Committees and Secretariat
Afera’s mission is carried out by a steering committee headed by the President of the Association and supported by two additional bodies, the Marketing and Technical Committees. Full-time logistical support is provided by Afera’s Secretariat which resides at Afera’s head office in The Hague, The Netherlands, under the management of Lejeune Association Management (LAM).
Complying with Competition Law
Afera and its members adhere to a policy of strict compliance with European Community Competition Law (Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty) in all of its operations.
Download Afera Antitrust Guidelines
Steering Committee
Afera’s Steering Committee (SC) consists of delegates from ‘active member’ companies, who serve two-year terms of office. The national manufacturing groups of the various regions mentioned below each nominate one candidate. Nomination is subject to election by the General Assembly by an absolute majority. Chaired by a president and vice-president, the SC generally meets twice a year and is entrusted with decisions concerning the working programme of the Association. The SC may appoint necessary advisory committees in which all members are entitled to be represented. Currently there are two such committees, the Marketing Committee and the Technical Committee.
Members of the Steering Committee
Representative of Eastern Europe - President Mete Konuralp - tesa (Turkey)
Representative of Southern Europe - Vice-President Filippo Antonelli- 3M (Italy)
Representative of Central Europe - Peter Rambusch - Certoplast (Germany)
Representative of Western Europe - Sharon Boyle - Advance Tapes International Ltd. (United Kingdom)
Marketing Committee Chairman - Mike Punter - Parafix (UK)
Technical Committee Chairman - Evert Smit - Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
Apply to join Afera's new, restructured Steering Committee
Marketing Committee
Afera’s Marketing Committee (MKC) is composed of marketing and industry specialists with the mission to 'grow the pie' for all companies in the European adhesive tape value chain, including both commodity and specialty tape producers. The MKC meets at least two times a year and is assisted by the Secretary-General of the Association. Its topic-driven agenda is pursued through working groups (WGs) established on the following: Social Media Programme, Website Management, Education Awareness, Membership Recruitment, General Communications and Annual Conference. Each MKC Member is committed to one or more of the WGs, which meet and work between regular MKC meetings.
Members of the Marketing Committee
Chairman Mike Punter - Parafix Tapes & Conversions Ltd.
Ryan Miller - 3M Europe
Sharon Boyle - Advance Tapes International Ltd.
Jean-Philippe Ponté - Ahlstrom Specialties
Aris Venetis - Atlas Tapes SA
Alberto Loro Lamia - Dow Europe GmbH
Annegret Lange - Evonik Industries AG
Evert Smit - Lohmann GmbH & Co KG
Stefan Neuner - NEENAH Performance Materials
Stefan Meirsman - Nitto Europe N.V.
Suresh Subramanian - Organik Kimya San. Ve TIC. A.Ş.
Louise Vincent - Parafix Tapes & Conversions Ltd.
Carles Andreu - tesa Western Europe B.V.
Matthias von Schwerdtner - tesa SE
Melanie Lack - H.B. Fuller Deutschland GmbH
Tom Garcia - Scapa PLC
Matthias Renka - Synthomer Deutschland GmbH
Sonja Santhiram - Sekisui Alveo AG
Beverley Weaver, TSRC (Lux) Coporation S.a.r.l.
Jacques Geijsen, American Biltrite Inc.
Florian Heller, Mondi Group
Technical Committee
Afera's Technical Committee (TC) is a working group of technical experts assisted by the Secretary General of the Association that also meets at least two times a year. All technical subjects, such as test methods development, and publication and application of European and GTF standards, are matters for the TC’s agenda. The TC also handles all industry-related regulatory matters, including legislation originating from national or European bodies, as well as private and global initiatives.
Members of the Technical Committee
Chairman Evert Smit, Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG
Ralf Roenisch, Coroplast Fritz Müller GmbH & Co. KG
Lutz Jacob - Consultant to Afera TC on standardisation issues
Kelly Anderson - 3M
Alan Gilding, Advance Tapes International Ltd.
Jean-Philippe Ponté, Ahlstrom
Zia Hussain, Ashland UK Ltd.
Ingrid Geuens, Avery Dennison België N.V.
Thomas Christ, BASF Aktiengesellschaft
Thorsten Meier, Certoplast Vorwerk & Sohn GmbH
Hubertus von Voithenberg, ChemQuest Group Inc
Mario De Filippis, DOW Adhesive & Functional Polymers
Gert-Jan van Ruler, Eastman Chemical Middelburg B.V.
Jürgen Pomorin, Evonik Industries AG
Yann Devorest, ExxonMobil Chemical
Uwe Maurieschat, Fraunhofer Institute IFAM
Jeff Burrington, HB Fuller UK
David Vanraes, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Axel Hessland, IVK/FEICA
Ian Grace, Bostik B.V.
Lucio Trincia, NAR SpA
Michael Raidt, Neenah Gessner GmbH
Donald Pinxten, Nitto Europe N.V.
Yasemin Seyren, Organik Kimya
Reinhard Storbeck, tesa SE
Michael Ortner, Mondi Group
Danny Beekman, Arizona Chemical
Teoman Köksal, A&G Ambalaj San. Tic. Ltd. Sti.
Secretariat
Afera’s Secretariat is responsible for the daily management of the Association and operates on behalf of Afera’s SC and the other committees. The Secretariat serves as the co-ordinator and contact point for most of Afera’s events, activities, and publications.
Based in The Hague, the Netherlands, Afera’s Secretariat is operated by Lejeune Association Management (LAM), which provides full management and office resources to associations which lack the scope, manpower, and/or financial means to run the administrative and functional structures of their organisations independently. LAM's mission is to provide management services and expertise to industry and professional associations in the broadest sense.
Afera Secretariat staff members
Astrid Lejeune, Secretary General
Stephanie Feith, Secretarial Support
Selma Ugur, Financial Support
Afera Support
Bathsheba Fulton, Independent Communications Specialist
Bert van Loon, Independent Strategist