Welcome to Wool.com

Mr Laurie was elected to the Board in November 2015. He was appointed as Chairman of the AWI Board on 30 June 2021 following Ms Garnsey’s resignation as Chairman.

Mr Laurie and his family operate a farming business that consists of wool, lamb, beef and grain on properties at Walcha, Bendemeer and Gunnedah. Mr Laurie has also been actively involved in agricultural policy and lobbying since 2000. He spent four years as President of the NSW Farmers Association and two and a half years as President of the National Farmers Federation. During this period, he gained experience and training in both corporate governance and as a director. Through his role at the National Farmers Federation, he was exposed to international trade negotiations that are very important to the profitability of Australian agriculture. Mr Laurie has long term experience in the agriculture industry, and also ten years of board and agricultural policy experience. He aims to direct his skills at driving profitability in the wool industry.

Special responsibilities:

Audit & Risk Committee
Research Development Education & Extension Committee
People & Culture Committee

Georgia Hack was elected to the AWI Board in November 2021. 

Georgia Hack is an accomplished retail marketing and business professional with a proven track record of building brand equity and driving profitable growth.

She has over 18 years experience across all marketing disciplines including marketing strategy, branding, customer segmentation, customer research and insights, media planning and buying, e-commerce, digital and growth marketing, public relations, creative direction and content, customer experience and CRM/loyalty strategies combined with a Masters in Marketing from the Melbourne Business School.

Georgia has driven the marketing function of some of Australia’s leading retail brands and now leads the marketing and brand division of Australia’s premium department store David Jones. Joining David Jones at the height of transformation, Georgia has built brand equity with a focus on premium positioning, navigated the consumer shift towards digital, and developed an entrepreneurial culture within the team to drive growth. 

More recently, Georgia was part of the senior executive team that successfully drove the department store through the height of the COVID-19 crisis and has experience in both change management and retail transformation. 

A creative problem solver and highly effective communicator, Georgia thrives on establishing high-performing teams and has significant experience presenting and engaging at Executive Committee and Board level. Georgia is an inclusive, empathetic leader who has a passion for growing and leading people, inspiring teams to reach great heights. 

Special responsibilities:

Audit & Risk Committee
People & Culture Committee

Noel Henderson was elected to the AWI Board in November 2019.

Mr Henderson is a first-generation farmer and together with his wife started Avington Merino in 1996. He has developed a strong understanding of wool production and the challenges and opportunities faced by the industry. Avington is renowned for its innovative, ethical and technologically enabled approach to wool production as well as its commitment to sustainable management of the property. He was a Vice President of the Australian Superfine Wool Growers Association and has been the Chairman of the Macedon Ranges Agribusiness Forum since 2016.

Mr Henderson had an extensive career in the construction industry in Australia, and internationally, having been a long serving Director of Multiplex as well as a Director of other private and public companies. The experiences in these companies included finance and business management, legal and compliance, marketing and trade, people and culture management, technology development and implementation as well as quality assurance.

Special responsibilities:

Audit & Risk Committee

Dr Humphries BVSc MAICD was elected to the AWI Board in November 2019. Dr Humphries is a highly respected sheep veterinarian with more than 35 years' experience in the Merino industry. She sits on a range of expert advisory committees and boards and operates a commercial Merino enterprise in the Riverina region of NSW.

Dr Humphries owns and operates Livestock Breeding Services Pty Ltd, a sheep artificial breeding company with centres at Jerilderie and Yass, NSW.

Dr Humphries is a non-executive director of Murray Local Land Services and MerinoLink Limited and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Australian Veterinary Association’s Sheep Veterinarians Group, the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Policy Advisory Council, and is a wool industry representative on Animal Health Australia’s Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases. She is also a member of the AVA Live Export Policy Working Group.

Dr Humphries holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from The University of Sydney. She has completed further education in Finance, Corporate Governance, Corporate Strategy & Risk, Emergency Animal Diseases, and Wool Science & Processing.

Special responsibilities:

Research Development Education & Extension Committee (Chair)

Don Macdonald was elected to the Board in November 2017.

Don Macdonald has been involved in the wool industry since 1975 as a wool classer, shearer, wool broker and grower. He has extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of wool production, harvesting, marketing and logistics. As Managing Director of Macdonald & Co Woolbrokers in Dubbo, NSW, he has developed strong business skills and enduring relationships with the grower sector and the downstream exporting and processing sector. He has farming interests at Brewarrina, where he also operates a CRT outlet and Molong in NSW. Mr Macdonald has served as a Director on AWEX, Chairman of the Inland Wool Brokers Association, member of Industry Service Advisory Committee and member of NSW Farmers Wool Committee.

Special responsibilities:

Research Development Education & Extension Committee

Mr Morgan was elected to the Board in November 2013.

Mr Morgan is currently a pastoralist and long term wool grower with experience in both high and low rainfall regions. After graduating from Glenormiston Agricultural College, and continuing his education on-property, Mr Morgan is now the Managing Director of the Mutooroo Pastoral Company and administers a large livestock enterprise in the Hunter Valley region. Additionally, Mr Morgan manages Outalpa Station with his wife and children.

Special responsibilities:

People & Culture Committee (Chair)
Research Development Education & Extension Committee

Mr Webster was elected to the Board in November 2008.

Mr Webster has spent his working life putting together a wool growing, livestock and cropping enterprise. A keen student of economics, he is a strong advocate of private enterprise commerciality and competition. He advocates upholding the rights of farmers without undue regulation and impediments to running their businesses. Mr Webster places a high priority on giving value to shareholders, particularly for compulsory levy payers. Mr Webster is Chairman of iron ore resources company Athena Resources Limited. He is also a Director of Australian Wool Testing Authority Ltd.

Special responsibilities:

Audit & Risk Committee (Chair)
Research Development Education & Extension Committee