HELEN Cathles is the Australian Superfine Woolgrowers Association's first female president.
Ms Cathles’s appointment brought a time of change, opportunity and a different point of view, the ASWGA said in a statement.
A member of the last three WoolPoll Panels, Helen was a strong advocate for all sectors of the wool industry pipeline to operate as a united global business and to solve the shared problem of lack of financial return for quality wool products at each stage of that pipeline.
Winning back a sustainable superfine industry continued to be top of the agenda for ASWGA, its statement said.
Ms Cathles said Australian growers had lost competitive friction in selling systems with "the obsession to identify discounts and negatives rather than identifying quality and value throughout the Australian clip."
"How can we win back market share when we start the wool journey with a selling system that rewards buyer negativity instead of wool quality.
"We need to redefine and articulate the qualities of superfine wool thus showing the outstanding value for customers.
"Personally I don’t just wear wool. I thoroughly enjoy the sensation of being wrapped in a beautiful sensuous fibre that I’m passionate about."
