25.07.2023 — News, Press release, Reports

DTB Board of Directors newly elected at the Annual Conference 2023!

We are pleased that we were able to welcome conference participants from the entire textile and clothing industry at our DTB Annual Conference this year. In his opening speech, Leonhard Kiel thanked all those present for their many years of commitment and loyalty to Dialog Textil-Bekleidung e.V.. He particularly emphasised the outstanding work of the DTB board, which always works with great commitment for the interests of the members. On this day, 70-year-old Leonhard Kiel said goodbye to his position on the Board Council and the members paid tribute to his valuable work.

Diverse activities of the DTB

DTB Managing Director Susanne Pass presented an informative report from the current business year, which illustrated the variety of cutting-edge topics the DTB is dealing with. In addition to its own working groups, webinars and information days, the DTB is actively involved in the advisory board of the DIN Textile and Textile Machinery Standards Committee, is a member of EURATEX and maintains various partnerships. Since 2023, the DTB has been a member of the Recycling Atelier project in Augsburg. An outlook on the DTB events in the 2nd half of 2023 rounded off the business report.

Farewell and election of new board members

After the accountability report by DTB board member Hannes Rambold, the formal discharge of the board followed. Before the election of the new DTB board for the next election period until 2026, board member Guido Brackelsberg was bid farewell in absentia and in person DTB board member Irene Schoppmeier. Leonhard Kiel paid tribute to her commitment to understanding between industry and academia as the longstanding director of the German Master School for Fashion in Munich.

Subsequently, the new board members were unanimously elected by all members present and the distribution of tasks was decided in the first constituent board meeting in the evening:

Chairmen of the Board: Christopher Veit (VEIT GmbH) and Sebastian Klinder (MUNICH FABRIC START)

Deputy Chairperson of the Board: Roland Schuler (IB Company KG) and Wilfried Bäuning (Bugatti GmbH)

Other members of the Board:

– Hannes Rambold (MobiMedia AG) – Treasurer DTB

– Leonhard Kiel (Barth + Co. Spedition GmbH & Co. KG)

– Lydia Kölker (EMP Merchandising Handelsgesellschaft mbH)

– Gerhard Kränzle (Hiltl Hosen-Manufaktur GmbH)

Co-opted Board Members:

– Dr. Peter Bartsch (Lenzing AG)

– Andreas Bothe (Schmidt Group)

– Jan Hilger (Schiesser AG)

– Carsten Schreiter (Atelier gardeur GmbH)

– Dr. Axel Seeger (Strategic Retail Consulting)

– Janina Wortmann (Noerr PartmbB)

Here you can find your contact person on the board.

Entertaining lecture by generational researcher

A special highlight of the conference was the exciting and extremely entertaining lecture by Rüdiger Maas, a renowned generation researcher. In his keynote address entitled “Challenge GenZ: How can the industry prepare for the upcoming generational change?”, Maas emphasised that the wishes and requirements of generations do not differ greatly in principle. A pleasant working atmosphere, interesting activities and good training opportunities are important for all generations. However, Generation Z, which is growing up in a fully digital environment, faces particular challenges.

Growing up completely digital, Generation Z is exposed to constant input and the constant hunt for recognition in the form of “likes”. Here, companies, especially SMEs, must develop innovative approaches to meet the needs of this generation. Christoph Schwarzl, hachmeister + partner GmbH & Co. KG explained that this can be achieved through a strong brand presence, clear corporate values and an appreciative corporate culture. He presented a concrete example of how companies can retain young talent in the future.

The successful annual conference was characterised by informative lectures, constructive discussions and a harmonious atmosphere. We thank our speakers and moderators for exciting input and our good-humoured and engaged audience – we are already looking forward to the next meeting!

Please also note the publications on this topic in our DTB press review!

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