Christina Trautmann
Head of LWG
Christina joined the LWG in 2020, coming from adidas where she worked for several years, both at the headquarters in Germany and within the Sourcing organization in Asia.
Most recently she was responsible for managing the adidas leather portfolio in the Footwear Material Sourcing team in Hong Kong. She holds a B.Sc (Hons) in Chemical Engineering, and an M.Sc in Sustainable Energy Engineering from the University of Cape Town.
Stuart Cranfield
Head of Operations
As of 1 March 2022, Stuart Cranfield joined the LWG team to head up the operations of the group.
Stuart joins us after spending the last 36 years at Clarks, working across multiple different locations and functions. In his previous role, Stuart was central in establishing and managing the social audit program at Clarks and has taken active roles in several multi-stakeholder initiatives including SLCP, CGF SSCI and BSI PAS24000.
Mark Lucas
Technical Manager
Mark has been an LWG Auditor since 2005 and is a member of the LWG Technical Sub-Group.
He has been instrumental in the development of the LWG Audit Standards. Mark is an IEMA-qualified Principle Environmental Auditor.
Mark has qualifications in Environmental Management, Leather Technology and Business and has worked in the leather industry for over 30 years.
Vanessa Brain
Traceability Manager
Vanessa joined LWG in September 2021 and is responsible for managing the organisation’s work on traceability of leather, including developing the chain of custody for LWG.
Vanessa has a wealth of commercial fashion and sustainability experience gained through working for organisations including the Fairtrade Foundation, Control Union and Historic Futures.
Vanessa is a specialist in sustainable materials, global sourcing, certification and traceability systems.
Dr. Leticia Millward
Standards Manager
Leticia Millward currently works as the Standards Manager at Leather Working Group, after initially joining the group as a Sustainability Project Manager in June 2021.
Leticia helps grow our technical offering by contributing to audit developments, providing technical advice and expertise, and developing special topics.
Leticia has worked with leather manufacturing, research and teaching in Brazil and the UK and has over 10 years’ experience in leather technology. She holds a BSc and MSc in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Leather Science.
Jennifer Thorpe
Marketing Manager
Jennifer Thorpe joins LWG as a Marketing & Engagement Manager and will be responsible for all communications and promotional activities.
Previously, Jennifer spent 5 years at Eurofins | BLC in a similar marketing role promoting a broad portfolio of services including materials testing, leather consulting, membership, auditing, and sustainability.
Prior to this, Jennifer has spent 10 years working in marketing across various sectors including construction, accountancy and higher education.
Jen Toes
Communications & Events Lead
Jennifer joined LWG in September 2018 and became responsible for LWG's marketing and communications efforts, including webinars and governance meetings for the group. Jennifer manages LWG's newsletter, website content, social media channels, and also works with global brands to advise them on their claims and labelling efforts.
Prior to joining LWG, Jennifer worked as a Communications Officer at CERN, where she managed the communications for EU-funded international R&D projects.
Jennifer holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Science Communication from Imperial College London.
Oihana Garcia-Chevillotte
Community Engagement Manager
Oihana became our Community Engagement Manager in May 2022. She is responsible for managing our membership and acting as a first port of call for all member enquiries.
Previously, she spent two years at the International Water Association and brings her knowledge and expertise of liaising with corporate stakeholders for an international sustainability organization.
Oihana has an MSc in International Management from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and holds a bachelor's degree in Business, Law and Economics from the Université Catholique de Lille, France.
Olivia Wass
Marketing & Engagement Team Assistant
Olivia joined the LWG team in August 2022 as the new Team Assistant to the Marketing and Engagement department.
In this role, Olivia is responsible for supporting LWG’s remote working team in communications, events, and finance-related tasks, as well as helping engage with our membership base.
Prior to joining LWG, Olivia had a background in secondary education where she became a qualified Geography teacher. Olivia holds a First-Class BSc Geography degree from Lancaster University where she specialized in ecology, conservation, and spatial analysis.
Connect with Olivia on LinkedIn
Emma Linnell
Audit Administrator
Emma is the LWG Audit Administrator, joining our team in May 2022.
Emma has over 25 years of experience working in administration. Most recently, Emma has spent 16 years working at Eurofins | BLC Leather Technology Centre, where she was responsible for reporting, document management, general administration, and supporting business directors.
At LWG, Emma is responsible for managing the administration related to our certified members in over 50 countries, which includes the delivery of audit reports and certificates, managing certified member listings, and more.
Marius Saunes
Standards & Assurance Coordinator
Marius joined LWG as the Standards & Assurance Coordinator, working within the Operations Team in August 2022.
Marius has a background from the insure-tech industry, mainly with the automotive sector, as a Product Specialist working with product management and delivery to the Nordics.
He holds a law-degree, and a MSc in environmental and climate studies.