Ruediger Hagedorn, Senior Manager, End-to-End Value Chain, the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) attended the Academic Partnership 2016 SCM4ECR Conference organized by the SCM-ECR Laboratory, The Faculty of Economic Sciences, Valahia University of Târgovişte – in collaboration with Czestochowa University of Technology (Poland), Romanian Logistics Association – ARILOG, University Politehnica of Bucharest (Faculty of Transports), Bucharest University of Economic Studies (Faculty of Marketing & Faculty of Business and Tourism), and Romanian-American University (Faculty of Management-Marketing).

On the occasion of this valuable Conference the globally recognised Keynote Speaker Ruediger Hagedorn delivered a high-profile talk of real interest to every participant. It is already known that the theme of this year’s SCM 4 ECR Conference was: Future Value Chain – Rethinking Networks through Omni-Channel for Consumer. New challenges of IoT in Supply Chain Management, the topics of interests including (but not being limited to) the following issues: Customer-Driven Supply Chain; Demand Chain Management Empowered by Consumer Engagement; Future Value Chain – Rethinking Networks through Omni-Channel for Consumer; Supply Chain Security Management and Business Continuity Management; IoT and Supply Chain Management.

Founded in December 2009 – following the merging of three industry-leading associations,  CIES (The World Food Business Forum), the Global Commerce Initiative (GCI) and the Global CEO Forum – “The Consumer Goods Forum” (CGF) is fostering debate across the board and membership (400 members across 70 countries retailers, manufacturers and service providers; CGF member companies combined sales of € 3.5 trillion; CGF member companies directly employ nearly 10 million people; 35 projects sand working groups with 1500 experts; 30 events per year workshops and study tours to large conventions) to identify areas which require collective, measurable action, is developing, agreeing and encouraging the targeted global adoption of practices and standards which do not impede competition, is sharing solutions and best practice examples across and beyond the membership, and is engaging with stakeholders and regional associations to speak for the industry with a common voice. CGF is governed by its Board of Directors, which includes 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs and Chairpersons.

This year’s SCM 4 ECR Conference proved once again to be a significant event, also reconfirming the well-known passion, competence and perseverance of Professor Virgil Popa, Conference Founder and Chairman, the builder of this true brand – Supply Chain Management (SCM) for Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) Conference. Allow us to remember a particular historical less known moment: Virgil Popa (as CEO and President of the Board of RESCOPA S.A., Târgovişte) and Theodor Purcarea (as a representative of the Romanian Ministry of Commerce) had a meeting in 1992 with Richard Fedigan, President & CEO of CIES (January 1990 – February 2005), on the occasion of the International Food Exibition SIAL Paris (Salon International de l’Alimentation). Four years later, in January 1996, Virgil Popa participated at the first Official ECR Europe Conference, Geneva, Switzerland. And in June 1996, Virgil Popa and Theodor Purcarea participated at the 22^nd Congress of the International Association of the Distributive Trade (AIDA Brussels), Vienna, Austria.

It is our honor and pleasure to announce that “In recognition of the merits and circumstances of Hon. Prof. Dr. Valeriu IOAN-FRANC, The Governing Board of The European Academy of Management and Business Economics (AEDEM) has agreed to appoint Honorary Academician.” Established in 1984 in Spain, AEDEM is  a forum  for the broad exchange of research experience  in  managerial  economics  and  business currently  having  over 700  scholars  who share similar interests and ideas from institutions  and  scientific  societies across  Latin  America and Europe.

Valeriu Ioan-Franc is Deputy General Director of the National Institute of Economic Researches “Costin C. Kiritescu” (INCE, Romanian Academy), Director of the Economic Information and Documentation Center, Editor-in-Chief of INCE’s publications, founding member of INCE, and founding member of the “Pierre Werner” Center of Studies and Documentation Romania-Luxembourg. You can see below some moments from a recent significant event that occurred in December this year at the Romanian Academy, when the “Pierre Werner Centenary” Medal has been awarded to the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies’s (ASE) Rector, Professor Nicolae Istudor, PhD, as recognition for his contribution to the development of higher education and academic research. Allow us to remember that Professor Nicolae Istudor is also an Honorary Member of the Romanian Distribution Committee (https://www.crd-aida.ro/2016/07/the-new-management-board-of-afer-has-been-elected-on-july-8-2016/ ).

