The general assembly of the European Footwear Confederation (CEC) held on Dec. 1 in Elche, Spain, elected Rosana Perán, as its president for the next two years. She is the first woman to head CEC and succeeds Luis Onofre, president of the Portuguese footwear association, Apiccaps.
Perán is president of Fice, the Spanish footwear association, and vice president of the Pikolinos group.
In 2022, the EU footwear industry represented around 20,000 companies, employing some 250,000 people. CEC’s main objectives are to improve the competitiveness and growth of European footwear companies.
In her investiture speech, Perán stressed that her main challenge will be to promote Industry 5.0, also referred to as the fifth industrial revolution under which humans will work alongside advanced technology and A.I.-powered robots.
However, she assured that new technologies and innovations will not replace workers, ”but will enable them to acquire complementary skills, helping companies guarantee their growth and the development of professional careers of talents,” CEC said in a statement.
Perán underlined that “we also need to actively work on social sustainability in the footwear industry. This should be based on taking ethical and social aspects into account throughout the footwear production and consumption chain”. She added that “this means considering not only the environmental impact, but also the working conditions, equity and wellbeing of the communities involved in production”, all factors that are crucial for the European footwear industry today.
The CEC said that under Perán’s leadership, it will “continue to promote the interests of European footwear companies to ensure that the European Union’s initiatives help them adapt to the sustainable and digital industrial transformation. It will ensure that their voices are heard so that the EU remains an open and reliable trading partner while establishing clear and fair rules for all stakeholders.”
The confedertion will also pursue its efforts to attract the younger generations to the sector, and working on European initiatives to improve the skills of the current and future workforce.
Perán reminded that “over the last 10 years, CEC has led 25 European projects supporting the implementation of EU policies and facilitating collaboration across Europe. From now on, I am faced with the exciting challenge of continuing to transform the industry. A sector that faces many challenges, but also opportunities, and its members associations play a relevant role in preparing and mobilizing companies, facilitating the exchange of information and best practices between industry members to enhance their competitiveness and efficiency.”
