Ivan Kral: A career dedicated to the global leather industry

Before joining UNIDO, Ivan spent 19 years working in private-sector tanneries, gaining practical experience that would shape his approach to technical assistance throughout his career. Those years provided a strong understanding of the challenges faced by leather manufacturers and informed his emphasis on developing solutions that were both technically robust and practical for industry stakeholders.

During his two decades at UNIDO, Ivan contributed to technical assistance projects across numerous countries, including India, Pakistan, Eritrea, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Niger, Tunisia, Palestine, Mongolia, Ukraine and Bulgaria. His work formed part of UNIDO’s long-running programme to strengthen leather value chains through skills development, cleaner production, environmental protection and support for manufacturing industries in developing economies.

Among Kral’s achievements is the development of the Leather Panel knowledge platform, of which he is very proud. Established by UNIDO as a global resource for the leather industry, the website provides free technical publications, training materials and guidance covering leather processing, sustainability, effluent treatment and leather products. Today, the platform hosts multiple publications and serves users around the world. Reportedly, it reaches approximately 50,000 users and records around 50,000 downloads each year.

One of the platform’s latest resources, developed under Kral’s guidance alongside experts from across the leather value chain, is the Guidelines for Assessing the Environmental Footprint of Leather. The publication aims to provide a harmonised, science-based approach to measuring leather’s environmental impacts and reflects the collaborative approach that characterised much of Ivan’s work at UNIDO.

Technical expert

Colleagues have described Kral as someone who consistently prioritised the quality of his work over personal recognition. They note that while he rarely sought the spotlight, his technical expertise and willingness to share knowledge earned him the respect of leather professionals globally.

Reflecting on his career, Kral has often said that one of the leather industry’s greatest strengths is its people. Although relatively small by global manufacturing standards, he believes the sector is distinguished by a close-knit community of dedicated professionals committed to helping one another and advancing the industry. He has also spoken of his pride in being part of UNIDO’s leather team, whose technical expertise has supported leather manufacturing and development projects internationally for many years.

When asked what the industry needs to ensure its future, Ivan continues to point to A Future for Leather, a UNIDO publication first released in 2014, arguing that its central message remains as relevant today as it was then. In particular, he believes the industry must continue improving public understanding of leather and communicating the material’s value and sustainability credentials more effectively.

His final years at UNIDO have continued to reflect those priorities. Earlier this year, he was involved in the inauguration of Pakistan’s first fully integrated common effluent treatment plant (CETP) for the leather industry, a milestone project aimed at improving environmental performance while supporting the long-term development of one of the country’s most important manufacturing sectors.

As Kral steps into retirement, his legacy extends beyond the many projects he has supported. Through freely accessible technical guidance, international collaboration and decades spent sharing practical knowledge with leather professionals around the world, he has helped strengthen the industry’s technical foundations and made expertise available to a far wider global audience.

At International Leather Maker, we thank Ivan Kral for his longstanding contribution to the leather industry and wish him every success and happiness in his retirement.