#Sustainability

2022-11-17

Change of leadership at Textile Exchange

Claire Bergkamp and La Rhea Pepper / Photo: Textile Exchange

TE's current COO, Claire Bergkamp, will transition to CEO this January, while current CEO La Rhea Pepper will take on the inspiring role of Catalyst and Co-Founder.

Textile Exchange has announced its upcoming leadership transition, effective January 2023. La Rhea Pepper, current Chief Executive Officer, will shift into the role of Catalyst and Co-Founder, and Claire Bergkamp, currently Chief Operations Officer, will transition to the role of CEO.

Over the past two years, Claire and La Rhea have worked closely to deliver a smooth succession plan while strengthening the organization and expanding its leadership.??

Since Claire joined Textile Exchange, the organization has fully rebranded and strengthened its communications, launched its Shared Measurement System and Trackit traceability program, operationalized the Climate+ strategy, and overseen two years of extraordinary growth.

As Claire steps into the role of CEO, she will be supported by our recently hired Chief Business Officer, Lee Martin, and Chief Strategy Officer, Ashley Gill, as well as an incredibly talented and strong senior team.???

“It is an enormous honor to be stepping into the role of CEO at Textile Exchange. We need urgent climate action to build a resilient fashion and textile industry, and Textile Exchange has long been driving this agenda forward in the field, on the supply side, and on the brand side too. I'm excited lead our global community in these critical stages of its sustainability journey and ensure that–as we act on the challenges at the core of our industry–cross-sector input helps to shape every solution."

- Claire Bergkamp

La Rhea’s new role, Catalyst and Co-Founder, will allow her to pivot into an advisory and catalyst role for the industry. Her focus within the organization will be interfacing with brands, stakeholders, partners, and leaders to help them progress, along with the industry, towards achieving our Climate+ goals. She will also play a crucial role as a thought leader and motivator, helping to ensure that the organization’s mission and vision for the industry are spread far and wide.

“It is both personally and professionally rewarding to see the growth and development of Textile Exchange and I am thrilled to shift into the role of Catalyst and Co-Founder knowing that Claire – truly as the next generation – will be a driving force to lead and deliver positive and proactive transformation.”

- La Rhea Pepper

Over the past 20 years, Textile Exchange has set a strong foundation that is supporting the industry to deliver positive and proactive transformation. Textile Exchange’s Governance Board and senior leadership have set a strong example for an ecosystem of leadership that provides stability and depth while leveraging individual strengths.

“This transition allows for La Rhea to focus her positive energy and vast experience on advising our members to move them forward on their Climate+ journey, and for Claire to shift seamlessly into the CEO role to lead the organization to new heights. Given the extraordinary growth over the past two years, I believe we've timed the transition perfectly. I worked closely with La Rhea and Claire over the past two years on this transition and must commend both on their professional and positive contribution to strengthening our leadership ecosystem."

- Heinrich Schultz, Chair of the Textile Exchange Governance Board.

Textile Exchange reports growth in certifications and industry engagement

Textile Exchange has published its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting continued growth in certified sites, industry participation and the development of its standards and membership structure. According to the report, more than 100,000 sites worldwide are now certified to Textile Exchange standards, more than three times the number recorded in 2020. Preliminary figures also indicate 12% year-on-year growth across the organization's current standards, including the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and the Responsible Animal Fiber standards.

Updated supply chain taxonomy advances apparel alignment

The apparel alliance (Apparel Impact Institute, Cascale, Textile Exchange, and ZDHC Foundation) today announced the launch of Version 2 of the Supply Chain Taxonomy, an updated harmonized framework designed to improve consistency, transparency, and collaboration across the textile, clothing, leather, and footwear (TCLF) sectors of the broader apparel industry.

Textile Exchange unveils agenda for 2026 conference in Vancouver

Textile Exchange has released the agenda for its 2026 Conference, which will take place from October 12–16 in Vancouver, Canada. Under the theme “The Implementation Era,” the event will focus on translating sustainability commitments into practical action and scaling solutions across businesses, supply systems, and landscapes.

Indovinya advances sustainable solutions with agreement for the supply of renewable Oxygen from Air Liquide

Indovinya, the specialty chemicals and surfactants division of Indorama Ventures, has entered into an agreement with Air Liquide — a world leader in gases, technologies, and services for industry and healthcare — for the supply of renewable oxygen. The agreement represents a strategic advancement in Indovinya’s commitment to sustainability, as it increases the share of renewable raw materials in the production of ethylene oxide, one of its key products.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.