Meet the IWTO

Executive Committee

Our Committees

Contracts & Specifications 

The Contracts & Specifications Committee is the approving body for all IWTO Draft Test Methods and for amendments to existing IWTO Test Methods. This is also the body which initiates the formal adoption of Specifications as IWTO Test Methods, or for their relegation of a lesser status, by the General Assembly. The Licensing Panel and the Technical Groups report to the C&S Committee.

C&S Committee Chair: Duane Knowles
C&S Committee Secretary: David Crowe
Technical Group Chair: Wian Heath
Technical Group Secretary: Victoria Fish
Licensing Panel Secretary: IWTO
Wool Innovation & Technology Forum: Enrico Prina, Chair

Learn more: visit IWTO’s wool trade standards.

Market Intelligence Committee

The Market Intelligence Committee collects and analyses wool textile trade data, providing statistics and forecasts for wool and wool-related industries in the IWTO Market Information report. The Committee also produces IWTO member country reports and in 2025 released the EU Green Deal Guide for the wool industry.

Market Intelligence Committee Chair: Isak Staats

Wool Retail Forum

The IWTO Retail Forum serves as a specialized platform connecting the global wool industry with retail expertise and market insights. The Forum organizes expert panels featuring leading retail professionals at IWTO events, facilitating valuable dialogue between wool industry stakeholders and retail decision-makers to strengthen market understanding and commercial relationships.

Our Working Groups

Grower Working Group

The Grower Working Group serves as a platform for international collaboration, enabling wool growers from different countries to share industry insights, exchange valuable information, and find common ground across borders. Members recognize the vital importance of cross-continental communication and mutual support in advancing the global wool growing industry.

Sitting within the Grower WG, the European Wool Task Team brings together committed participants to support European wool production, collection, product innovation, and trade, with the goal of reducing wool waste and improving returns for sheep farmers. Membership is open to both IWTO members and non-members, including institutions willing to contribute to advancing the European wool industry.

Grower Working Group Chair: Lisa Portas
Grower Working Group Vice Chair: Simon Cameron
Groer Working Group Secretary: Jeannette Cook
European Wool Task Team: Andrew Hogley, Chair

Sustainable Practices 

The Sustainable Practices Working Group serves as an international forum advising IWTO Executive Committee on strategic and operational planning for wool’s environmental and ethical attributes. Building on over a decade of industry investment in environmental footprint science, LCA coordination, and sustainability standards development, the Working Group oversees technical processes, research projects, and communication strategies to strengthen wool’s environmental credentials and market positioning.

Sustainable Practices Chair: Monica Ebert
Sustainable Practices Vice Chair: Elisabeth van Delden
Sustainable Practices Secretary: Jeannette Cook
Technical Advisory Group Chair: Geoff Kingwill
Biogenic Carbon Task Team Chair: Geoff Kingwill

The Sustainable Practices Working Group is funded by Australian Wool Innovation and Cape Wools South Africa.

Learn more on our Sustainability pages.

Wool Interiors, Health and Wellness

The Wool Interiors, Health and Wellness Working Group brings togther expertise on wool’s benefits to wellbeing. The group supports innovation in wool interiors, such as applications like air-filtering acoustic panels in commercial spaces, and facilitates technical validation of wellness aspects like odour resistance and breathability. Find the Group’s Carpet Care Guide, Breathe Easy with Wool Fact Sheet and discover more about wellness with wool on our Health & Wellness pages.

Wool Interiors Working Group Chair:
Wool Interiors Working Group Secretary: Jeannette Cook

The Wool Interiors, Health andWellness Working Group is funded by Australian Wool Innovation and Cape Wools South Africa.

Wool Trade Biosecurity and Welfare

The Wool Trade Biosecurity and Welfare Working Group brings together two of IWTO’s core priorities: safeguarding the global wool supply chain from disease risk and advancing best practice in wool sheep welfare.

On the biosecurity side, this Working Group facilitates essential collaboration between producer and processor nations on emergency animal disease prevention and response planning. The Group fosters constructive dialogue, information sharing, and coordinated research on issues such as decontamination methods and bale traceability.

On the welfare side, this Working Group liaises with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and regularly updates IWTO’s Wool Sheep Welfare Specifications.  Recognising that sheep welfare is fundamental to the global wool industry, this work supports coordinated industry efforts to enhance welfare outcomes on farms worldwide.

Wool Trade Biosecurity & Welfare Chair: Dr George de Kock
Wool Trade Biosecurity & Welfare Secretary: Jeannette Cook

The Wool Trade Biosecurity Working & Welfare Group is funded by the American Wool Council and Cape Wools South Africa.

Read more about Wool Sheep Welfare.