Assocalzaturifici, the national association representing Italy’s footwear enterprises, held its general meeting today at MUDEC – the Museum of Cultures in Milan, during which the association elected a new Board of Directors and appointed a new Chair for the years 2015/2019.

Annarita Pilotti, CEO of Loriblu in Fermo, was elected new Chair of the Association by a vast majority. Born in 1958 in Penna San Giovanni, she is the first woman to Chair the Italian footwear manufacturers’ association.

In 1995 Pilotti left her job with the police force to join Loriblu, the company founded by her husband Graziano Cuccù, managing the luxury footwear business along with him.

The Chair will be assisted by four new Vice Chairs in the coming four-year period: Siro Badon (Veneto) De Robert Calzature, Andrea Brotini (Tuscany) Pakerson, Giovanna Ceolini (Lombardy) Parabiago Collezioni – Thierry Rabotin, Luca Silvestri (Marche) Safe Way and the Board of Directors elected in the meeting held at the end of the private session.

According to the Italian Association, the new chair's priorities include tax exemptions for investment in research, development and innovation and commitment to training of qualified workers for the sector with the aim of maintaining the excellence and quality of Italian footwear manufacturing.

The association will also resume its intense lobbying in harmony with Confindustria on strategic issues such as obligatory labelling of origin in Europe (“Made-in labelling") and adoption of initiatives promoting Italian-made footwear at the national, local and European levels.

Great importance will also be assigned to international expansion of the Association to help its members among smaller enterprises gain ground on strategic markets and to inclusion of its trade fairs in the international trade fair calendar.