The Focus Topic Panel

Julie leads Supply Chain Sustainability for Gore Fabrics.  Responsible for shaping and implementing sustainability strategy across Gore’s own manufacturing plants and with upstream suppliers.  Julie actively works across the whole value chain, collaborating with brand partners and upstream suppliers to drive progress in topics such as carbon reduction, environmental management and human rights due diligence.  Julie has worked in the Outdoor Sports industry for over 25 years, with leadership roles in materials development and innovation.  She is trained as a textile engineer and holds a PhD in this field from the University of Leeds.

• Over 17 years of experience in the sportswear industry, working for leading brands across Europe
• Brought several new technologies into the sportswear world by connecting supply-chain stakeholders, including the upstream chemical industry, to drive responsible product creation
• Long experience in several renewable carbon technologies such as biomass and recycled derived materials
• Development of the industry-leading eco-design tool “Green Shape” at VAUDE, including the entire product´s lifecycle
• Speaker at several global conferences and consulted several industries in the field of sustainable material choices
• I aim to steer the textile industry away from relying on fossil fuels and instead promote a shift toward a sustainable and circular economy

Everyone can make a difference. 

LinkedIn Handle:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/renebethmann/

Stewart brings an extensive background developing and implementing sustainability programmes within the apparel & footwear industry both at Worldly and at the SAC, while working for WL Gore on sustainable products & innovation, as an independent consultant working on sustainability topics in ski resorts, and as an LCA practitioner for outdoor sports brands.

He is committed to enabling the apparel and footwear industry to address critical challenges in reporting, disclosure, and environmental impact reduction. He played a key role in shaping industry frameworks, including the EU PEF, France’s footwear durability labeling, and the Higg MSI. An experienced facilitator and product innovator, he has led cross-sector collaboration with multiple stakeholders and delivered high-impact sustainability initiatives at Gore-Tex.

In his spare time, Stewart is a level III PSIA certified ski instructor and enjoys freeride skiing, open water swimming and surfing. He is also the father of a 10 year-old boy & and 7 year-old girl.