About us

Ray joined Cotlook Limited, a long-established private sector company based in Merseyside, in 1975, after graduating and working for a short time in the UK textiles industry.  Cotlook monitors and reports on cotton supply and demand and cotton market developments, and is the source of the Cotlook A Index. Ray is now the leading shareholder and Managing Director. He served as Chief Editor for 25 years before passing the baton on, but is still heavily engaged in all of the company’s activities. During his career, Ray has served as a UK delegate to ICAC Plenary meetings and as a member of that body’s Private Sector Advisory Panel. He continues to participate as a speaker in numerous international cotton industry events, predominantly in Asia. In 2001, Ray was president of the Liverpool Cotton Association, the predecessor of the ICA, for which he also served as president in 2011.

Stephen is a career banker who spent forty years with the Royal Bank of Scotland, including senior roles in Houston and New York. Retiring in 2001, he became Chairman of Brabners, and until recently held the position of Regional Chairman of Coutts in Merseyside and North Wales. He became an Ambassador for Professional Liverpool in 2013, having stepped down as Chairman in 2012. He was recently appointed Honorary Consul to the Republic of Latvia in Liverpool. His charitable work includes being a Director and Trustee of Wirral Hospice St Johns, a member of the Investment Committee of the Liverpool Council for Voluntary Services and Chairman of the Empowering Youth Foundation. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Liverpool Management School and a member of the Board of Regents at Liverpool Hope University. He is married to Gillian, with whom he has two daughters and three grandchildren. He is an active member of Caldy Golf Club, and enjoys golf, football, rugby, opera and theatre.

John has three Masters degrees, was Called to the Bar in 1990 and is a practising Notary Public. He concluded his professional education with a post graduate diploma in law (notarial practice) from Maddingley Hall, University of Cambridge. Prior to joining the International Cotton Association to head up its arbitration department, John worked as a notary public and head of notarial services at Hill Dickinson LLP and has experience in running mutual organisations following his earlier career within the City of London’s UK Defence Association (Thomas Millers), as well as the L&L in Liverpool.