British Wool Board Members

Jim Robertson - Scottish Southern

Jim farms over 1700 acres of LFA in Langholm Dumfriesshire, running a flock of 950 South Country Cheviots and 50 Texel’s, along with 100 Galloway cows. Over the past few years, Jim has bought White bred Shorthorn bulls and also sells both blue grey and Galloway heifers and steers. Jim breeds his own female replacements, both sheep and cattle, then sells his pedigree Cheviot Rams at the annual SCC sale in October.

The Becks, Langholm, Dumfriesshire, DG13 0LP

Tel: 01387 380457 Mob: 07834 034779
Email: [email protected]

Previously Director of Wool Sales & Producer Services Andrew was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in May 2021. A graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge and a Chartered Financial Analyst, Andrew worked in the city as an equity research analyst for 16 years prior to joining British Wool. Andrew lives in Holmfirth and, outside of work, rows for City of Sheffield and enjoys mountain biking with his family.

Tel: 01274 688666

Email: [email protected] 

Andy Whelan - Chief Finance Officer

Andy joined British Wool in 2020 and is a Chartered Accountant having trained with KPMG in Leeds.  Andy spent 15 years with KPMG mostly in audit, dealing with clients across multiple sectors and of varying sizes from billion turnover listed PLC's, US or European groups, all the way down to local, small owner managed businesses.  Andy also led the UK audit of Arla Foods for several years and therefore understands some of the dynamics of a farmer owned business.  Andy left KPMG in 2014 to become Finance Director of a £35m turnover chain of bars and restaurants across the North of England in which he was responsible for all areas of finance, tax, legislation, reporting, and IT.  Andy lives in Guiseley, Leeds and enjoys coaching his son's football team, playing golf and cycling, when allowed.

Tel: 01274 688666
Email: [email protected]

Brendan Kelly – Northern Ireland

Farming in partnership with his two brothers, Brendan runs around 950 breeding ewes, including Mules and Romney’s, as well as 90 suckler cows on over 600 acres of grazing land. As well as being an active member of the UFU’s Beef and lamb committee, Brendan is also a member of the BISCA executive committee and a senior shearing judge as well as an advanced shearer in his own right.

185 Magheralane Road, Co Antrim, BT41 2PH

Mob:     07831 669669
Email:   [email protected]

Carl Stephenson - English Northern

Carl farms 400 acres (mainly tenanted) of Severely Disadvantaged land in Teesdale, Durham. His farm runs Limousin and Beef Shorthorn suckler cows, along with Swaledale ewes (pure-bred and crossed), Bluefaced Leicesters and North of England Mule Ewes.

Pikestone, Woodland, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham DL13 5RT

Tel: 01833 631318
Email: [email protected]

Kate Drury - English Central

Kate Drury, BSc, has been working in the agricultural industry for the past 30 years, on the farm and in ancillary trades. On leaving school Kate worked on the family farm in Northamptonshire lambing 700 ewes including a pedigree flock of Berrichons.  Gaining the opportunity to work at the Breeding Research Station in northern France, show and promote the breed around the UK. Kate divides her time between the farm on the Northamptonshire / Leicestershire border and consultancy work around the UK.  The farm consists of mixed livestock, arable, B&B, Commercial and private lets. She is presently finishing her Masters in Sustainable Food and Agricultural Policy at the RAU

Tel: 07917 793192
Email: [email protected]

Penny Chantler - English Southern

Penny farms 1500 NZ Romneys with her two sons in Herefordshire. She is very keen to help educate the next generation and is an Ambassador for the NFU Schools Program. Penny has a strong understanding and experience of the Textile Industry that began as a Textile Student at Leeds University.

