At the CLEPA General Assembly in Madrid Mr Peter Tyroller, CLEPA President, announced the appointment of Mr Arnaud de David-Beauregard, FIEV Vice-President, as the next CLEPA President starting office on 1 January 2014.

Mr Tyroller who holds the presidency of the European Association since 2010 said: “I am delighted to welcome Mr Arnaud de David-Beauregard as my successor. His knowledge of the automotive industry and his business experience will be crucial for CLEPA”.

Since spring 2012 CLEPA has defied the global economic crisis by adding in a rapid pace 20 new organisations to its membership. A diverse range of innovative companies have joined the Brussels based association, bringing new expertise and knowledge together under one roof. “The network we were able to access have been critical in getting us where we are today. Joining forces gives the automotive suppliers a stronger voice in policy shaping. Moreover CLEPA is launching a range of additional services.  Membership is therefore more attractive than ever”, said Jean-Marc Gales, CLEPA CEO.

The CLEPA Global Management Programme - developed and delivered in close collaboration with top university Imperial College Business School - is the first result.  The programme will endow senior managers with the knowledge and tools to benefit optimally from growth opportunities in international markets.  Building the innovative organisation, creating real-life value propositions and executing for long term value creation are the cornerstones.

The challenges ahead for the automotive industry range from urbanization and protectionism to overcapacity and demographic change. Furthermore, the industry faces increasing competition from other regions of the world in technologies that have traditionally been dominated by the European Industry. Funding of RDI activities should therefore be focused on maintaining and strengthening this competitive advantage.

In spite of the crisis the automotive suppliers industry remains one of the largest employer and leader in innovation. The automotive suppliers collectively employ five million people in Europe making it a leading creator of wealth.The choice of Madrid for hosting the CLEPA GA is very timely. Mr José Manuel Soria, Industry minister of Spain, has suggested a series of measures to revive the Spain auto industry. “Indeed, the solution for current problems is not to give money for the closure of factories but for fostering innovation. I have full confidence in the continuing resolve of our members to create value and excel in the global marketplace”, concluded Mr Jean-Marc Gales.

Note to Editors

CLEPA is the European Association of Automotive Suppliers.

104 of the world's most prominent suppliers for car parts, systems and modules and 25 National trade associations and European sector associations are members of CLEPA, representing more than 3 thousand companies, employing more than 5 million people and covering all products and services within the automotive supply chain. Based in Brussels, CLEPA is recognized as the natural discussion partner by the European Institutions, United Nations and fellow associations (ACEA, JAMA, MEMA, etc).

For more information, please contact: Mrs. Amalia Di Stefano |CLEPA Deputy CEO |a.distefano@clepa.be | Tel.: +32 2 743 91 35 and consult www.clepa.eu