On October 6, 2023, the general election meeting was personally presented to the members in Brussels. In total, the FIATA 2023 World Congress was attended by about 650 participants from 80 countries. FIATA accepted 3 new members of the Association, bringing the total number of members to 114, which is a positive sign of the Federation's achievements over the past year, thanks to the expansion of international cooperation, as well as the numerous visits of the President and CEO of FIATA to various countries that have long been out of reach for the Federation.
Over 200 participants attended this 2023 election general meeting, the vast majority of whom attended in person.
At the meeting, the election demands regarding:
Report of the President on the period of his presidency;
Reception of new participants;
Granting honorary membership;
Election and dismissal of members of the Presidium;
Adoption of the modern Code regarding the participation of members in the activities of FIATA.
One of the key moments of the 2023 general election meeting was the confirmation of delegates to FIATA positions, which saw many new faces among the 12 elected Vice-Presidents of the Extended Council and the respective Chairs of the 13 FIATA Institutes and Bodies. Special features will be published in the coming weeks to introduce these new FIATA Extended board members.
The leadership of the Presidency approved:
President: Mr. Turgut Erkeskin, UTIKAD, Turkey
Senior Vice Presidents:
Mr. Thomas Sim, SLA, Singapore
Mr. Jens Remer, Forward Belgium, Belgium
Mr. Marc Bibeau, CIFFA, Canada
General Secretary: Mr Robert Keane, BIFFA, UK
Treasurer: Mr Neil Taylor, ALOG, Chile
Past President: Dr. Ivan Petrov, NSBS, Bulgaria
The outgoing President, Dr. Ivan Petrov, pledged his full support to the new President, Mr. Erkeskin, and encouraged and thanked the members for their discussions and thoughts on the new leadership.
Mr. Erkeskin emphasized the demands of the century and the dynamic changes in our industry that we must face together as a forwarding community. “FIATA is stronger than ever, driven by an unconditional commitment to the values that define our purpose: excellence, collaboration, innovation, engagement, responsibility. Today, we are announcing a new strategic vision to empower the entire logistics sector. We believe in the power of transformation, and that power will come from within us."
He added: “Our global presence is huge, with huge potential to shape the logistics industry. Together, we can leverage our resources and expertise to create more interconnected supply chains. Optimize processes and increase transparency, which is important in the future, where logistics is the driving force of global trade, economic development and sustainability."
Former President Dr. Ivan Petrov presented the new President Mr. Erkeskin with a symbolic ceremonial gold chain and a gold pin, now updated with a silver one. Mr. Erkeskin also gave a small gift to the ex-president. He shared that “the value is greater than our compliance. This is a special artifact from Anatolia, with which you make a wish and blow into it, turning it into reality."