The Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (AMA) recently appointed a new executive director. Food Review’s sister magazine, P&C Review, went to interview him and find out about his plans for the association.
Nick Tselentis is no stranger to the inner workings of trade associations. Aside for a rich history in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies like Edcon and Gantech Sales, he has also been involved with Many trade associations as the executive level. Tselentis was the secretary and then chairman of the Small Electrical Appliance Marketing Association after which he became the executive director of the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
He was also pivotal in the creation of Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA). In October, 2002, Tselentis was appointed as the economics and legislative affairs manager for the CGCSA. More recently, he has just been appointed as the new executive director of the Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (AMA) following the retirement of Mike Naude.
Schooled in both Zimbabwe and SA Tselentis went onto to achieve a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science, at the University of Natal. He also studied competition law and international trade law at Wits University. Some of his major achievements include launching the Efficient Consumer Response Initiative in 1999, which was a compliance campaign in association with the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
He was also vital in the organising and implementation of the Food Safety Initiative in 2004 and helped the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) prepare its Marketing to Children Code and the 31 Company Pledge, signed off on the 11 June 2009. He has been nominated by the Department of Trade and Industry to assist the Interim Management Committee that helped establish the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) and is the recipient of an Honorary Membership from the South African National Consumer Union. ‘My biggest passion at the moment is working on getting an industry response to the challenges presented by the Consumer
Protection Act,’ he says. ‘The CGCSA,’ adds Tselentis ‘has already been given the go-ahead to draw up an industry code but it needs more data, especially with regard to the different subsections that refer to specific industries.’ ‘Mike Naude and John Greathead have already prepared a code that deals with this legislation and we’re currently reviewing it so that we can make sure our members are aware of what the act entails and how the complaints process will work.’ Other issues that Tselentis intends to deal with revolve around the topic of corporate social responsibility, including educating consumers and the media about aerosols and the aerosol industry.
Tselentis has an interest in educating consumers and the media about the aerosol industry. He is already hard at work within the association and with such an experienced driving force behind the AMA’s initiatives, the association is looking forward to new growth and new impetus in making sure the aerosols industry is educated, protected and compliant.
