MAJOR wool industry players are effectively supporting the maintenance of a Merino breeder and grower dominated Australian Wool Innovation board with their 2025 director election candidate preferences.
Peak wool grower body WoolProducers Australia, former Australian Wool Innovation chairman Wal Merriman and AWI are almost aligned in their picks for the coming AWI director election, in effect supporting continued Merino breeder and grower dominance of the board.
The breeder-influenced AWI board, Mr Merriman and WoolProducers are aligned in supporting candidates with grower-related experience, but with key differences of opinion on candidates with additional contemporary research and industry/corporate skills.
In the 2025 AWI election on November, three director positions are being contested by five shareholder nominated candidates, South Australian sheep operation manager Anthony Uren, consultant and researcher Dr Paul Swan, restanding director and veterinarian Dr Michelle Humphries, New South Wales Wales Merino stud breeder Drew Chapman and skills-based nominee, former Sheep producers Australia chair and grower, consultant Chris Mirams.
The three vacant seats have been created by AWI chair Jock Laurie’s retirement after serving 10 years, the resignation of director Emma Weston and the cyclical standing down of Dr Humphries after serving six years. Current AWI directors not restanding in the election include South Australian Merino stud breeder George Millington, Western Australian stud breeder Neil Jackson, New South Wales broker/grower Don Macdonald and retail executive Georgia Hack.
WPA recommends Humphries, Uren and Swan
Just weeks after the AWI’s board nomination committee and the AWI board preferenced the election of Dr Humphries, Mr Mirams and Mr Uren, WPA has today also recommended the election of Dr Humphries and Mr Uren, but also preferencing Dr Swan, rather than Mr Mirams or Mr Chapman.
WoolProducers president Steve Harrison said the three candidates will complement the existing skillset on the current AWI board, “along with the potential of bringing much needed technical and research expertise.”
“WoolProducers are firm in the belief that there is enough wool production knowledge on the AWI board and that other skills are needed to help the company meet both national and international needs of levy payers and customers,” he said.
WoolProducers wrote to all of the director candidates seeking responses to questions addressing key issues pertinent to the industry. The questions and responses will not be released.
“These questions covered issues such as governance, RD&M priorities, stakeholder engagement, collaboration with WoolProducers and industry opportunities and threats, to gain an understanding of the candidate’s views on these important issues.
“The WoolProducers board were appreciative of all candidates responding to the questions put to them and thank each of them for taking the time to engage with our organisation,” Mr Harrison said.
In considering the suitability of candidates, WoolProducers said it also took a principled and merit-based approach to this decision, with consideration given to industry and supply-chain knowledge, research and innovation and corporate governance skills.
“The industry continues to face numerous and ongoing challenges which must be addressed head on.
“With a shrinking industry and continued pressures on those growers who remain, we can no longer afford to maintain status quo – the culture and direction of AWI must change,” he said.
“Given there are three vacancies to be filled, this year’s election provides an opportunity for board renewal and cultural change, which WoolProducers believes is desperately needed.
“With the ability for growers to vote on the directors who set they culture of the organisation, growers must ensure that the AWI Board evolves to keep pace to take our industry forward whilst making our industry research and development corporation accountable and transparent,” Mr Harrison said.
WoolProducers believes the recommended candidates offer different perspectives and skills that will help position the industry into the future, including working towards whole of industry good outcomes. The peak body is also calling on all AWI shareholders to vote in this year’s director elections and not allocate their proxies to the AWI chairman.
“This is your opportunity as a grower to vote for who you think will best serve the wool industry in the challenging and evolving environment that the industry is currently operating in, and it’s too important to leave to someone else to direct your vote”. Mr Harrison said.
Merriman strives to maintain influence
After being voted off the AWI board in 2019, former chairman Wal Merriman has maintained some industry influence by becoming the Australian Superfine Wool Growers Association delegate on AWI’s Wool industry Consultative Panel.
