WUWM Helsinki 2013 small logo

The World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) held board elections during its annual general meeting, which took place in Helsinki, Finland on 23-25 May this year under the theme 'Fresh market management: Meeting customer needs'.

The meeting drew some 120 food market professionals from 30 countries to Helsinki to explore topical issues including food price transparency, building beneficial food cultures in cities, quality management and the changing face of market customers.

During the three-day event, Manuel Estrada-Nora, chief executive of the international department at Mercasa, Madrid, took up the position of WUWM chairman, succeeding Torben Flinch.

Meanwhile, Torsten Berens, managing director of Hamburg Market in Germany, was elected as vice-chairman.

“Under my two year mandate that now begins, WUWM will continue promoting and supporting food wholesale and retail markets, before national and international authorities and multilateral bodies,' Estrada-Nora stated. 'Having better wholesale markets we support the entrepreneurial private activity of hundreds of wholesalers, retailers, catering, hospitality, logistic companies, and, in short a better functioning of the distribution chain of perishable food products for the benefit of consumers”.