News

ESC elects new Chairman

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Denis Choumert, Procurement and Logistics Director of Ciments Calcia managing such activities for all French and Belgium affiliates of Italcementi Group/Ciments Français, was elected Chairman of the European Shippers' Council today.

Mr Choumert, well known in the French and Benelux transport and logistics industry, has been a long standing member of the French Shippers' Council of which he is also the President. On accepting the chairmanship he said "shippers should seek to have a stronger voice in Europe; the competitiveness of European industry relies on extended, efficient and sustainable supply chains. It remains a priority to increase this efficiency through better integration of the modes and optimising the functioning of each single mode. At the same time we see the costs of logistics increasing whilst being confronted with serious issues such as climate change, pollution and security threats. This is impacting the competitiveness of European industry. We cannot sit by and let this happen.

"I look forward to working with the ESC team in what are challenging times. One of our priorities will be to fully assess the implications on business of the new framework for the EU from the Commission's Transport Policy which will be launched shortly by the European Commission. There is still a vital role to perform in shaping the detail of the EU's policy to the benefit of industry in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner."

Mr Choumert also thanked his predecessor, Mr Dick van den Broek Humphreij, for his outstanding efforts, commitment and leadership of the ESC over the last 10 years.

For more information:

• Nicolette van der Jagt
  Secretary General
  European Shippers' Council
  Rue de la Science 14
  1040 Brussels
  T + 32 2 286 11 56
  F + 32 2 230 98 32

Notes to editors:

M. Choumert is a graduate engineer of Polytechnique Paris with a MBA degree of INSEAD. He spent 15 years in TECHNIP GROUP as Project Manager, Project Director and Director of Purchasing and Transportation. He then joined Ciments Français Group to head the engineering division then be part of Italcementi Group Procurement management. For the last 10 years he has been Director of procurement and Logistics for France Belgium operations within Italcementi Group. He has been chairman of AUTF, French shippers association, for the last 6 years and as such he is a board member of 'Réseau ferré de France', the French railway network, and of 'Voies Navigables de France', the French waterways network.