#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2021-04-01

VF Corporation announces new appointments to EMEA leadership team

VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories today announced several new appointments to its EMEA leadership team.

Andreas Olsson has been appointed Regional General Manager, Dickies® EMEA;

Massimo Ferrucci has been appointed President, Napapijri®, in addition to his role of General Manager, Emerging Markets;

Argu Secilmis has been appointed Vice President, Product and Marketing, Napapijri®

Stuart Pond has been appointed Vice President, EMEA Supply Chain Operations.

“VF’s ongoing success in EMEA is driven by a strong, cohesive leadership team with extensive business management experience, industry knowledge and a deep understanding of our company culture and vision,” said Martino Scabbia Guerrini, VF’s President of the EMEA Region. “We’re thankful to Andreas, Massimo, Argu and Stuart for bringing their passion and commitment to VF. We wish them all the best on their new assignments going forward.”

Since joining VF in 2009, Olsson held various sales and marketing positions within the Vans® and The North Face® brands. Most recently, Olsson was Director of Group Digital Accounts where he contributed to the EMEA region’s strategic digital acceleration. Olsson will report to Scabbia Guerrini and Denny Bruce, Global Brand President, Dickies®. Olsson succeeds Ferrucci, who is now President, Napapijri®, replacing Timo Schmidt-Eisenhart who left VF to pursue a new career opportunity.

Secilmis joined the Timberland® brand in 2009, holding roles across merchandising, marketing and product where he brought to life the new brand framework and creative vision elevating the brand narratives across the globe. Most recently, Secilmis was Vice President of Global Apparel for the Timberland® brand. He reports to Ferrucci.

Since 2018, Pond was Vice President of Supply Chain for VF’s Asia Pacific region. Pond will report to Scabbia Guerrini and will relocate to VF’s Stabio, Switzerland office from Hong Kong. Pond succeeds Darren Miller, who recently announced his decision to leave VF for personal reasons after spending the past 28 years with the company.

“We are forever grateful to Timo and Darren as they have played a crucial role in the regional organization and we wish them well in their next chapter,” added Scabbia Guerrini.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.