The outgoing President, Frank Boehly, was re-elected President of the French National Leather Council or CNC on 14 December 2017 for a mandate of 3 years by the General Assembly of the confederation, which brings together 20 federations from all sectors of the French leather industry (production, processing, manufacture, distribution).
A series of actions undertaken to improve the performances of the sector:
Defending leather professionals before national and regional authorities.
The Conseil National du Cuir has developed a special relationship with the public authorities in order to optimise the performance of companies in the sector, notably small and medium-sized companies. A white paper, published to coincide with the Presidential election, appealed to politicians to examine 10 proposals to encourage the development of the sector (competitiveness, business creation and transmission, training, protection of knowledge, and more).
- Quality of skins, defence of the term “Leather”, creating regional networks and assistance with funding – a busy mandate with plenty of work ahead.
From 2015 to 2017, CNC set out a number of priorities for its work, including:
- Improving the production of quality hides to meet the demand from tanneries and businesses from the French luxury sector.
- Defending the term ”Leather” against the unfair competition from producers of products incorrectly described as "leather”, creating regional networks of leather SMEs with the support of local elected officials to form structures such as the Pôle Cuir de l’Aveyron, l’Association du Cuir de Graulhet and Reso-Cuir in Nouvelle Aquitaine.
- Facilitating access to credit for SMEs and very small businesses from the sector thanks to regional grants and tools provided by BPI France.
- Training young people in the leather professions, a constant concern.
At a time where SMEs in the sector are struggling to recruit and where certain positions remain vacant, the attractiveness of leather professions and training for young people are of constant concern for stakeholders in the leather industry. The CNC has strengthened its efforts to attract young people to the leather professions by showing them not only the exceptional expertise in the sector but also the professions that have been reinvigorated by the developments in technology, at careers fairs and shows for the general public (l’Aventure des Métiers, le Mondial des Métiers, les Portes du Cuir, le Salon de l’Agriculture), and by producing a digital application about the professions and training in them. These actions will continue during this new mandate.
Priority for 2018-2020: assistance in implementing CSR activities adapted to the leather sector to meet ISO 26 000 standards.
The Leather sector ecosystem is evolving and new demands are becoming a priority: consumer and environmental protection, respect for animal welfare, employee satisfaction, improvements in the supply chain, sharing of best practices at a global level.
Frank Boehly: “While the competitiveness of our companies remains one of the priorities of the French leather sector, we strongly encourage them, for the period 2018-2020, to enhance their approach to corporate social responsibility, an essential step to gain in excellence”.
Frank Boehly profile.
- Aged 66, he has been President of the Fédération des Enseignes de la Chaussure (Federation of Footwear Retailers) since 2008 and is a member of the Board of the Conseil National du Cuir since 2009.
- From 1999 to 2013, he was President of Salamander France, one of the leading European footwear retail chains.
- From 1995 to 1999, he held the role of Commercial Director of the retail subsidiary of the Labelle group.
- He started his career as a footwear retailer, spending 15 years in this role.
An active union representative, Frank Boehly is also: Administrator of the Conseil du Commerce de France (CdCF), Vice-President of the Comité Professionnel de Développement Économique Cuir Chaussure Maroquinerie Ganterie (CTC), Vice-President of the Alliance du Commerce which brings together department stores (UCV), clothing chains (FEH), and footwear chains (FEC). Member of the Board of Au-delà du Cuir (AdC).
Board members of the Conseil National du Cuir elected during the General Assembly on 14th December 2017:
Treasurer
Claude-Eric PAQUIN, President of the Fédération Française de la Chaussure.
Secretary
Jean Pierre GUALINO, President of CTC, CEO of ATC Tannery Chemical.
