Paulo Portas holds a law degree from the Catholic University of Portugal. He was a co-founder of the newspaper O Independente. He served as Minister of State and Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister between 2011 and 2015, and as Minister of State and National Defence between 2002 and 2005. He led the CDS party for 16 years, becoming one of its youngest and longest-serving party leaders. He was elected Member of Parliament in 7 legislatures. He founded Vinciamo Consulting, a strategic consultancy firm with activities in Europe, the Gulf, Africa, and Latin America. He is a Professor of Geo-Economics and International Relations at Nova SBE. He has also taught in Madrid, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. He is Vice-President of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP), an entrepreneur and consultant, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Champalimaud Foundation. He holds the positions of Non-Executive Director at Mota-Engil (since 2023) and MDS (2025), and is also a member of the Supervisory Board of Tabaqueira (2025). Since 2024, he has also been part of the TEAK Family Office. He is a Member of the Royal Academy of Morocco (since 2023). He is the author of the television program Global.

Brazilian, 53 years old, holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais), a postgraduate degree in Strategic Business Management (FACE/UFMG), a specialization in Trade and Finance for the International Textile Economy (SENAI/CETIQT), and a specialization in Corporate Law from FGV (Fundación Getulio Vargas). Between 1996 and 2004, he worked as a Business Consultant for organizations such as Acesita, Belgo Mineira, Gerdau, Volkswagen, Ambev, Votorantim Metais, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, and the Departments of Finance of the states of Mato Grosso and Pernambuco. In 2004, he joined Cedro Têxtil, a Brazilian textile company with more than 150 years of history. From 2014 to 2025, he served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. During this period, he was also a member of the Strategic Council of the Federation of Industries of the State of Minas Gerais (FIEMG), as well as Vice President of the Textile Spinning and Weaving Industries Union of Minas Gerais (SIFT-MG), the Minas Pela Paz Institute (IMPP), and the Commercial and Industrial Association of Sete Lagoas (ACI). In 2018, he was awarded the title of Commander of the Getúlio Vargas Order of Labor Merit by President Michel Temer, in national recognition of his contributions to the development of labor relations and the promotion of social well-being. In 2025, he assumed the position of CEO of Vicunha Têxtil, the largest textile company in Brazil and one of the largest in the world in its segment. He currently serves as a member of the Fiscal Council of the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT) and of Business Mobilization for Innovation (MEI), an initiative of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).

Robert Antoshak has over 30 years of experience in the fiber and textile industries. He is a management consultant and also serves as Vice President of Global Sourcing & Development at Grey Matter Concepts.

He has held executive positions with the Fiber Economics Bureau as editor of the Fiber Organon, the American Fiber Manufacturers Association as Director of International Trade, the American Textile Manufacturers as Associate Director of International Trade, Trade Resources, Inc. as President, Werner International as Vice President, INTL-FCStone, LLC as Managing Director of the Fibers & Textiles Division, Olah Inc. as Managing Director, and Gherzi Textile Organization as Partner.

In addition to an extensive background in marketing, mergers & acquisitions, sourcing, sustainability, information services, and strategic planning, Mr. Antoshak has strong experience in trade negotiations and worked as an FBI-cleared industry advisor to the U.S. government on numerous bilateral quota trade agreements, NAFTA, the MFA, and the WTO.

Widely published, Mr. Antoshak is a regular contributor to just-style.com, sourcingjournal.com, bjournal.net, and many others.

Andreas, born in Wuppertal, Germany, has been engaged in textile business more than three decades. It all started with work in several departments of an international fiber producing company (formerly Glanzstoff) during semester break. After graduation, Andreas joined Barmag in 1992 and moved to Saurer Headquarters in Switzerland in 2001. End of 2010, Andreas founded his own company to continue making the globally accepted brand „The Fiber Year“, a yearbook on feedstocks, fibers, yarns, nonwovens and trade. By now, „The Fabric Year“ is available for knitted and woven fabrics as well as nonwovens. Andreas has been quoted or appeared in numerous international news publications like for example annabelle, AVR, Bio-based News, Bloomberg, Chemical Fibers International, China Textile Magazine, China Textile Leader, Der Spiegel, Der Standard, eco Institut, FAZ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Fibre2Fashion, Finanz und Wirtschaft, Forward Textile Technology, ICAC Cotton Review Report, Indian Textile Journal, International Fiber Journal, Knitting Trade Journal, Kohan Journal, Melliand, Nonwovens Industry, NZZ Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Oerlikon Fibers and Filaments, Schweizerische Umweltstiftung, Sustainable Nonwovens, Technical Textiles, Tecoya Trend, textile network, TEXTILplus, TextilWirtschaft, U.S. Congressional Research Service, WirtschaftsWoche, Zeit Online and others.

