John Smedley chairman Ian Maclean has been appointed chairman of the Campaign for Wool, succeeding the late Peter Ackroyd in a governance change timed to the UK's annual Wool Month programme.

The Campaign for Wool confirmed the appointment, citing Maclean's "commitment to wool and his extensive experience" across manufacturing, fashion and textiles. Maclean chairs John Smedley Ltd, the Lea Mills, Derbyshire-based knitwear manufacturer founded by his family and still under family ownership.

Who is taking the chair?

Maclean's industry credentials span trade-association and royal-warrant bodies:

• President, Sandringham Association of Royal Warrant Holders, 2025
• Chair, Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, 2022–2025
• Director on the UKFT (UK fashion and textiles trade association) board for the past 12 years
• Chair, Textile Committee, The Clothworkers' Company

That portfolio places him across the UK's fibre, manufacturing and education pillars — the structures the Campaign leans on when coordinating events and supply-chain messaging.

What does Maclean bring to the role?

Maclean framed the appointment around fibre strategy and sourcing sustainability. "As a longstanding supporter of the Campaign since its inception, I have seen first-hand the importance of [King Charles'] vision in bringing together the many different parts of the wool community," he said.

He added: "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."

The comments signal a continued push on wool's renewable and biodegradable credentials — positioning aimed at mills, brands and sourcing teams weighing natural-fibre options against synthetic and cellulosic alternatives.

What does the Campaign actually do?

The Campaign for Wool launched to consumers in 2010 with King Charles as founder and patron. Its remit covers three pillars:

• Raising awareness of wool's sustainable properties as a natural fibre
• Promoting uses across fashion, interiors and other lifestyle categories
• Supporting wool growers across the British Commonwealth in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

That third pillar ties the organisation directly to the global merino and crossbred wool supply chains feeding UK and European spinners, weavers and knitters — including John Smedley's Lea Mills operation.

Why does the timing matter?

The appointment landed during Wool Month in the UK, a coordinated programme bringing together farmers, manufacturers, designers, brands, retailers and consumers through events focused on wool's use in fashion, interiors and artisanal products.

For sourcing and brand teams, the leadership reset could shape how the Campaign directs its promotional spend and grower partnerships through the next 12 months, particularly around UK Wool Week, trade-show activity and Commonwealth grower events.

The transition also closes a period begun under Ackroyd, whose tenure bridged the Campaign's expansion into interiors and lifestyle categories beyond apparel.

What to watch next?

The Campaign has not announced additional board changes or a revised programme calendar alongside Maclean's appointment. Brands and mills tracking wool-supply messaging will look for the first statement of priorities under his leadership, expected as the body moves past Wool Month into the upcoming trade and consumer calendar.