The technical director of Clayton & Sons, Matthew Abbott, accepted presidency of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists.

After spending the last year as the society’s vice-president, Matthew was asked to take the role of president for the term 2018/19 and 2019/20. Alongside the council, he will be involved in shaping the future for the association as well as maintaining the activities that are already taking shape including the continued digitisation of past journals and the modernisation of the Leather Technologists Pocket Book.

The Society is the originator of the “Official Methods of Analysis”. These methods were the reason for the first meeting in 1897. The international society is represented in Australia, South Africa, East Africa, England and Bangladesh.