Lehnhoff, the new president of Cooperatives Europe

On 6^th May, Dirk Lehnhoff was elected president of Cooperatives Europe. 90% of the members of Cooperatives Europe participated in the elections and two thirds voted in the new president as well as the new Board of Cooperatives Europe at the 2013 General Assembly of Cooperatives Europe in Istanbul.

Lehnhoff is currently a member of the Board of Directors of DGRV, the apex organisation of the German cooperative movement and responsible for the International Relations Department of DGRV.

This 55-years-old German lawyer has extensive international experience in cooperative legislation development and support to different countries such as the Russian Federation, Estonia, Serbia and South Africa. Lehnhoff has contributed to create more than 600 new cooperatives, especially in the sector of renewable energy.

After being elected, the new president expressed his gratitude to all the members and affirmed: ‘We have to work all together in order to ensure that Cooperatives Europe raises the general public and political awareness, especially within EU Institutions. Thanks to dame Pauline Green, Etienne Pflimlin and Felice Scalvini for their leadership and consolidation of the European cooperative movement over the last three years’.