In with the new at CCI

New brooms: Bernard Kleynhoff (L) and Claude Tardy are the President and Director General, respectively, of the Nice Côte d'Azur Chamber of Industry and Commerce

The 57-year-old businessman, who runs Berkley Packaging and Berkley Paintings in Carros, already has 15 years experience helping to boost the local economy, as member and president of APPIM (Association des Partenaires pour la Promotion Industrielle Méditerranée).

Working closely alongside him will be Claude Tardy who was appointed Director General at the AGM last month. The new treasurer is Bernard Brincat and the secretary is Maryse Castellani.

A major priority is to drive through the “CCI 2015” project, which takes into account the recent reforms to the chambers of commerce in France announced last July.

In his presentation of the team to the press, the new president talked about the need to “invent the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur of tomorrow” which he promised would involve an approach that invited participation and affected more companies than before, using different methods. “CCI 2015” he said will revolve around three strategic axes: companies and commerce; the competitiveness of the area; and apprenticeships and how to get more young people into business.

The CCI Nice Côte d’Azur represents 20,000 businesses, 35,000 service companies and 11,000 industrial and public works companies.

Meanwhile, Jacques Pfister has been re-elected President of the CCI Marseille-Provence and like him Jacques Bianchi will stay in charge of the CCI in the Var. The President of the newly created PACA Region CCI was elected on 26th of January but the results had not been published at the time we went to press. Under the new system a CCI Régionale (like PACA) will have a number of CCI Territoriales (like Nice Côte d’Azur and Marseille-Provence under it.     

CL