Several members of the current AWI board, including chairman Jock Laurie, George Millington and Neil Jackson were elected with Mr Merriman’s support. Ms Hack and Ms Weston were skills-based candidates and received chairman proxies via BNC preferencing.
In an email this month from Mr Merriman sent to growers and breeders, seen by Sheep Central, the controversial figure has advocated: “Keep AWI in grower’s hands,” urging voters not to give their vote to the current AWI chairman “as he has to vote for the BNC candidates.”
Mr Merriman noted that AWI’s board nomination committee “has given us Michelle Humphries, who has been very good, a consultant (Mr Mirams), whose CV suggests a professional board sitter and to me looks like he has overseen the process enforcing electronic ear tags onto NSW, and a farm manager managing large farms (Mr Uren).”
“I think we should have more grower representation at board level.
“To this end, I will be voting for Drew Chapman, Michelle Humphries and Anthony Uren and would encourage you all to do so,” Mr Merriman writes.
“DO NOT GIVE YOUR VOTE TO THE CHAIRMAN as he has to vote for the BNC candidates. Keep AWI in grower’s hands.”
Mr Merriman confirmed his support for Mr Chapman, Dr Humphries and Mr Uren and his belief that the board will be best served by more grower skills.
“Certainly …. growers have skills.”
He did not support Dr Swan’s candidature nor Mr Mirams’ election.
“Certainly not Swan, Swan worked there (at AWI) when I was on the board… I’ve had a good look at Swan.”
Mr Merriman did not confirm or deny there was a breeder campaign against Dr Swan’s election, but he said there has been an Inland Wool Broker Association campaign supporting the researcher with speaking spots at events at Forbes and Temora.
“This group (Inland Brokers) are non-levy payers and they’ve been instrumental in the last two elections, in my opinion.”
Merino body leader supports AWI/BNC picks
Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders president Geoff Davidson said he favoured each levy payer having “the right to choose” in the election, and did not confirm or deny any AASMB campaign for specific candidates.
But he said he personally supported the AWI/BNC preferred candidates.
“I think the five candidates are very good and I hope that Paul can be used (outside the board) in his specific skill areas.
“And Drew’s experience on the Merino Lifetime Productivity Project has been very good.”
Mr Davidson said the main thing is to make sure there are good candidates nominating at each election.
“I agree that we need a good percentage of grower operators …. you don’t want to go one way or the other – it’s called a balanced board.”
Former WoolProducers leader urges caution
Former WPA president Ed Storey said anyone was entitled to express their view in the election, “but people need to know the truth.”
Mr Storey said it was during Mr Merriman’s time as AWI chairman that the American-owned certification system, Textile Exchange’s Responsible Wool Standard, got a foothold and thrived.
“There has probably rarely been such influence by an external organisation on the industry than RWS’ influence now as the benchmark for brands and any Australian schemes will have to meet the RWS standards, although there are many aspects that aren’t perfect.
“My point is that while Mr Merriman was chairman he ignored RWS – AWI was approached and ignored RWS, they thought it would come to nothing, which was a great strategy to get themselves re-elected,” he said.
“But a terrible strategy for the industry and as a result of a large grower-dominated board chaired by
Mr Merriman this external influence is now having a large impact on the Australian wool industry.”
“Having more growers on the board, which is the purpose of his email, is not necessarily a good thing for the grower shareholders,” Mr Storey said.
“It’s a skill-based board and what we need is change.”
National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia president Alistair Calvert said he supported the AWI board being skills-based, but would not nominate what skills be believed it needed.
“Any business needs a range of skills to run it.
“I would implore growers, particularly this time around, to use their right and vote, not just give it to the chairman, but actually do their due diligence and vote – we must encourage growers to do that.”
Former AWI director criticises Merriman views
Former AWI director Noel Henderson said in the 2019 election growers registered more votes against Mr Merriman than for him.
“The growers clearly felt dissatisfied with his tenure as chairman and the views he represented.
“So for him to be now coming forward with the same views just lacks credibility and I think it is unprofessional,” he said.
