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GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD
ECOLOGY & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

GOTS people

image of the GOTS family
Advisory Council

The Advisory Council is the decision making committee for all relevant structural and political issues related to the Global Organic Textile Standard programme. Its members are nominated by the founding organisations. The Advisory Council meets annually.

Advisory Council

Chris Atkinson
Soil Association Certification Limited
Tom Chapman
Organic Trade Association
Heike Hess
International Association Natural Textile Industry
Tsuyoshi Maeda
Japan Organic Cotton Association
Standards Committee

The GOTS Standards Committee is the advisory body that works with the GOTS Advisory Council. These are experts representing all aspects of the textile value chain appointed by the founding organisations. The Committee is coordinated by the Director of Standards Development and Quality Assurance, Rahul Bhajekar. The Terms of Reference of the Standards Committee are presently under review and this text will be revised accordingly as soon as possible.
The Standards Committee has the following main functions/authorities:

  • Generating revisions of the Standard and the Implementation Manual.
  • Developing the Labelling Guide and supervision of labelling applications.
  • Developing the accreditation system and related qualification and quality assurance requirements for certification bodies.
  • Supervision of accredited certification bodies to ascertain their adherence to, and consistent interpretation of, the GOTS and related stipulations.

Standards Committee

Elizabeth Bennett
Joseph M. Ha Associate Professor of International Affairs and Director of Political Economy, Lewis & Clark College (Portland, OR, US); Fellow, Carr Center for Human Rights, Harvard Kennedy School (Cambridge, MA, US)
Rahul Bhajekar
Managing Director
Sarah Compson
Soil Association, International Development Manager
Markus Krüger
International Association Natural Textile Industry, Coordinator of IVN Standard Committee
Yoshinobu Noguchi
Japan Organic Cotton Association, Executive Director. J-Stream Co.Ltd., CEO
Scott Rice
OTA, Regulatory Director
Certifiers Council

GOTS approved certification bodies are responsible for the implementation of the GOTS quality assurance system. In this function they use the standard, procedures and tools of the GOTS Programme on a daily basis. Drawing on the broad expertise gathered during this work is vital for GOTS in order to further develop its functioning and practical system in the market.

For the purpose of facilitating this, GOTS established the Certifiers Council in which each approved certification body is represented by a responsible expert. The Certifiers Council has an advisory function with regard to all issues related to the GOTS quality assurance system. The collaboration of all approved GOTS certification bodies in this unique forum is an important prerequisite for a consistent interpretation of the criteria and requirements of the standard. Coordinated by the GOTS Director of Standards and Quality Assurance, the Certifiers Council makes proposals to the Standards Committee.

Certifiers Council

Dr. Mustafa Akyüz
ETKO
Rahul Bhajekar
Managing Director
Dr. Binay Kumar Choudhury
CU Inspections India
Vincent Duret
Ecocert Greenlife
Ana Fernandes
Control Union Services SAC
Jack Ge
Kaixin
Adam Golubowski
Control Union Certifications
Stacey Han
IDFL
Selin Işlakca
Control Union Gozetim ve Belgelendirme
Ulrike Kisteneich
Kiwa BCS
Pedro Landa
OIA
Carol Liu
Bureau Veritas
Costanza Marri
CCPB
Inês Mexia de Almeida
Agricert
Luis Miralles Esteve
Eurofins
Abdul Mottaleb
GSCS International Ltd.
Mahesh Nabadawewa
Clean Globe International
Sara Oliveira
CTV
Rui Oliveira
APCER
Ed Palairet
Soil Association
Giuseppe Portarapillo
ICEA
Rajesh Selva
GCL International
Nesrin Serin
USB Certification
Elizabeth Tigan
Oregon Tilth
Jimi Wang
TÜV Rheinland (China)
Angela Zinni
CERES
General Staff

In 2008, the four founding organisations set up a legal entity under German law: "Global Standard gemeinnützige GmbH" (Global Standard non-profit limited liability company). Charged with executing the Global Organic Textile Standard programme, this legal entity, conducts all regulatory activities in connection with the implementation of GOTS and its quality assurance, as well as the related labelling system. It is the proprietor of the GOTS label, which is registered as a trademark in relevant production countries and sales markets for organic textile goods.

Managing Directors

Rahul Bhajekar
Managing Director
Claudia Kersten
Managing Director

Administration

Petra Roidinger
Finance & Administration Associate
Jacqueline Schneider
Head of Administration / Executive Assistant

Advisors

Herbert Ladwig
Policy and Legal Advisor
 

Representatives

GOTS has appointed several representatives who operate in a global network to promote GOTS in their respective regions and around the world. To date, regional representatives have been appointed in the major sales markets of the USA/Canada, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom and in the most important production countries: China, India, Bangladesh, Turkey and Africa. GOTS also employs representatives with special targets such as the European Union and global fashion brands.

Cécile Chi
Assistant to Representative in APAC
Susanne Diener
Representative in Germany/Austria/Switzerland
Muktar Dodo
Representative in Africa
Franziska Dormann
Head of Regional Representatives & Representative to Luxury Brands
Ganesh Kasekar
Representative in South Asia
Fiona Matsumoto
Representative in Japan
Felicia Shi
Representative in APAC
Ryan Sitler
Representative in North America
Christopher Stopes
Representative in UK
Elif Yaraşık
Representative in Turkey
Juliane Ziegler
Representative to Global Brands

Standard Development and Quality Assurance

GOTS has appointed several representatives who operate in a global network to promote GOTS in their respective regions and around the world. To date, regional representatives have been appointed in the major sales markets of the USA/Canada, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom and in the most important production countries: China, India, Bangladesh, Turkey and Africa. GOTS also employs representatives with special targets such as the European Union and global fashion brands.

Jesús Aguirre Chavez
Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist
Ruslan Alyamkin
Responsible, Standard Development and Implementation (Social Responsibility)
Roman Alyamkin
Sustainability Reporting Standards Specialist
Tristan Arlaud
Associate, Standard Development (Human Rights and Social)
Bükra Kalaycı
Responsible, Standard Development and Implementation (Ecology)
Akash Patel
Quality Assurance Assistant
Raman Sahu
Quality Assurance Assistant
Jeffrey Thimm
Organic Production Specialist

Education and Promotion

Aleksandra Czajka
Public Procurement Specialist
Nicola Dach
Knowledge Management & Continued Education Specialist
Daphne Sophie Laut
Marketing Associate
Katie Lee
Public Relations Specialist
Holger Stripf
Head of Marketing

Protection

Madhu Bhadula
Protection Assistant
Otto Kersten
Protection Officer
Travis Wells
Protection Officer North America

IT - Digital Transformation

Sneha Bhadula
Associate Software Developer
Emre Eroglu
Product Manager
César Escobedo
Head of IT
Olga Joloud
Technical Product Manager
Bupela Kalubi
Associate Software Developer
Katrin Khoza
(Sabbatical)
Mercy Munwai
Market Research Analyst
Zwivhuya Ramanenzhe
IT Operations Associate
Siyasanga Tshongweni
IT Operations Associate
Ayanda Yende
IT Operations Associate

Student Assistants

Emma Brauch
Student Assistant
Lea Göbel
Student Assistant
Lukas Joey Küstner
Student Assistant