The President Jean-Paul Haessig and the Managing Director Jens Wirth in an interview with the Bremen Cotton Report editorial team.

About:
Jean-Paul Haessig has been the President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange since June 2023. Born in Switzerland, he is based in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) with his company Asian Cotton Traders Pte Ltd. The current President of the BBB can look back on many years in the cotton industry.

About:
Jens Wirth has been a cotton expert at the BBB since 2022. He began his training in the industry in 2001 with a cotton trader, working as a classer and learning about other natural fibres such as wool and silk. Jens Wirth has been Managing Director of the Bremen Cotton Exchange since 1 July.

For some time now, the Bremen Cotton Exchange has been working on its reorganisation, and now the first results are in. Jens Wirth takes over as Managing Director of the association on 1 July 2024. Previously responsible for Cotton Quality and ICA Bremen at the Bremen Cotton Exchange, he will continue to manage this area in the future. The Bremen Cotton Report editorial team spoke to the President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange, Jean-Paul Haessig, and the new Managing Director about the changes.

CR: President Haessig, what prompted you to appoint a new Managing Director for the Cotton Exchange?

Jean-Paul Haessig: This step has been discussed in great detail for some time, and the background to this is certainly that we are rethinking our strategy. For example, where is the Cotton Exchange headed, and what do we wish to achieve as an international association? At the same time, we have a property here in Bremen that needs to be maintained and managed, that requires investment and, just like the cotton sector, needs to be well positioned for the future. The Property Management Director, Carmen Wachs, will continue in her position.

We are an active, international association and we are facing a number of challenges. Up to now, the four-member Executive Committee has worked together intensively, made decisions and contributed consistently. However, as presidents, we are all involved in our own day-to-day work. We have our own companies with our own employees, and this brings with it a great deal of responsibility. At the same time, the Cotton Exchange is moving into the future. In light of this, we decided to appoint a Managing Director.

What do you expect from the new Managing Director?

As the Executive Committee and Board of the BBB, we naturally want a lot. Our expectations are high, but then they were already high for the whole team. We intend for the Cotton Exchange to continue to develop in this spirit. Actually, that is the keyword: further development. We have paved the way for Jens Wirth and his team to follow based on the new format. The processes will become leaner and faster, and we will expand the range of topics we cover. The association will play a much more active role.

Mr Wirth, what is your relationship with cotton?

Jens Wirth: Cotton-related topics are close to my heart. I have been involved with cotton for more than 23 years and completed my apprenticeship at one of Bremen’s cotton traders. After just a short time, I realised that this was a topic that would stay with me for a long time. People used to talk about “learning from the ground up”, and that term certainly applies quite well. But I’m also happy to have had a taste of other natural fibres such as silk, wool, mohair and hemp.

Jean-Paul Haessig: Mr Wirth brings a lot to the table, including good contacts in the cotton industry and many years of experience with instrument-based and manual cotton testing. Since 2022, he has been a member of the BBB team and, among other things, director at ICA Bremen.

Mr Wirth, will the Cotton Exchange change completely now?

Jens Wirth: In the past, there have always been changes that the Bremen Cotton Exchange has had to adapt to with tactical skill. Even though we now have new strategic approaches, these must be continually reviewed and adapted. I am aware of the current and long-term challenges that we will have to overcome as a team, and I am convinced that we will succeed very well. I think that we have gathered a great deal of knowledge and expertise at the Cotton Exchange, and the outside world certainly needs to hear about this. The reorganisation should also highlight our skillsets with a view to consolidating our global position. The association is also focusing on activities that offer added value to its members.

Jean-Paul Haessig: We are an international arbitration centre and therefore also have the status of a neutral institution. Being completely financially independent is an important point in this respect. And we can expand a lot here too, also together with our joint venture ICA Bremen. What services are in demand? What can we potentially add to the mix? All against a backdrop of the increasing importance of sustainable production systems, which we are keeping a very close eye on. The BBB is a neutral collector of data, and we also see it as our task to provide advice and support. Cotton is no longer just a commodity. If you look at the growing pressure brought about by political regulations, the fibre is increasingly becoming a product that requires consultancy during the processing stages too.

Jens Wirth: And that’s where we are certainly a good point of contact. I am sure that the BBB will continue to develop in many areas, and I am very much looking forward to the tasks this will entail. At this point, I would like to once again highlight the work carried out by the Board of the Bremen Cotton Exchange whose expertise is invaluable and who have already supported us with their knowledge during the strategy development phase. Every member of the team is important, and this will also be reflected in our day-to-day business. In this respect, I am very much looking forward to my new role here at the BBB.

Jean-Paul Haessig: The BBB has a good reputation as an international raw materials association, but we should not rest on our laurels. The association will have a lot to shoulder in the future and with Jens Wirth, the BBB team and the Executive Committee as the Supervisory Board, we will be very successful. We are looking forward to this.

Thank you for talking to us.