Mario De Amicis (CNH) confirmed in the position of Vice-Chairman, completing the leadership team.
The Technical Board of CEMA, the European Agricultural Machinery Association, has appointed a new leader. Jan-Willem Verhorst, Senior Vice President for Global Engineering of Tractors and Implements at CLAAS, was elected Chairman of the CEMA Technical Board. His mandate will last two years, renewable for a further two years.
Mario De Amicis, CNH Industrial Italy CEO and Head of Medium and Specialty Tractor Product Engineering & Validation Manager at CNH, was confirmed as Vice-Chairman, continuing in this role alongside the newly elected Chairman.
Mr. Verhorst succeeds Giovanni Esposito, Innovation Director at Argo Tractors, who has held the position since 2024 and will retire at the end of the year.
Upon his election, Mr. Verhorst said: “European agricultural machinery manufacturers have a strong heritage and footprint in Europe. Like farmers, they are currently facing a major transformation driven by disruptive technologies and sustainability requirements. Fast, pragmatic European legislation is key, along with fewer and less fragmented national rules. The CEMA Technical Board plays an important role in developing and supporting standards and legislation, while also challenging proposals where necessary. It is an honour to be elected as Chairman, and I thank the Technical Board members for their trust. I will try to strengthen further collaboration between the Technical Board, CEMA members and national associations, so that we can make the best use of our shared expertise.”
Mr. Verhorst is a mechanical engineer and has worked for CLAAS for the past 32 years, holding various positions, mainly in engineering and tractor management. He has been a member of the CEMA Technical Board for two years. With a Dutch-German family background, having lived in France for the past five years and now based in Germany, he brings a truly European perspective to his new role at CEMA.
The Technical Board of CEMA brings together senior European industry experts from agricultural machinery manufacturers and national trade associations to discuss regulatory and technical aspects of EU legislation affecting the farm machinery sector. Its expertise helps define CEMA’s positions towards the European institutions, with the aim of ensuring that EU legislation maintains a balanced regulatory framework that supports the industry's innovation and competitiveness.
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