Campaign for Wool chairman Ian Maclean.

ROYAL warrant knitwear manufacturer Ian Maclean has been appointed Campaign for Wool chairman to replace the late Peter Ackroyd.

The appointment was announced during Wool Month in October, when the Campaign for Wool brings together farmers, manufacturers, designers, brands, retailers and consumers through a program of events and activities celebrating wool and its applications across fashion, interiors and artisan products.

The Campaign for Wool said Ian Maclean has been a long-standing supporter and has played an active role in the wider UK wool and textile industry throughout his career.

As chairman of his family-owned knitwear company, John Smedley Ltd, Mr Maclean brings considerable experience from the manufacturing and retail sectors, Campaign for Wool said. He is also the grantee of two Royal Warrants held by the company. His appointment follows the unanimous endorsement of the Campaign’s Funders’ Board, which recognises Ian’s longstanding commitment to wool and his extensive experience across manufacturing, fashion and textiles, the wide use of different wool types from the Commonwealth including Merino and British wools, iconic collaborations, global commercial retail channels both in-store and on-line.

Mr Maclean was president of the Sandringham Association of Royal Warrant Holders in 2025 (Patron, His Majesty The King) and served as chair of The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) from 2022 to 2025. He has served as a director on the Board of the UK fashion and textiles trade association (UKFT) for the past 12 years and is Chair of the Textile Committee for The Clothworkers’ Company. In 2020, Ian was awarded an MBE for his company’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and for services to the UK textile industry.

Mr Maclean said it is a great honour to be appointed chairman of the Campaign for Wool.

“As a long-standing supporter of the Campaign since its inception, I have seen first-hand the importance of His Majesty’s vision in bringing together the many different parts of the wool community.

“Wool has such an important role to play in the future of textiles, with its natural, renewable and biodegradable qualities making it increasingly relevant as we seek more sustainable materials and more responsible ways of producing and consuming,” he said.

“I look forward to working with our partners and supporters around the world to build on the strong foundations laid by those who have led the campaign before me, and to continue championing wool for future generations.“

Source – The Campaign for Wool.