Graduated as Textile Engineer - FEI and MBA - IBMEC SP has more than 25 years of experience on Commercial area for textiles in Latin America, most of it working for Synthetic Fibers companies such as Polyenka, Huvispan, Hyosung, Nilit and LYCRA, where nowadays acts as Commercial Director Sout America, also is the actual President of ABRAFAS counsel.

Daniel Milaré is Senior Lead Retail Cluster at On, leading retail operations, consumer experience, and brand execution across Brazil. With more than 20 years of experience in retail, marketing, operations, and strategy, he has built a career transforming brands through omnichannel growth, operational excellence, and high-performance team leadership. Throughout his trajectory, Daniel has held executive leadership positions with globally recognized brands, including Nike, Vans, L'Occitane, led the Brazil retail transformation in the startup phase of AMARO, and recently leading retail operations connected to brands such as Fila, and New Balance through Dass Group. His experience includes scaling retail operations across Central and South America, developing omnichannel ecosystems, implementing innovative store concepts, and driving sustainable profitability through data-driven strategies and premium consumer experiences. Daniel is recognized for his ability to connect long-term strategic vision with disciplined execution, building strong cultures and high-performing retail organizations. In addition to his executive career, Daniel is an MBA professor at Mackenzie Presbyterian University and holds an MBA in Marketing from FGV - Fundação Getulio Vargas.

Bill McRaith is one of the apparel industry's most experienced supply chain architects, having spent more than three decades designing, building, and transforming global manufacturing and sourcing networks across Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Europe. He is widely recognized for his ability to bridge commercial performance, supply chain resilience, and sustainability at enterprise scale.

As Chief Supply Chain Officer at PVH Corp. from 2011 to 2021, Bill led the global supply chain organization supporting brands including Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. He was responsible for developing the company's global production structure, manufacturing footprint and logistics network serving both wholesale and retail operations worldwide.

Prior to PVH, Bill held senior leadership roles with Walmart, where he led global sourcing initiatives and helped pioneer reshoring efforts, and with Victoria's Secret and Limited Brands, where he oversaw manufacturing, sourcing, and product development. Uniquely, half of his career was spent as a manufacturer and supplier, and half leading sourcing and supply chain functions for some of the world's largest retailers and brands—giving him a rare perspective on how value chains can create competitive advantage for all participants.

Throughout his career, Bill has built supply chains across China, the Indian subcontinent, Central America and Africa, helping shape new manufacturing ecosystems and pioneering models that combine profitability, speed, resilience and environmental responsibility. His work in Ethiopia contributed to internationally recognized industrial development initiatives and helped establish new thinking around sustainable manufacturing infrastructure. Today, as Executive Adviser to Future-Proof Fashion, Bill works with industry leaders to reimagine the future of apparel sourcing, manufacturing, and supply networks. His work focuses on helping organizations navigate volatility, reduce waste, improve profitability, and build the next generation of responsive, multi-node supply ecosystems.

A former board member of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, current member of the FIT International Trade & Marketing Advisory Board, and Honorary Professor at Glasgow Caledonian University, Bill is regarded as one of the industry's leading voices on the future of global supply chains, manufacturing transformation, and sustainable growth.

Dirk joined EURATEX as a Director General in September 2019, representing the interests of over 200,000 European companies in the textiles and clothing industry, with a joint turnover of around €170 billion and 1.2 million workers. His mandate is to promote a competitive, sustainable and innovative European Textiles and Clothing industry. EURATEX’ work focuses primarily on shaping the EU policy framework for the textile industry, in a global context.

Prior to EURATEX, he worked for EUROCHAMBRES, the European Chamber of Commerce lobby. Dirk has an economic background and holds a Masters degree from the College of Europe, Bruges.

Honorary President and Executive Director of Abit – the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association, born in Rio de Janeiro. He holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from Candido Mendes University. He has worked in the Textile and Apparel sector since 1977, both in the domestic and international markets.

He also holds the following positions:

• President of the Coalition for Trade Facilitation and Barriers (CFB/CNI);
• Vice President of CONSIN/CNI – Industrial Sector Advisory Council;
• Member of the ITMF Council – International Textile Manufacturers Federation;
• Member of the IAF Council – International Apparel Federation;
• Member of CAL/CNI – Permanent Thematic Council on Legislative Affairs;
• Member of CRT/CNI – Permanent Thematic Council on Labor Relations and Social Development;
• Member of the Cotton and Derivatives Sector Chamber/ MAPA;
• Member of COSEC – Superior Council of Economics;
• Member of COMMODA – Fashion Industry Production Chain Committee;
• Member of COPIN/CNI – Thematic Council on Industrial Policy and Technological Development;
• Advisory Member of CDMD – Fashion Law Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association, Rio de Janeiro
• Chapter (OAB/RJ);
• Member of CEMBRAR/CNI – Brazil-Argentina Business Council.