The Secretary General of the Romanian Distribution Committee – Valeriu Ioan-Franc (https://www.crd-aida.ro/our-team/valeriu-ioan-franc-2/ ) – is an economist, researcher, PhD in Economics, PhD supervisor, Associated Professor or Visiting Professor at important Universities in Romania and abroad. He is author and co-author of numerous scientific papers of recognized value and interest in the marketing field, in general, and especially in the field of the economy of research and science, his personality being noticed in the academic, and business fields. Specialized in market and marketing researches and placed among the most committed and valuable disciples of the reputed professors Eugen Barat, Radu Paul and M.C. Demetrescu,

Valeriu Ioan-Franc committed himself to the development of the urban and rural commercial network in Romania, his remarkable contribution being acknowledged. He is also the author of the first multilingual thesaurus of descriptors for the informational processing activity of bibliographical sources in the field of circulation of commodities and automated storage system, processing and retrieval of bibliographic information. Valeriu Ioan-Franc has been awarded with prizes and scientific awards for his papers and his activity as a researcher and publicist, the most important are found in the national academic area: the Award “P.S. Aurelian” of the Romanian Academy (1999) for the paper “Marketing and Culture”, the Diploma “Distinctia culturala” of the Romanian Academy (2002) for the “presence in the Romanian intellectual life and the attachment to the work of the Romanian Academy”, the Diploma of Excellence and silver medal of the Romanian Academy and BNR (Romanian National Bank) for coordinating the collection “Nobel Laureates in Economics” (2001), the Diploma of Excellence of the General Association of Economists from Romania (AGER) for the promotion of the golden works of the Romanian economic research – Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen Collection – The Complete Works (2010) etc.

European Retail Academy (ERA) has just officially announced that the Personality of 2017 of the Hall of Fame of the European Retail Academy is Mr. Philip Alexander Nobel.

Prof. Dr. Bernd Hallier, President of ERA, did choose the Almaty Investment Forum in Kazakhstan (more at www.european-retail-academy.org/urban-revitalization) to proclaim, in the presence of the Swedish Ambassador Christian Kamill and 500 delegates from politics, finance, investors, facility management and education, the late Philip Alexander Nobel posthume the Personality of 2017 of the Hall of Fame of the European Retail Academy.

President of ERA pointed out in his statement that Philip Alexander Nobel (at the photo) had been Advisor of the Eurasian Economists Club of Sciences helping to build-up the Astana Club of Nobel Laureates, backing G-global and the topic of Sustainability for the EXPO 2017. For him Philip Nobel was a bridge-builder not only between Europe and Asia but a global thinker and a gentleman dedicated to support young people.

It is well-known that Dr. Philip Alexander Nobel was the Chairman of House of Nobel and President of Nobel International Fraternity Academy. Like his great-grandfather, Mr. Philip Alexander Nobel demonstrated an enormous passion for the development of both educational and social fields.

For 13 years already Andrew Yeo, founder of NYCU Media, mainly supported by Euromonitor International and KPMG is publishing the TOP 500 Retailer List of 14 Asian Pacific players. Part of the Award Ceremony for the Top retailers from all nations is an additional competition via a questionnaire. Here international well-known scientists check the performance and strategies.

The selected three companies as benchmarks being on stage in Singapore at Sofitel Sentosa Resort together with the jury (Prof. Dr. Bernd Hallier, President of the European Retail Academy, was a member of the jury – please see the above picture) were: The Good Guys/Australia (a benchmark far above the Asian Pacific area; as a general electrical retailer The Good Guys analyses their market-share not only within the total market development, but for many segments; the company’s business statistics show that the application for the Retail Asia Awards is not just an ad-hoc decision – but they use questions of strategy and efficiency as their own long-standing tools of self- control);  Rustan/Philippines (a department store with 65 years tradition positioned as an oasis for quality, beauty and soothening retail therapy; Rustan aims to offer lifestyle solutions which can be appreciated in value still over time; by this vision and consequences in operations Rustan became a successful brand in the Phillipines); Indomarco/Indonesia (very innovative with mini-markets and convenience stores in a space less than 400 sqm).

The Gold medals for the markets (in alphabetical order) went to Australia/Westfarmers, China/China Resources Enterprise, Hong Kong/AS Watson Group , India/Future Group, Indonesia/Indomarco Primatama, Japan/AEON, Malaysia/ GCH Retail, New Zealand/Foodstuffs, Phillippines/ SM Retail, Singapore/NTUC FairPrice Co-operative, South Korea/Lotte, Taiwan/ President Chain store, Thailand/ CP All and Vietnam/ Saigon Union of Trading Co-operatives.

A double-digit growth until 2021 is expected for the Retail in the Asia-Pacific area (which has the youngest population in the World).