashionMag.com’s sources, the only official nomination was that of Cleto Sagripanti, the current president of Assocalzaturifici. Sagripanti, whose term at the Italian organization ends in June 2015, indicated to FashionMag.com his intention to run for president of the CEC in order to fight hard for the interests of footwear in Europe, to promote the return of production to Europe, and to develop training programs for young designers in order to ensure the longevity of the quality and design-driven footwear industry.

The appointment will be made public in May following the vote of all of CEC’s members. The Italian and Spanish associations, with Vito Artioli and Rafael Calvo at the fore, have traditionally proven to be the most active organizations in defending the interests of the sector and pushing for obligatory "made in" labels on shoes.

Carmen Arias Castellano is currently the secretary general of the CEC, elected by its members to represent the sector to the European Commission. CEC, which is headquartered in Brussels, is currently developing various initiatives including funding, the development of training projects, the promotion of European footwear throughout the world, and the defense of European interests in the sector worldwide.

The official vote of members will held in May.