Supply Chain Panel Confirmed for Hong Kong Conference
Our supply chain panel comprises of 4 leading sustainability professionals and will be moderated by Adam Hughes, Commercial Director at BLC Leather Technology Centre Ltd.
Austin Davidsen
Senior Manager, Footwear Materials – Leather, Adidas Group
adidas-group.com
Austin specialises in leather sourcing, specifically in footwear materials for Adidas Group, as well as being an Executive Committee Member of the Leather Working Group.
As much as success nurtures a growing global company, we never settle for the status quo. Instead, we want to advance every single day when we open our doors for more than our 53,000 employees worldwide. They are our creative capital to shape the future of sport. Because at the adidas Group, we believe sport has the power to change lives.
Developing market-changing innovations is a never-ending game. How can a shoe provide the best support and be so light that it’s hardly noticeable? How can a shirt absorb heat and keep warm at the same time? What is the most protective boxing glove made of? We don’t stop asking these questions.
Hans van Haarst
CEO, Smit & Zoon BV
smitzoon.com
Hans van Haarst has worked for the past 30 years in the process industry with ExxonMobil, Accenture and AkzoNobel. For these companies he lived and worked in the US, India, China and several European countries.
Hans van Haarst has worked for the past 30 years in the process industry with ExxonMobil, Accenture, and AkzoNobel. For these companies he lived and worked in the US, India, China, and several European countries. A Chemical Engineer by education, Hans has worked in general management for the past 10 years. He joined Smit & zoon as CEO early 2013 and was in the company’s Supervisory Board before that time. Bringing sustainability into play as one of the means to improve the industry – People, Planet & Profit – is an important motivator for him.
Smit & zoon develops and produces chemicals used in the manufacturing and finishing of leather for well-known brands of shoes, cars, furniture, clothes, and bags. Based on fish oil as a shared feedstock source, we also have a significant share in the global trade of vegetable and animal oils, used by our customers to produce top brands in pet foods and human consumption. Quality, sustainability and continuity are of key importance in this international family business founded in 1821. Headquartered in Weesp (The Netherlands), Smit & zoon also has offices in Amersfoort (The Netherlands), Germany, Italy and China.
Frank Michel
Executive Director, The ZDHC Foundation
roadmaptozero.com
Since August 2015, Frank has led the ZDHC Foundation as Executive Director, bringing with him more than twenty years’ leadership experience in establishing and growing multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Frank’s earlier career years include managing technical advisory groups and environmental initiatives for a leading German retail trade organisation, GS1 Germany GmbH, and working as Director of Regulation & Sustainability Management at 1WorldSync, where he was able significantly grow the size and outreach of the organisation by founding several subsidiaries.
Frank holds Business Administration & Languages and Applied Sciences degrees from University of Giessen (Germany) and University of Central Lancashire (UK) England.
Hugues Pichon
Project Director, Louis Vuitton Malletier
louisvuitton.com
World leader in luxury and a family-run group since its creation in 1987, LVMH strives to ensure the long-term development and vision of each of its Houses in keeping with their identity, heritage, and their expertise.
This helps to create products that embody a unique savoir-faire, a carefully preserved heritage, and a dynamic engagement with modernity. The Group’s vocation is to ensure the development of each of its 70 Houses, while respecting their identities and autonomy, providing the resources needed to create, produce, and market their products and services.
Be creative and innovative, deliver excellence, and cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit are the three fundamental values articulated by Bernard Arnault. Respect for these values is one of the keys to the performance of LVMH Houses, engaging them with contemporary times and society. The Group has made sustainable development a strategic priority since its creation. Today, this commitment establishes a clear position regarding the issue of the ethical responsibility of businesses in general, as well as the distinctive role played in society by a group such as LVMH, in France, and around the world.
Attend the Sustainability in the Leather Supply Chain Conference
Platinum sponsor, Stahl.
Building on the success of previous years, the theme of this year’s conference will be focused on building a sustainable value chain for the leather industry. A key requirement for all retailers and brands is upstream supply chain transparency. This year’s event will include presentations which concentrate on the lifecycle of products with sustainability and innovation being key themes.
Topics such as effective supply chain mapping, recent developments of the multi-brand ZDHC, alternative materials, innovation in chemistry and animal welfare will feature in presentations during the event. We promise an exciting line-up of international industry leading specialists, including major brands and/or retailers, tanners, leather supply chain suppliers (machinery/chemicals) and organisations presenting the most up-to-date developments across a range of topical subjects.
Date: Thursday 30th March 2017
Duration: 12:00 to 17:30
Location: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Register your place today with APLF – Discounted rates for BLC Members.
View the conference agenda.
9 March 2017