Changes at the top of ACIMAC

The ACIMAC Members’ Meeting unanimously elected Paolo Mongardi as the association’s new chairman for the two-year period 2020-2022. Luca Bazzani (System Ceramics), Bruno Bettelli (I-Tech) and Paolo Lamberti (Tecnografica) were elected as the three vice chairmen. Lamberti will take over as chairman from Mongardi in two years’ time.

The Italian ceramic machinery and equipment manufacturers’ association ACIMAC has a new Chairman. On Wednesday 8 July, the Annual Members’ Meeting unanimously elected Paolo Mongardi, Chairman of Sacmi, to lead the association for the two-year period 2020-2022. Born in 1964, Mongardi began working for Sacmi in 1985 as a project designer. He joined the cooperative’s Board of Directors in 2001 and took over as chairman in 2013.

The three vice chairmen were also elected during the meeting: Paolo Lamberti (Chairman of Tecnografica), in charge of innovation, Luca Bazzani (CEO of System Ceramics), tasked with promotional and exhibition activities, and Bruno Bettelli (Chairman and CEO of I-TECH), responsible for association marketing.

While maintaining its four-year duration, the new aspect of this chairmanship is the fact that it will be divided into two equal periods, with Paolo Lamberti taking over from Paolo Mongardi in two years’ time. This decision, approved by the association’s Board of Directors, reaffirms the association’s desire to bring together and protect the interests of all categories of companies represented by ACIMAC in terms of both size (large and small companies) and types of business (suppliers of individual machines, complete plants and services). As Mongardi himself explained in his first speech as Chairman after thanking the outgoing Chairman Paolo Sassi and his fellow business leaders for the trust placed in him and his team, it is a formula that aims to ensure inclusivity and representativeness. “The fact that the Members’ Meeting has voted unanimously for the first time reflects the association’s unity in terms of its operations and vision,” said Mongardi. “I am taking over a big responsibility from Paolo Sassi at an economically challenging time for companies in the sector. I will fulfil my duties with enthusiasm and dedication in the knowledge that I will have the chance to work with an outstanding organisation.”

The newly elected Chairman also set out some of the objectives of his new programme. These include creating new services for members (“although I am well aware of the level of excellence already attained”, he noted), further expanding the membership base (17 new members joined ACIMAC during the four years of the Sassi chairmanship) and ensuring greater involvement of companies in the association’s initiatives. One strategic commitment will be to reaffirm and convey to the market the excellence of Italian ceramic technology, which is increasingly imitated by competitors but never surpassed, added Mongardi.

Two other important pieces of news were announced to the large group of business leaders attending the ACIMAC Members’ Meeting.

The first is the collaboration agreement reached with AMAPLAST (Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machinery and Moulds for Plastics and Rubber), based on the example of the agreement that has been in place with UCIMA (Italian Automatic Packaging Machinery Manufacturers’ Association) since 2011. While each maintaining their own autonomy and independence, the three trade associations representing different sectors of the capital goods industry and affiliated to the Italian employers’ federation Confindustria are combining their operational organisations in order to create synergies, expand the range of services offered and increase their critical mass. The new grouping represents over 1,000 companies with 55,000 employees and a turnover of more than 14 billion euros, 70% of which is generated by exports. “This organisational model will not only allow us to further strengthen our system and create new opportunities, but has also been identified as an example to be followed by the national federation Confindustria,” explained Mongardi. “This is a source of pride to us because it demonstrates the value, professionalism and efficiency of our organisation.”

Following the news about AMAPLAST joining the group of associations based in Villa Marchetti in Modena, already the headquarters of ACIMAC and UCIMA, the second important announcement made during the Members’ Meeting regarded the change of directorship of ACIMAC. Paolo Gambuli, Director General of the association since it was founded 30 years ago and of UCIMA since 2011, passes the helm to Mario Maggiani, former Director General of AMAPLAST.

Gambuli, who will continue to work in an advisory role to the Chairmen, was thanked by the business leaders for his work over the years in transforming a small association into a solid and highly successful organisation that has become a role model within Confindustria. We welcome the new director general Mario Maggiani and wish him the very best with the challenging work that awaits him in these complex times.