Manuela Soffientini, president and managing director of Electrolux Major and Small Appliances Italian and International Cluster, has been appointed as new president of Ceced Italy, the Confindustria association that brings together and represents companies that produce and sell household and professional appliances in Italy. The appointment was ratified by the General Meeting, which was held in Milan. «I assume this commitment after a strategic and reorganization phase of the Association management that led to the refocusing on the core issues for all members. Ceced Italy strengthens the continuity and focuses on Ceced Europe chains that are the essence of the ‘House System’: major appliances, small appliances, hoods, components, to which biomass heating, fireplaces and chimneys are added.»
The sector has to face many subjects, increasingly numerous and complex: technical, environmental, political, about supervisory and market development. Among these, the circular economy, which includes strengthening the WEEE System (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment); the connectivity based on smartness, not only of individual products but also of larger systems like the smart city and smart grid; the energy label, which European legislation is under review. Manuela Soffientini works with the technical structure of the Association – led from 1 July 2016 by Marco Imparato – and the three vice-presidents, elected by the General Meeting: Vladimiro Carminati (De’Longhi), Antonella Ferrara (OLS), Beppe Fumagalli (Candy Hoover Group).
