Call for wool broker of the year candidates

Now in its fifth year, the annual award recognises excellence in service to woolgrowers, auctioneering and innovation by a wool broker employee who is working for a NCWSBA member and has been in the wool broking industry for 10 years or less.

NCWSBA president Simon Hogan said the award aimed to promote both wool broking and the Australian wool industry as an interesting prospective career for young people, including graduates.

“The more knowledge you have got beyond the wool broker gives you a point of difference against your fellow brokers,” Mr Hogan said.

“It is a very competitive environment so everyone is looking for an edge on competitiveness and this prize provides that to young brokers.”

Mr Hogan said the aim of the awards was to raise the profile of and increase the understanding of the important role of wool brokers.

“The networks and knowledge gained provided the winners with a firsthand view of the key issues faced by the wool industry across the world,” he said.

”The Istanbul prize will allow the winner to understand the issues further up the supply chain and they can ask questions and investigate and really get a handle on the entire industry.”

The prize in 2016 is an all expense paid trip to attend the 2017 IWTO Congress in Istanbul, Turkey in May.

There will also be an opportunity to visit mills to learn about the wool textile industry in Turkey.

This has been made possible by the generous support of the Award Sponsors – AWTA Ltd and Fairfax Agricultural Media.

Last year’s winner Matthew Thomas of Landmark won a trip to the IWTO Congress in Sydney in April this year and to the Nanjing Wool Market Conference in China in September.

Full details and the application forms are available from the NCWSBA Office or ncwsba@woolindustries.org. Applications close on 1 July.

An independent Selection Panel will review all applications and short listed candidates will be notified by 22nd July.

These candidates will be expected to attend the NCWSBA’s Annual General Meeting to give a short presentation in support of their nomination on 25 August.

The winner will be announced at the Wool Week dinner, which will be held on Thursday, 25 August at Aerial, South Wharf, Melbourne.​