Exposé of David Parker, the new ESMA Chairman, at General Assembly 2017 in Lisbon.
New ESMA Chairman David Parker from MacDermid AutotypeI would like to use the phrase ‘together we are stronger’ as the slogan for this General Assembly meeting. I think that this simple slogan, ‘together we are stronger’, captures the very essence of the ESMA ethos.
I have been lucky enough to have had close contacts with ESMA since its inception back in 1990 and in those 26 years I have often been asked: “What benefits can ESMA bring to my company?” For some companies, it is ability to discuss the scope and implementation of demanding European health, safety and environmental legislation, for others it is the provision of highly focussed, technical seminars with tabletop exhibitions to attract new customers. And for others, it is the ability to network with suppliers of allied materials in their market segments. It is this balance of both internal cooperation and external communication that I think provides the real benefits to ESMA members.
Over the last decade we have seen ESMA grow from strength to strength through the hard work of the ESMA team, the Board and the committees. I am delighted to say, that as a result of all these efforts, ESMA is now recognised as the hub that connects people with the experts in a variety of different ways.
Over a quarter of a century has passed since ESMA was founded and yet the same key requirements lie at the centre of the ESMA ethos; namely cooperation and communication. Yes, imaging technology has changed a lot in that time, especially digital imaging, and yes, some segments have grown and declined, such as audio CD. But what ESMA offers, transcends the individual applications, or technologies used by our members, as cooperation and communication are common to all, irrespective of what markets our particular companies serve.
ESMA is your association and the work it does is for the benefit of all members. The General Assembly is one of the opportunities to help shape the way that ESMA works and the goals that it works towards. Yes, ‘together we are stronger’.
