Message to the ESTO members - ESTC - EMEA Synthetic Turf Council

Sent on behalf of the ESTO Operations Committee

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mr. Stefan Diderich as ESTO’s Executive Chairman. Stefan will join ESTO in this role from 1st June 2018, allowing for a smooth transition with Nigel Fletcher, who will remain in place until his contract ends on 30th June.

After 8 years as Executive Chairman, we would like to thank Nigel for representing ESTO and the synthetic turf industry so positively and for moving ESTO forward as a strong and well-respected organisation. It is important for us to continue seamlessly into the coming years and to build on Nigel’s legacy through the appointment of a suitable replacement.

The ESTO Operations Committee were therefore tasked with the recruitment of a new Executive Chairman and through consultation with different ESTO stakeholders, it was agreed that the chosen candidate should:

Have a proactive approach towards ESTO members
Have a hands-on mentality
Have a background in, and understanding of, the European Turf Industry
Understand the challenges of ESTO members today and in the near future
Be able to build bridges and explore opportunities for synergy with other related associations, including the STC
Further develop the value proposition of ESTO to all stakeholders, and to its members specifically.

During his long career in the turf industry, Stefan has held various positions in sales, marketing and general management. Stefan has been an active ESTO member during his periods at both TenCate Grass and Bonar Yarns and has also served as a council member of the STC.

Taking these characteristics and experiences into account, we believe that we have found an excellent candidate in Stefan and we are sure our members will join us in welcoming him to his new role with ESTO.

ESTO and the STC

Following informal announcements made last week, we are pleased to share with you that ESTO and the Synthetic Turf Council (STC) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to work more closely together on issues of common concern and align activities in areas of mutual interest.

From discussions held between representatives from ESTO and STC, it became clear that it is in the interest of both organisations to try to combine their complementary strengths to further enhance the support to the membership and to be able to represent the industry around the world.

A task force composed of representatives from both organisations will start working on the details of the agreement over the next weeks.

We look forward to sharing more information about the outcome of the discussions in due course. Should you have any questions or concerns or should you wish to share your ideas relating to this MoU, please let us know.