Two key things happened in our world last week at the CEPE event in Brussels.

Firstly, a key decision was reached during the General Assembly. It was agreed that despite Brexit, the UK was to stay in the geographical scope of CEPE with new guidelines for the relationship between CEPE and the BCF.

Secondly, and as a result, CEPE elected David Beckford, Managing Director of Pronto Paints, as the new Chairman of the CEPE board, and the very first UK Chairman of the organisation.

David succeeds Roald Johannsen, Vice President of PPG, who has served as CEPE Chairman since 2021.

“It is an honour to take on this role and I would like to thank my counterparts for entrusting me with this position,” said Beckford. “I am committed to pursuing the work of Roald Johannsen to help our companies, especially smaller ones such as mine, navigate the ever-more challenging regulatory landscape to ensure a sustainable future for our businesses and the environment.”