AWTA Ltd. Board
Appointment of Directors
AWTA Ltd is a Company Limited by Guarantee. As described in the Company’s Articles of Association, each Member Guarantor is entitled to appoint a Director to the Board. Additionally, the Member Guarantors may appoint two Independent Directors. The Board may appoint a Director having special scientific and/or technological qualifications. The Chief Executive of the Company is also a Director.
The following organisations or their nominees are the Member/Guarantors constituting the Company:
- Australian Council of Wool Exporters Inc (ACWE Inc)
- Australian Wool Processors Council Inc (AWPC Inc)
- Wool Scourers & Carbonisers of Australia Group (WSCA Group)
- Wool Textile Manufacturers of Australia Group (WTMA Group)
- Australian Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI)
- Private Treaty Wool Merchants of Australia Inc (PTWMA Inc)
- The National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia Ltd (NCWBSA Inc)
- WoolProducers Australia
Directors
Gordon Dickinson – Chair
- Appointed as an independent director by the members of AWTA Ltd on 18 March 2005
- Appointed as Deputy Chair on 15 April 2005 and as Chair on 21 October 2022
- Chair of Remuneration & Appointments Committee
- Chair of Rubicon Water Ltd and Nareen Station Pty Ltd
- Director of DFP Management Pty Ltd
- Trustee of Hamilton Gallery Trust Fund
Alexandra Gartmann
– Deputy Chair
- Appointed as an independent director by the members of AWTA Ltd on 21 October 2022
- Appointed as Deputy Chair on 21 October 2022
- Chair of Audit & Finance Committee
- Chair of the Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council
- Non Executive director of Nufarm
- Director of the Australian Farm Institute and One Basin CRC
- Member of Selection Commitee of Grains Research & Development Corporation
Michael Jackson
– Managing Director
- Managing Director of AWTA Ltd since 21 May 2001
- Member of Environment & Safety Committee
- Director of New Zealand Wool Testing Authority Ltd and JinAo Testing Company Ltd
- Chair of the Australian Wool Education Trust
- Vice President of the International Wool Textile Organisation
David Ritchie
- Appointed as the nominee director for Wool Scourers and Carbonisers of Australia Group of Australian Wool Processors Council Inc on 25 February 2011
- Member of Audit & Finance Committee
- General Manager of Victoria Wool Processors Group
Scott Williams
- Appointed as the nominee director for Wool Textile Manufacturers of Australia Group of Australian Wool Processors Council Inc on 1 June 2023
- Member of Audit & Finance Committee
- Executive Director of Australian Council of Wool Exporters & Processors Inc
- Executive Director of Private Treaty Wool Merchants of Australia Inc
- Principal of Forest Hill Consulting
- Director of Central Highlands Water
- Director of the Sovereign Hill Museums Association Ltd
John Colley
- Appointed as the nominee director for National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia Inc effective 1 May 2021
- Member of Remuneration & Appointments Committee
- Director of National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia
- Managing Director of AWN Food & Fibre Holdings Pty Ltd
- Director of AWN Rural Pty Ltd, Premium Wool (WA) Pty Ltd, Dyson Jones Wool Marketing Services Pty Ltd, Australian Pastoral Investments Pty Ltd, AWN Pastoral Pty Ltd, AWN Property Pty Ltd, Colley Pty Ltd, Arlia Pty Ltd and Jemina Pty Ltd
- Alternate Director of the Australian Wool Exchange Ltd
Josh Lamb
- Appointed as the nominee director for Australian Council of Wool Exporters Inc on October 2020
- Chair of Environment & Safety Committee
- President of Australian Council of Wool Exporters and Processors Inc
- Managing Director Endeavour Wool Exports Pty Ltd
- Director of Nelyambo Wool Pty Ltd
Steve Harrison
- Appointed as the nominee director for WoolProducers Australia Ltd on 14 November 2022
- President WoolProducers Australia Ltd
- Director of Australian Wool Exchange Ltd
- Principal of Bindawarra Merino Stud
Gary Turner
- Appointed as the nominee director for Private Treaty Wool Merchants of Australia Inc on 20 October 2023
- Member of Environment & Safety Committee
- Managing Director of Reeashbro Pty Ltd
- Managing Director of Reeashbro (Wool) Pty Ltd
- Director of Stocturn Holdings Pty Ltd
Michelle Humphries
- Appointed as the nominee director for Australian Wool Innovation Ltd on 20 October 2023
- Director of Australian Wool Innovation Ltd
- Director of Livestock Breeding Services Pty Ltd
- Director of Brookvale Jerilderie Pty Ltd
- Director of Nanshore Pty Ltd
- Director of Dunchurch Pty Ltd
Corporate History
Chair
Bill Lempriere
Ian McLaren
Max Scott, (Acting)
Lindsay Yeo AO
Alan McGregor AO
Donald McGauchie AO
Gordon Dickinson
1957 – 1964
1964 – 1965
1965 – 1966
1966 – 1992
1992 – 2005
2005 – 2022
Since 2022
Chief Executives
Alec Dixie
Jim James, (Acting)
James Campbell
David Ward OAM
Michael Jackson
1958 – 1964
1964 – 1965
1965 – 1966
1966 – 2001
Since 2001
AWTA Ltd. Executive Team
The Board delegates responsibility for the operation and administration of the Company to the Managing Director who, together with the executive team, is accountable to the Board. Senior executives, their staff and technical specialists in Head Office support the Managing Director.
