JOHANNESBURG, 2 AUGUST 2021 – Industry veteran Lucio Trentini has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) with immediate effect.

SEIFSA Board Chair, Elias Monage in acknowledged the challenges currently confronting the South African economy in general and the metals and engineering sector in particular, stressed that “it is crucial for all SEIFSA member Associations and other stakeholders to work together.”

Mr Monage stressed that “there are enormous challenges that lie ahead, challenges across the broader business agenda and not just in the collective bargaining space.” “What is needed” Mr Monage stressed “is a focused strategy, a single powerful voice representing the views and concerns of all Associations which, in turn, talk for and on behalf of their respective members.”

“A powerful SEIFSA” Mr Monage emphasized “is best placed to debate and /or negotiate these issues on behalf of the industry and thereby elevating the discourse into a new era of constructive engagement with all industry stakeholders.”

Mr Monage stressed “whilst these difficult conditions are likely to prevail for some time that on the SEIFSA Board and in the Executive, SEIFSA has individuals with extensive and vast experience to steer the metals and engineering sector through the current challenges.”

Mr Trentini until his appointment was the Operations Director at SEIFSA. He has been with SEIFSA since 1990 and over the last two decades he has been involved at management and executive level at SEIFSA and has been actively involved in the leadership of the Federation. He has gained extensive experience in the metals and engineering industries and has developed sound working relationships with all industry stakeholders.

Mr Trentini holds a BA degree in Economics and Industrial Psychology and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the University of the Witwatersrand and the WITS Business School respectively. He also holds an Expert Negotiator Certificate from the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science.

Mr Trentini represents employers in the metals and engineering sector on various Institutions and Statutory Bodies. He is also a member of the Management Committee of the MEIBC, a SEIFSA Executive Director, a Director on the Board of MIBFA and an employer representative on the Labour Market Chamber of NEDLAC and the Social and Transformation Committee of BUSA.

Trentini in accepting his appointment expressed his gratitude to the SEIFSA Board, SEIFSA Council and Executive Team in entrusting him with the stewardship of the Federation over what by all accounts will be a difficult and challenging forward period.

“This Team,” Mr Monage stressed “will provide the necessary guidance and use its considerable leadership experience to instill confidence and continue to deliver good, efficient, effective and reliable service and support to all of SEIFSA’s members Associations and their member companies.”

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