Page 12 - FINAT Yearbook 2015

CHANGING OF THE GUARD
LEADING FINAT IN THE AGE OF
TRANSFORMATION
At the FINAT General Assembly 2015 in Amsterdam, FINAT President Kurt Walker will conclude his second and final term of office as FINAT President. He will hand over the torch to current Vice President Thomas Hagmaier of Hagmaier Etiketten (D), who will in turn be succeeded by Chris Ellison of OPM (Labels & Packaging) Group, UK. Kurt will remain in office for another two years as Past President. At the point of transition, the incoming and outgoing Presidents share their views and opinions on the past achievements and future challenges of the association in their answers to ten questions.
Q1: FINAT and the label industry are known for people who like to ‘stick around’ in the community. What is your earliest memory of FINAT? And what will you remember as your highlight in FINAT (so far)?
KW: My first contact with FINAT was 1989, at the congress in Vouliagmeni, Greece. As I had only been part of the label industry for six months, this congress represented my first impressions of the European label industry and its members. From the beginning I recognized a very socially-driven community that includes both customers and suppliers, which was quite a different setup from that of my old business world -- the computer industry. There have been many highlights, but top of the list has been making real personal friends out of business contacts – friends, which will still be with me when I’m no longer in business.
TH: My first FINAT congress was in Baveno, Italy. My first feeling was: very stiff people. What am I doing here? I don’t play golf! But this first impression changed fast. The people turned out to be very open, and I went home having made a lot of new friends and insights into the label industry. That congress inspired me to participate in the marketing committee for a number of years, where I learned about the association’s organisation and structure, and learned to speak better English. My top highlight was the Euro-India label journey... getting inspired by another world, feeling at home in another world.
Q2: The success of great associations like FINAT depends on the engagement of its members and the active commitment of its volunteer leaders in committees and at Board level. What made you decide to become an active member of FINAT?
KW: I was always interested in what happens outside my own business world, so being part of an association seemed a natural and easy way for me to make contacts with my industry peers and to access relevant market information. TH: I was never keen on active membership in associations, but I quickly learned how important it can be to have pan-European connections and to hear how things are going
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Thomas Hagmaier and Kurt Walker
Kurt Walker (65, Basel) worked at tesa Bandfix (Bergdietikon, near Zurich) where he was the CEO of the Beiersdorf/tesa label making subsidiary for 23 years, until Bandfix was sold to private equity company Palero Invest in 2012. He remained active as freelance advisor to the company until the summer of 2014, when the company was sold to CCL. Kurt’s FINAT ‘career’ dates back to 1989, when he attended his first FINAT meeting. In 2007, he joined the FINAT Board, and a year later became the association’s Treasurer. In 2009 he was elected Vice President, and succeeded Andrea Vimercati as President in 2011.
Thomas Hagmaier (55, Stuttgart) is the second generation in charge of the almost 70-year old family company Hagmaier Etiketten in Münsingen (near Stuttgart). Having successfully led the company for years with his brother Werner, Thomas became the sole owner in 2012. Meanwhile, the third generation has entered the business in the persons of sons Rodolfo and Max and daughter Veronika. Thomas joined the FINAT Board in 2006, after having been a member of the Marketing Committee since 2004. In 2009, he joined the FINAT Membership Committee before being elected the association’s Vice- President in 2011. Thomas will be the second FINAT President from Germany since Ferdi Lück in the mid 1990s.
FINAT YEARBOOK 2015 |