Established in 1841, the ICA is the world’s leading international cotton trade association and arbitral body.  The results of elections for the ICA President, First Vice, Second Vice and Directors were announced at the Association’s Annual General Meeting held on 10th December 2009 at Liverpool, UK.

Mr. Cliff White (Senior Vice President - Marketing, Olam/Queensland Cotton Group) takes on the role of President. Cliff will be supported by Mr. Ray Butler (Director, Cotton Outlook) as First-Vice and Mr. Antonio Esteve (CEO, Ecom Cotton Group) as Second-Vice.

New to the Board are Mr. Vinay Kotak (Kotak & Co), Mr. Joe Nicosia (Allenberg Cotton Co) and Mr. Jordan Lea (Eastern Trading Co), who have been elected to serve as Ordinary Directors. Mr. Pat-Nie Woo Central Textiles Hong Kong Ltd) has been appointed to represent the common interests of the Far Eastern cotton industry, Mr. Takashi Shimazaki (Toyoshima & Co Ltd) will represent the common interests of the Japanese cotton industry and Mr. Ertugrul Tanriverdi (Ensar Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret AS) will represent the common interests of the Turkish cotton Industry.

Now comprising of 22 members, representing 12 countries, the new ICA Board line-up is the most internationally represented that the Association has had in its 169-year history.

Based in Dallas, USA, Cliff has worked for 32 years in the raw cotton market in a career that has taken him to all corners of the globe - including extensive experience in Asia, Australia, Hong Kong, Tanzania, Turkey and the United States. He began his career in 1976 with Ralli Bros & Coney (now Cargill Cotton), based in Liverpool, UK. In 1991 he joined Queensland Cotton and was responsible for the buying and selling of the company's Australian, US and Brazilian cotton. In May 2007 he moved to the United States as Senior Vice President - Marketing for the Olam / Queensland Cotton Group, where he is responsible for the continuing expansion of the companies US and Brazilian cotton business. Cliff is past Chairman of the Australian Cotton Shippers Association and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.