Sun Ruizhe has been engaged in the textile industry since 1985. He is a Professor‑level Senior Engineer and holds the State Council Special Government Allowance for his contributions to the industry. He serves as Secretary of the Party Committee and President of China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC).

Stephen E. Lamar is President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, the national trade association representing more than 1,000 brands in the apparel and footwear industry. Steve leads a dedicated team of professionals who represent AAFA members before the government, through the media, and in industry settings on key brand protection, supply chain and manufacturing, and trade issues. Steve also advises AAFA member companies on legislation and regulatory policies. Prior to becoming President and CEO, Steve served as Executive Vice President for the association.

Prior to AAFA, Steve spent more than a decade engaged in international public policy work, including stints at the U.S. Commerce Department and in the Peace Corps. A runner, juggler, and genealogist in his spare time, Steve is on the Board of the Washington International Trade Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Colgate University and a Master of Arts Degree in International Affairs (with a concentration on African politics and international trade) from George Washington University.

Fabio Davidovici is from São Paulo, married to Fernanda, and father of Aron, Rebeca, and Ilana. He holds a degree in engineering from Poli, an MBA and MPA from FGVSP, a PMD from IESE, and CFA and APICS certifications. He has built his career in various industries such as white goods, publishing, aviation, fintech, investment banking, and retail, with both executive and entrepreneurial experience. He uniquely combines a vision of finance, strategy, and operations, acting as CFO and COO throughout his professional career. He has strongly contributed to the transformation and innovation of Aramis for 10 years. Passionate about innovation, in 2021 he received the award for most innovative CFO of the year in fashion retail in South America from the British Global CFO Excellence Awards and is also an advisor to companies including Drogarias Iguatemi, Uau Box, Sancro, and Sanepar.

With 16 years of experience in trend forecasting, Mariana Santiloni is a naturally curious fashion enthusiast with a strategic approach to consumer behavior and research. She is currently the Head of Trends & Consumer Behavior LATAM at WGSN Latam, where she helps companies prepare for the future. Her professional background includes roles at Stylesight and WGSN London, where she worked in client relations, localizing global trends for the Brazilian market.

Mariana holds a degree in Fashion and a postgraduate degree in Material and Fabric Research from Central Saint Martins. She frequently represents WGSN at key industry events, including internal conferences like WGSN Trends and the WGSN Fashion Summit, as well as major external events such as Iguatemi Talks Fashion, ONDM, and BRIFW. Additionally, she has been featured in interviews for prominent media outlets such as Band News, Meio & Mensagem, Estúdio News, and the Mover Podcast.

Cacau is an AI Product Manager at INSIDER, where she leads strategic artificial intelligence initiatives and the construction of the company's AI Platform, working at the intersection of product, business, and engineering to develop scalable proprietary solutions. Her work focuses on transforming AI into real business impact through conversational assistants, operations automation, and agency interfaces that connect different areas of the company, increasing operational efficiency, accelerating decision-making, and strengthening an AI-first culture geared towards growth and continuous innovation.

Rodolfo Margato holds a degree in Economics and a master's degree in Applied Economics from the University of São Paulo (USP). He worked as an economist in the economic studies and research area at Fiesp (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo) between 2012 and 2015, and as a macroeconomic research economist at Banco Santander between 2015 and 2020. He was also a visiting researcher at the University of Manitoba (Canada) in 2012. Currently, he serves as Vice President of Economic Research at XP Investimentos. He is part of the institution's sell-side economic team, responsible for developing projections, studies, reports, and client meetings. In early 2025, Rodolfo was elected a Partner at XP Inc.

Mr. Aucouturier is a seasoned industry consultant with 30 years of experience specializing in strategy development and sector studies for textile companies, international organizations, financial institutions, and NGOs. As a partner at Gherzi, he manages complex consulting assignments across more than forty countries, leading international, multi-disciplinary teams. His expertise spans market research, audits, due diligence, business development, and strategic planning, with a strong focus on Africa, South America, and CIS regions. Mr. Aucouturier is adept at identifying market opportunities, developing organizational strategies, and overseeing financial and operational management. He holds advanced business degrees from INSEEC Paris and ESC Rouen, complemented by training at UCLA. Renowned for his client relationship management and public speaking at international textile forums, he consistently drives business growth, implements organizational improvements, and delivers tailored strategic solutions in the global textile industry.

Marcelo Villin Prado is an economist and Managing Partner at IEMI – Market Intelligence, with over 35 years of experience in strategic planning, market research and intelligence, sectoral studies, and business consulting. He served as a consultant for the United Nations on the development of Brazil’s textile trade and has been a speaker in more than 8 countries and 20 Brazilian states. He is a nationally recognized authority in consumer research and an advisor to business associations.