News

29. June 2023 / Jean-Paul Haessig Is New President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange

Bremen, 29 June 2023: The Board of the Bremen Cotton Exchange elected Jean-Paul Haessig (61) President of the association for the next two years on the occasion of the General Assembly on 29 June. Haessig is a director of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Singapore-based trading company Asian Cotton Traders PTE Ltd.

He succeeds the previous President Stephanie Silber (43), Managing Director of Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen, who remains a member of the Executive Committee in the role of a Vice President.

The Vice Presidents Jens D. Lukaczik (57), Managing Partner of the service company Cargo Control Germany GmbH & Co. KG in Bremen and Fritz A. Grobien (65), Managing Partner of Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co. Trade (GmbH & Co.) KG, Bremen will continue to serve as members of the Executive Committee.

President Jean-Paul Haessig thanked the board for his election:

“It is a great honor for me to lead the fortunes of this international association as President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange. In view of the many challenges facing our industry and the global economy, there is a need for intensive mutual exchange, reciprocal support, and political tact. As an association, the Bremen Cotton Exchange is excellently positioned to continue representing the interests of its members as an important player in the future,” said the new president.

Guest Speaker Professor Dr Sarah Jastram

The guest speaker of this year’s General Assembly of the Bremen Cotton Exchange was Professor Sarah Jastram. Since 2015, Ms Jastram has been Professor of International Business Ethics and Sustainability and General Economics at the Hamburg School of Business Administration. She is heading the university’s Strategy & Leadership department since February 2022. She gave a lecture on the currently highly debated topic of “Securing human rights in international supply chains of the textile industry – challenges and possible solutions for companies”. Due to the complexity of the subject, a lively debate ensued among the participants, who shared their view of these developments from an entrepreneurial perspective.

General Assembly Confirms Board in Previous Formation

The 149^th Ordinary General Assembly of the Bremen Cotton Exchange in the 151^st year after the founding of the association approved the accounts, accepted the annual report of the Board of Directors for the fiscal year 2022 and unanimously granted discharge to the Board of Directors and management.

As usual, new elections to the Board also took place during the General Assembly. Hannes Drolle, Getzner Textil AG, Bludenz/Austria and Axel Trede, Cotton Service International GmbH, Bremen, retired from the Board as scheduled and were newly elected to the Board.

Further members of the Board are:

Ernst Grimmelt, Managing Partner of Velener Textil GmbH in Velen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Henning Hammer, Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen, responsible for the Asian business in Shanghai, Jan Kettelhack, Hch. Kettelhack GmbH + Co. KG, Rheine, Dr Uwe Mazura, General Manager of the Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry, Berlin, Konrad Schröer, Setex-Textil-GmbH, Hamminkeln-Dingden, Peter Spoerry, Spoerry 1886 AG, Flums/Switzerland, and Roland Stelzer, Gebr. Elmer & Zweifel GmbH & Co. KG, Bempflingen. Peter Spoerry also represents the Swiss textile industry. Manfred Kern represents the Association of the Austrian Textile, Fashion, Shoe, and Leather Industry as an advisory member of the Board.

Donation of a Sculpture to the Cotton Exchange

Following the General Assembly, former President Wolfgang Vogt-Jordan presented a donation to the Bremen Cotton Exchange. The sculpture represents a female spinner and symbolizes the traditionally close connection of cotton traders to the textile industry. Designed by the well-known Bremen artist Claudia Krentz, “Minna” can now be admired on the landing to the second floor.

A special feature of the Bremen Cotton Exchange: The members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee are mostly from companies from different areas of the cotton supply chain, such as trade, processing, and services. This gives the commodities association access to an extensive network and worldwide information resources within the global cotton sector and beyond in the textile industry.