Hill Farm, Llanigon, Hay-on-wye, Hereford, HR3 5RH

Tel: 01497 820304  Mob:07966 351563

Email: [email protected]

Alan Derryman - English South Western

Alan, farms 900 New Zealand Romneys and 80 cows in Sibudry in East Devon. He has psent 25 years as a shearing contractorcovering Devon and West Dorest as well as spending time shearing in New Zealand and Australia. Alan is also the senior shearing instructor for Southern England, a role he had held for 30 years and a past Chairman of the National Sheep Association in the South West.

Home Farm, Sidbury, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 0QE

Tel: 01395 597836   Mob: 07976 624611
Email: [email protected]

Eleanor, along with her family, farms a 340-hectare hill farm situated in Glenlivet. They run a suckler cow herd and a flock of mainly Blackface sheep. Eleanor grew up on a hill farm and has always been actively involved in farming. For many years she also helped to run a contract shearing business which at its peak was putting over forty thousand sheep through the trailer in a season.

Eleanor has 23 years career in banking before she became an elected Board member of the Cairngorms National Park Authority which she has now held for over 20 years.

Tombreckachie Farm, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch, Banffshire, AB37 9BX

01807 590247 Mob: 07867 956678
[email protected]

Huw Evans - Welsh Northern

In partnership with his wife, Huw farms two holdings in a Severely Disadvantaged Area in Rhyd-y-main, Dolgellau, running two self-contained flocks of Welsh Mountain ewes and a pedigree Welsh Black Cattle herd on land rising up to 2400 ft. Huw is past Chairman of the Welsh Mountain Sheep Society and has represented Merioneth on NFU Cymru's LFA Board since 2006.

Hengwrt Uchaf, Rhydymain, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, LL40 2AR

Tel: 01341 450252 Mob: 07922 775265
Email: [email protected]

John Davies - Welsh Southern

John runs a beef and sheep farm in partnership with his wife Audrey, and son Bleddyn. The family's flock of 700 sheep include Beulah, Tregaron Welsh and Aberfield X. John is a past chairman of Ceredigion NFU and currently a county representative on NFU Wales Rural Affairs Board.

Blaenglowon Fawr, Talgarreg, Llandysul, Ceredigion, SA44 4EX

Tel: 01559 364869 Mob: 07816 857504

Rhys Davies - Non-Executive Member

Rhys joined the board on 1^st October 2019. He has extensive change and transformation experience, predominantly IT led, across a number of business sectors - supermarkets, supply chain, leisure, higher education and health – with some of these programmes leading to world first innovations. Rhys holds a number of non-executive and director roles in West Yorkshire at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Sovereign Health Care, the University of Huddersfield and Bradford Grammar School and is also working with a start-up educational technology company.

Email: [email protected]

Jonathan Lea FCMA - Independent Non-Executive Member

Jonathan joined the board on 1^st October 2019. He is a Finance Director by profession, was previously the CFO of a FTSE 250 PLC and has wide international experience of business in Europe, Asia and Latin America. He spent 25 years in the global textile industry, including working in Hong Kong and China for 7 years. He also has a deep interest in sustainability and was previously a Director of WRAP, the not-for-profit organisation that developed and runs the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, a clothing industry-led initiative that uses collective action to transform the environmental impact of our clothes.

He has considerable experience in corporate governance across a number of different sectors and is a Non-Executive Director on several boards, including Crop Health and Protection Ltd (CHAP), a government backed agri-tech centre set up to improve agricultural productivity in the UK.

Email: [email protected]

Jo joined the board on 1^st March 2024. A Senior Brand Marketing leader, Board Advisor, and brand strategy transformation expert. With over 20+ years’ experience delivering creative global and UK brand strategies for companies including Virgin, Peloton, Fat Face, Wiggle and various British lifestyle and beauty brands. She also holds a NED role for a Marketing Research company delivering insights in the metaverse.

With family & friends in the Farming community she’s grown up with a keen interest & admiration for farmers. Based on the South Coast, any downtime you’ll find Jo outdoors – donning wellies to walk her lab, mud splattered cycling the South Downs, or salty enjoying being in/on the Solent!
 

Email: [email protected]