AWTA Ltd is organised for management and reporting purposes into functional units. Management responsible for those units must account for their performance within a framework of Strategic Plans, Budgets, Position Descriptions, targets, standards and policies.
Michael Jackson, Managing Director
As Chief Executive, the Managing Director is accountable to the Board of Directors for planning, directing and the overall control of the management, administration and profitability of AWTA Ltd, thereby ensuring that the Company achieves all of its primary objectives effectively.
As a Director on the Board, he is accountable to the Member/Guarantors for the success and future direction of the Company. He is required to take the leading role in policy formulation and review, and to implement all such policies by acting within the broad scope of any guidelines determined by the Board.
Peter Walsh, Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary
The Chief Financial Officer is accountable for the planning and control of the financial and administration functions to enable AWTA Ltd to meet its objectives efficiently.
In the role of Principal Accounting Officer and Public Officer for taxation purposes, he is accountable for meeting the requirements of the relevant Acts of Parliament. In the role of Company Secretary, he is accountable for meeting the requirements of the various Acts of Parliament and, in particular, the Corporations Law.
Alexandra Klimovics, General Counsel & Company Secretary
The General Counsel is accountable for the planning, provision and control of industrial, legal and personnel services to enable AWTA Ltd to meet its objectives efficiently.
In the role of Company Secretary, she is accountable for meeting the requirements of the various Acts of Parliament and, in particular, the Corporations Law.
Ian Ashman, General Manager – Strategic Projects
The General Manager – Strategic Projects is accountable for developing, implementing and coordinating major projects that cover all divisions to meet the strategic objectives of the Company.
Nick Ignatenko, Chief Information Officer
The Chief Information Officer is accountable for AWTA computer and information technology systems to meet current and future operations, administration and management needs.
Brendon van Rensburg, General Manager – Raw Wool
The General Manager – Raw Wool is accountable for optimising business relationships with existing and potential users of raw wool services to ensure market share is maximised, new services are efficiently introduced and customer satisfaction is high. He is accountable for planning, directing and controlling all Sampling and Laboratory Operations within AWTA Ltd ensuring they are integral to the efficiency and integrity of Australian wool selling systems.
In addition, he is responsible for planning and coordination of overseas liaison, in conjunction with the Managing Director.
Doreen Fernandez, General Manager – Agrifood Technology
The General Manager – Agrifood Technology is accountable for planning, co-ordinating and controlling AWTA Ltd operations in the Agrifood Technology Division, to achieve the objectives of the Company.
Sean Bassett, Divisional Manager – AWTA Product Testing
The Divisional Manager – AWTA Product Testing is accountable for planning, co-ordinating and controlling AWTA Ltd operations in the Product Testing Division, to achieve the objectives of the Company.
Tim Steere, Sampling Operations Manager – Raw Wool, Eastern Australia
The Sampling Operations Manager – Eastern Australia is accountable for planning, co-ordinating and controlling all sampling operations in Eastern Australia to achieve the objectives of AWTA Ltd. Responsible for co-ordinating and undertaking effective client liaison and promotion activities within the region.
Steven Kar, Business Development Manager
The Business Development Manager is accountable for developing, implementing and coordinating sales, marketing and associated communication strategies to grow business revenue of the Company.