Confindustria Nautica names next president
The General Council of the Italian Marine Industry Association, Confindustria Nautica, has appointed Piero Formenti, owner of inflatable boat manufacturer Zar Formenti, as the association’s next president for the term from 2025 to 2029. His appointment will be confirmed at the Association Members’ Meeting on 16 May 2025, during the Spring SATEC Convention in Rapallo.
Formenti, the first person from the small boating sector to be nominated for this role, has received broad support from the association’s various sector assemblies. The appointment process involved a consultation exercise with a 79 per cent participation rate and 95 per cent of votes cast in favour.
Formenti founded Zar Formenti in 1979. He has been a director of Confindustria Nautica since 2008 and was appointed vice president in 2019. He also serves as vice-chair of the European Boating Industry (EBI) and previously held the role of EBI president for two consecutive terms between 2015 and 2019.
“My deep-rooted experience from working within the association has given me a unified vision of the industry, which I intend to place at the heart of my mandate, putting myself at the disposal of all those who make up our supply chain,” says Formenti.
“The fact I come from the small boating industry segment is a testament to the compact nature and maturity of the boatbuilding sector, which is now called upon to address issues such as innovation, the green economy, relaunching the domestic market, regulatory simplification, and approaching the next generation, at a time when the economic contingency is particularly penalising towards small manufacturers and the domestic market.”
Formenti’s agenda includes enhancing representation across the supply chain, promoting Made in Italy production, strengthening national and international lobbying, developing the Genoa International Boat Show, fostering maritime and boating culture and professional training, and supporting labour policies tailored to different business segments.
