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.

Retail Forum Chair: Peter Ackroyd

Our Working Groups

Grower Working Group

The 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: Jo Hall
Grower Working Group Vice Chair: Simon Cameron
Groer Working Group Secretary: Jeannette Cook
European Wool Task Team: Andrew Hogley, Chair

Product Wellness Working Group

The Product Wellness Working Group is tasked with developing initiatives and research in support of the wool’s benefits to human health and wellbeing. In addition to advising the Executive Committee, this Working Group tracks wool and health-related developments, facilitates technical validation through research and communication materials, and recommends evidence-based initiatives to support wool’s wellness claims in the marketplace.

Product Wellness Working Group Chair: Monica Ebert
Product Wellness Secretary: Jeannette Cook
Product Wellness Technical Advisory Group: Trevor Mahar, Chair

The Product Wellness Working Group is funded by the American Wool Council, Australian Wool Innovation, and Cape Wools.

Learn more on our Health & Wellness pages.

Sustainable Practices Working Group

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 Interim Chair: Elisabeth van Delden
Sustainable Practices Vice Chair: Angus Ireland
Sustainable Practices Secretary: Jeannette Cook
LCA Technical Advisory Group: Geoff Kingwill, Chair
LCA Task Team: Geoff Kingwill, Chair

The Sustainable Practices Working Group is funded by the American Wool Council, Australian Wool Innovation, Cape Wools, G. Modiano, and Woolworks NZ.

Learn more on our Sustainability pages.

Wool Sheep Welfare Working Group

The Wool Sheep Welfare Working Group focuses on enhancing best practices in wool sheep welfare through coordinated industry efforts. Recognizing that sheep welfare is fundamental to the global wool industry, the Working Group advocates for appropriate regulation, maintains dialogue with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OiE), and regularly updates IWTO’s Wool Sheep Welfare Specifications to ensure transparency and best practices across all production systems.

Wool Sheep Welfare Working Group Chair: Peter Ackroyd
Wool Sheep Welfare Working Group Secretary: Jeannette Cook

Read more about Wool Sheep Welfare.

The Wool Sheep Welfare Working Group is funded by the American Wool Council.

Wool Trade Biosecurity Working Group

The Wool Trade Biosecurity Working Group facilitates essential collaboration between producer and processor nations on emergency animal disease prevention and response planning. Recognizing that disease outbreaks in major wool-producing countries could pose systemic risks to the entire global supply chain, the Working Group enables constructive dialogue, information sharing, and coordinated research on critical issues such as decontamination methods and bale traceability to minimize both disease spread and trade disruption risks.

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

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

Wool Interiors Working Group

The Wool Interiors Working Group serves as a member forum on strategic development for wool applications in interior design and architecture. Combining member strengths, talents, and resources, the Working Group supports innovation in wool interiors—from traditional heritage craftsmanship to cutting-edge applications like air-filtering acoustic panels in commercial spaces—while adapting to evolving décor trends and providing scientific support for new wool interior solutions globally. Find the Group’s Carpet Care Guide, Breathe Easy with Wool Fact Sheet and other Fact Sheets on our Resources page.

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

The Wool Interiors Working Group is funded by the American Wool Council.