The International Glove Association (IGA) is pleased to announce that glove expert Matt Piotrowski has been named president of the association, effective March 17, 2019.

Matt is a Product Manager for Showa Group, one of the world's leading producers of hand protection products. Known globally as pioneers and innovators in the glove industry, Showa is solely focused on the start-to-finish manufacturing of household and industrial hand protection.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Matt is an 18+ year veteran of the glove industry, He began his career working at Perfect Fit Glove at the age of 19 and moved on to Worldwide Protective Products (WPP) five years later, where he became a Product Development manager. After nearly 12 years at WPP, Matt segued to Showa Group.

"Early on in my career I had the honor of being taken under the wing of some legendary individuals in the glove industry - names that would be instantly recognizable and some that prefer anonymity,” said Matt. “Without their help and guidance over the years I never would have found my love for the business nor achieved what I have."   

Matthew has served on the IGA board of directors since 2012 and as the Vice President for the last two years. He is also a voting member on several ASTM committees and sub-committees involved with textiles and hand protection. Matt has received industry awards and recognition for glove design and innovation and has published several articles in leading industry magazines.  

"I am honored and excited to have been chosen as President of this respected organization, and will do my best to carry out the IGA's mission and message in the future with continued respect for our history and heritage," said Matt.  

Rodney Taylor, MS, MBA, will serve as the IGA’s new Vice President.

Rodney has more than 15 years of experience in the safety industry. After working as a researcher at the NASA Langley Research Center, he joined the DuPont Corporation, holding roles in process engineering, operations management, marketing and sales leadership. He currently serves as Global Sales and Marketing manager for Industrial PPE at D3O, LLC - a company that provides innovative impact protection solutions for sport, motorcycle safety, military/law enforcement, electronics protection, and industrial safety. 

In addition to many years as an IGA member, Rodney has been an active member of the ISEA Hand Protection Group, working directly on the development of standards.

The IGA is confident that the leadership established during the 2019 Glove Symposium will propel the organization forward, and help expand glove and hand safety knowledge. The IGA is committed to promoting the use of hand protection and reducing injuries.

Additional information about the IGA is available at www.internationalgloveassociation.org or by contacting Patty Burdge, Executive Director, at 814-328-5208.