New CEO for British Wool Marketing Board

Joe Farren, 44, from Cawood in North Yorkshire officially took over the reins at the Board today (Wednesday 1st June) following the retirement of Ian Hartley who’s been leading the organisation for the last 22 years.

A graduate of Balliol College, Oxford in Modern Languages and English, Joe is also a qualified barrister.

He spent the first part of his career in the City advising on company mergers and acquisitions. In 2004 Joe joined SIG Plc, the FTSE 250 Yorkshire headquartered multinational distributor of building and home improvement products, where he was Head of UK and Ireland Business Development. From 2013, he was a director with LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Bank. He is part of a farming family and Joe and his wife have farms in Yorkshire and Aberdeenshire.

Ian Buchanan, Chairman, BWMB said: “We welcome Joe to the BWMB in this high profile and important position at a crucial time not only in agriculture but also in the wool sector. We look forward to working with Joe, ensuring we continue to serve the best interests of our producers and in maximising the value of their wool.

“On behalf of UK wool producers I also thank Ian Hartley for his hard work, commitment and contribution to the BWMB and the wool industry and wish him well for a long and happy retirement.”

Joe Farren commented: “I am delighted to have joined the BWMB. I am determined the Board will continue its good service to wool producers. The Board will also seek to continuously improve the efficiency with which it handles their wool, to manage the auction process effectively so as to maximise prices for producers and to promote wool strongly on the global stage as the pre-eminent fibre, being aesthetically attractive, high performance and environmentally friendly.”