EPMA announces new President and Council Members
April 2, 2019
Ralf Carlström (left) has been elected EPMA President, and Pierre Blanchard (right) EPMA Treasurer (Courtesy EPMA)
The European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) has announced a number of leadership changes during its General Assembly 2019. The General Assembly took place at the Crowne Plaza Brussels – Le Palace Hotel, Brussels, March 21, 2019, and saw a number of EPMA Members gather to network and take part in the various Sectoral Group meetings, as well as discuss pertinent issues relating to the future of the PM industry and the association.
Every three years, the EPMA Statutes require an election to be held to form a new EPMA Council, as well as a new EPMA President and Treasurer (both subject to a maximum of two terms). The new EPMA Council was elected by a ballot of Full Member companies in advance of the General Assembly for the period of 2019–2022, with representatives of both Pometon SpA and Polmo Lomianki SA joining the council for the first time.
As the tenure of the current EPMA President and Treasurer came to an end, the newly formed council announced during the General Assembly its choice for the EPMA’s new President and Treasurer. Ralf Carlström, Digital Metal AB, was elected as EPMA President (2019–2022), succeeding Philippe Gundermann. Pierre Blanchard, Erasteel Kloster AB, was elected as EPMA Treasurer (2019– 2022), succeeding Peter Kjeldsteen, Sintex A/S.
During the assembly, outgoing EPMA President Philippe Gundermann reported on PM industry trends and statistics, highlighting the various PM sectors. Lionel Aboussouan, the EPMA’s Executive Director provided updates on the various EPMA projects and activities undertaken by the association during 2018, and Kate Blackbourne, EPMA Congress Manager, gave insight into last year’s Euro PM2018 Congress & Exhibition. Andrew Almond, EPMA Marketing Manager, provided an overview of marketing and promotional work in 2018 and the EPMA’s new Technical Manager, Bruno Vicenzi, explained the various EU projects the EPMA has been involved with during the last twelve months.
Keynote speeches, presented towards the end of the assembly, saw Guy Thiran, Executive Director, Eurometaux, provide an update on ‘Regulatory developments of interest to the Powder Metallurgy Industry’, and Prof Thilo Bein, Fraunhofer LBF / Chairman for Materials, Design and Production Task Force, European Automotive Research Partners Association (EARPA), discuss ‘Advanced Lightweight Design – Challenges and Trends’.
