Jaume Alvira, who until recently held this post, stepped down after three years in the role. Alvira has overseen the reorganisation of the sector’s associations which, until 2010 was headed by the Spanish Confederation of Spanish Tanners CEC-Fecur. This entity had previously replaced CEC- the Spanish Council of Tanners. With this latest restructuring, Acexpiel assumes the functions of the sector’s management as well as the functions of overseas/international promotion, which the association has carried out since it was established in 1989.

Xavier Badia is a 38-year-old tanner dedicated entirely to the industry. He has been Managing Director of the family-run business Curtidos Badia, located in Igualada (Barcelona) for the past fifteen years. Badia is also member and spokesperson for the Acexpiel and UDAC meetings and is currently vice-president of the Unió d’adobadors de Catalunya (UDAC), as well as president of the Guild ‘Gremi de Blanquers d’Igualada’. He is also President of Igualadina de Depuració Company, which manages the collective water treatment plant of all the Igualada tanneries.

Benet Badia, the great-grandfather of the current MD, founded Curtidos Badia in 1889 in Igualada. They are one of the leading companies in the Spanish tanning industry in terms of turnover and volume of exports (over 80% of production).