“I think as a former chairman, those are not the sort of comments he should be making.”
Mr Henderon said it is hard to criticise the BNC as it was led by an independent chair.
“But it’s interesting that the two BNC members nominated by AWI (George Millington and Neil Jackson) are both old-style growers and stud breeders – they represent the past, not the future.”
Mr Henderson believes the AWI board needs its skillset strengthened in the business and research areas.
“It clearly needs more business skills, because despite the investment over many years in marketing, there is very little evidence that it is affecting the (garment) sales or price of wool.
“And in terms of research, I don’t think there has been ‘bang for bucks’.”
Paper and online voting forms were sent to AWI shareholders on October 6 for the election and AWI annual general meeting on 14 November.
As a candidate in this AWI board election process, I’d like to respond to some of the comments made by one of the ‘major industry players’ quoted in this article.
Former chairman Wal has laid bare his view – that 5 of 7 board members being local growers is not enough, and 6 of 7 is better since ‘we should have more grower representation at board level’ since ‘growers have skills’, in order to ‘Keep AWI in grower’s hands’ – as if AWI was the local grower co-op in danger of a buy-out.
And with a minor difference, the Board Nomination Committee is essentially supporting this compositional outcome. Wal would like to see 3 of the 6 grower members on the 7-person board being traditional stud breeders, as opposed to just the two who were the AWI board representatives in the BNC process.
So, let’s not kid ourselves – this debate about board candidate skills and suitability is really about preservation of power and control: control of board composition and so capability, by a subset of the much broader domestic and global industry, both fighting for survival.
As part of the senior executive for AWI for many years, I engaged with Wal for many years. I don’t question for one moment his commitment to what he believes is in the best interests of our industry. It is just that we have very different world views, very different professional skillsets, and very different views of what constitutes good governance standards. For that reason, as a professional, I take Wal’s rejection of my candidacy as a form of compliment.
I stand for:
Healthy governance culture – which demands an appropriately diverse mix of skills and views among board members, and the willingness to put fiduciary duty to shareholders above personal or political allegiance.
Encouragement of long-term strategic innovation – which requires domestic and international co-investment, including with MLA since the sheep meat industry is not the enemy. We are tenants in common.
Having a strategic self-awareness – recognising that Australian wool growers are not the only investors or stakeholders in the future of this industry – that downstream investors, including brokers, exporters, topmakers, spinners, knitters, weavers and myriad brands are all key stakeholders in this industry, and are impacted by the decisions and governance culture of AWI, just as are growers in other countries. All are affected by the reputation and relevance of wool.
Recognition of the critical importance of meeting and exceeding our customer preferences. Our collective challenge is to entice consumers to preferentially invest in our relatively expensive fibre in a sea of mostly cheaper competitors, giving them a great experience which meets or exceeds their expectations and invites them to repeat their purchase decision. To meet and exceed their expectations increasingly requires a willingness to embrace credible traceability back to the farm of origin, and the ability to preferentially source from growers who meet their specifications of needed qualities – which increasingly extend into environmental, ethical and social aspects.
As someone who has had the privilege of serving this industry and contributing to constructive change, and who represents a relatively unique set of grower-funded skills and experience, what matters most to me is that shareholders get engaged in this process, exercise their rights to vote, and vote effectively to elect the most diverse mix of the most capable and highly skilled candidates available.
I also hope shareholders reject the cynical motion to restrict the size of the board to just seven. A crisis in board composition and culture is never remedied by restricting the ability of the board to add needed skills and experience, far beyond what the existing constitution allows.
So please do vote – for a brighter future for this industry, not a man in the mirror.
More of the same leadership at AWI will deliver…more of the same. AWI may not exist in 10 years time.
We have lost 67 million kg of wool production since 2014/15 (347mkg) and estimates are down 95 mkg for 2025/26 (252mkg).
Fresh people with expertise outside stud breeding will help; people who listen to processors, brands and consumers.
Chris Mirams, Anthony Uren, Paul Swan are growers’ best chance of positive change at AWI.