On November 23, 2023, at our Annual General Meeting in Berlin, we elected a new board of directors, including two new members: Roel de Cooman, VP Global Sales at haebmau.ATELIER, and Simone Hartmann, Managing Partner at hartmann consultants. In a joint interview, we would like to offer our members, partners, and readers the opportunity to get to know the new board members a little better.

1. You have been a successful expert in your field for several years. What or who motivated you to run for a board position, and what do you expect from your new role?

Roel: My motivation for running for a board position stemmed from the fact that, even before the organization was founded, I was actively involved in discussions and always believed that the FCG needed to offer a holistic approach: from lobbying with industry to design, production, and sales. There's always a lot of talk about what needs to be done, and now I have the opportunity to actively participate. Through my many years of experience in sales at various companies I've worked for and with, I also understand the needs of young designers and companies.

Simone: Since 2009, I have been advising fashion, sports, and lifestyle companies as a headhunter on filling their management and specialist positions. Many of my clients are in the midst of change and are critically examining where they can invest in the future and further expand their value chain.

In terms of sentiment, Germany's standing as an investment and employment location is steadily declining. Besides drastically increased energy costs, enormous bureaucratic hurdles, and high taxes and levies, the exodus of talent and the resulting growing shortage of skilled workers are also contributing factors. I therefore consider proactive efforts to maintain Germany's attractiveness as a business location to be crucial for its future.

I am thrilled by the development of the Fashion Council Germany's commitment since its founding in 2015. With its diverse offerings, the FCG strengthens, supports, and promotes its members and is dedicated to consistently expanding the relevance of German fashion as an economic asset both nationally and internationally, as well as advocating for its members' interests at home and abroad. Contributing to this as a new board member motivates me, and I will share my knowledge of the requirements for strong, authentic leaders and their teams, efficient organizational structures, and stable corporate cultures with the FCG's members.

The founders of the FCG believe in the power of networking. Since the FCG's inception, they have strived to use their long-standing relationships and contacts for the benefit of the community, on a voluntary basis and without any profit motive.

I will also proceed in this manner; through my consulting work as a personnel consultant, I have a very good network of contacts within the industry and the fashion retail sector. Gaining new members for the FCG and securing support for the FCG's concerns is my personal commitment, as is helping to shape the German fashion industry as a future-oriented field of work.

2. The FCG was founded in 2015 and is therefore relatively young compared to other (European) fashion councils. In your opinion, where should the FCG develop in the future?

Roel: I firmly believe that the FCG needs to become even more visible in the fashion capitals than before and advocate for German companies that may not yet have the necessary contacts in Paris, Milan, or New York, enabling them to present and sell their products there. However, I also believe that we need to learn to confidently focus on our strengths, creativity, and unique attitude.

Simone: Over the course of its existence, the FCG has become increasingly visible, professional, and diverse in terms of its topics and members. In addition, one of the FCG's development goals should be to radically shape the transformation of the fashion industry by including more industrial companies as members, their active contributions, and increased interaction among all members.

Only through collaboration will we succeed in ushering in a new era shaped by AI developments. The reach of industry players and their commitment to the FCG will help to sharpen the profile of Germany's fashion industry with all its unique characteristics, especially in international comparison, and to set benchmarks that reflect our German approach.

With the FCG's short history, we can shape our legacy in a self-determined way by addressing the most relevant and pressing issues and being a contemporary and therefore powerful partner on equal footing with the more traditional councils.

3. The FCG is a member-based association with over 250 members, including freelance designers and start-ups, retail groups, and publishers, all with different needs. In your opinion, what is the biggest common denominator, and what role does an organization like the FCG play in this?

Roel: In the end, we only win together: The FCG can act as the mediator between all the partners, the organizer. The common goal should be to promote the relevance of German fashion nationally and internationally, because this not only generates media attention, but also sales, jobs, and also has an impact on the cultural landscape.

Simone: In my opinion, being an advocacy group and a platform is the greatest common denominator of the FCG. A platform that must be used jointly by industry, politics, trade and academia in order to keep the German fashion industry attractive and competitive in international comparison.

The more purposeful, critical, and visionary our actions, the more value-creating, stable, and sustainable the future will be for all players in the fashion industry. By sustainability, I primarily mean the performance aspect: securing our future through willingness and ability to perform.

In my opinion, such attitude-related issues must be anchored in an organization like the Fashion Council Germany, current and structural problems of the industry must be critically examined, and networking opportunities and training and further education programs must be made available to members so that they can be innovative and initiate and shape sustainable changes.

We thank Roel de Cooman and Simone Hartmann for the interview.