Announcing the news on LinkedIn, ISA described Schneider as not only a great entrepreneur and visionary, but also a person who was always there for others, “especially those in need”.
Tributes have poured in from across the leather sector, showcasing the impact he has had on the industry. The Leather Working Group (LWG) said it was “deeply saddened” by the sudden passing of a “true visionary”. Schneider was a founding member of LWG, and his company ISA TanTec was the first tannery ever audited against LWG standards — a milestone that reflected his long-standing commitment to innovation, leadership and progress in the leather industry. Dr Kerry Senior of Leather UK also paid tribute online, describing Schneider as “a genuinely innovative thinker”.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Schneider built ISA TanTec into a global group with production sites across Asia, Europe and the U.S., while consistently pushing the industry toward lower-impact leather manufacturing and, more recently, biobased materials. His influence on sustainability, transparency and innovation in leather will be felt for many years to come.
