As previously announced by the CIEL Textile’s Board of Directors in 2019, Eric Dorchies officially becomes this Wednesday, 1st of July, the new Chief Executive Officer of CIEL Textile. He succeeds Harold Mayer who expressed his wish to retire from his operational role, whilst remaining on the Board of Directors.
Harold Mayer, emblematic CEO of CIEL Textile, has been for more than 25 years, the driving force behind CIEL Textile’s development. Under his leadership, CIEL Textile developed its international footprint in Madagascar, India and Bangladesh to position itself as the best alternative to China. Harold has made operational excellence an integral part of CIEL Textile’s culture and most recently set up an in-house Training Academy (361o Leadership and Management Academy) to coach teams on effective management techniques. His pioneering vision has enabled the growth of CIEL Textile, which has become a global player in the Fashion industry and a trusted partner to famous international brands.
Commenting on this transition, Harold Mayer said: “It has been a great privilege for me to serve as the leader of CIEL Textile during the past 25 years and I am very proud of what we have achieved, thanks to the incredible work of all teams. We have developed a unique culture of excellence, quality and creativity which I believe is the hallmark of CIEL Textile. Today, I pass on the lead, with emotion but also great conviction, to Eric Dorchies who has been by my side for the past 20 years. I am confident that he will be able to pursue, with the entire CIEL Textile Family, the development of our Group despite the difficult context we are currently experiencing”.
Eric Dorchies, COO of CIEL Textile since 2017, has held key positions within CIEL Textile for more than 20 years. He was notably the CEO of the woven cluster (Aquarelle Group) from 2008 till 2019, greatly contributing to the growth of this cluster which represents 60% of CIEL Textile’s annual turnover.
“I am very honoured by the confidence placed in me by the Board of Directors to take over from Harold. This transition comes at a particular moment as we are going through a difficult period, but I am confident of our ability to get through this crisis in the medium-term. We have solid and committed teams, a strategic geographic positioning and valued partners. It is on these pillars that we will accelerate our transformation around three main areas of development: our talents, sustainable development and digitalization”, adds Eric Dorchies.
