INTERNATIONAL
Leon Wennekes, secretary general of CINET, is stepping down from his position, effective beginning of July.
Wennekes will change his career into other areas and stop his work for Cinet and the other trade associations in PTC (Professional Textile Care). He is preparing a trip (as far as Covid-19 allows) for the next months. After 1 July he will not be directly involved in the work of the associations, only executing specific, ad hoc research assignments as a freelancer while taking some time off for a sabbatical.
Since 2003 Wennekes has worked in the family business M&P Bureauservice BV, which has been the firm executing the secretariat services for the trade associations. Since he was 15 years of age he has been involved in communication projects and event management, first for the Dutch trade associations and later for Cinet. In those days, his tasks were mainly centered around social media and PR-activities as well as supporting event management.
Wennekes said: “I’ve always really enjoyed working for professional textile care industry, both internationally and in the Netherlands. In my social circles, it always took a bit of time to explain how professional textile care (as one of the best kept secrets in society) actually ensures that all sorts of markets function properly (health care, hospitality, trade and industry and retail), but it never took long before people understand the value.
“Despite the Corona crisis and and the ‘Great Lockdown’ I have great confidence in the added value PTC can bring to societies and believe the future will be prosperous. I really regret the scheduled events can’t continue due to Corona, originally the Global Awards 2020 would have been the highlight enabling me to say goodbye to so many great people in person.
“Nevertheless I would like to take this moment and thank you all for the wonderful opportunity working with you over the past years. It was genuinely a magnificent adventure, learning from a wide range of different companies all over the world. I realise it’s been a most fortunate position for which I’m sincerely grateful.
“Lastly, I’d like to thank my parents in particular for supporting and pushing me towards personal development. It’s not always easy working with so many interests of different members but the time is very precious to me and surely it has created a marvelous starting point for next steps in the future which is currently still unclear.”
Kathy Bowry, editor of LCNi said: “We all wish Leon the very best in his new life outside textile care. It has been a pleasure working . It has been a pleasure working with him on various projects and we will miss him in the industry.”
