Newly-crowned Wool Broker of the Year Sam Wan is passionate about her place in the industry and keen to promote the agriculture to the next generation.
The National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia award was presented at the Wool Week dinner in Melbourne last week.
"This award means a lot, it's a way of thanking the people who have made me what I am today," Ms Wan said.
"It's a way to give back, to acknowledge everything they have done for me and got me to this point."
She said to be a finalist last year and come back this year and win it was amazing.
Ms Wan said there were so many people that had helped her along the way.
"I have had a lot of 'informal' mentors who I go to different things," she said.
"I have been been fortunate all through high school and uni to have different people to look up to.
"It's through all walks, whether it's people that had me on-farm, through the show season or through professional development.
"Anyone I have encountered that has been able to give me advice are who I consider my mentors."
She said agriculture was practical and a place where she could test and challenge her skills to prove what she was doing.
Ms Wan said when she was at university, working for a company like Elders was "where you wanted to end up".
"Going to a farm for work experience, everyone talked about Elders as an icon of Australia," she said.
"Coming from a background where I wasn't in touch with agriculture until later and first generation, working for a company like Elders is pretty special.
"I wouldn't have been able to implement anything without their support."
Ms Wan said it was about working for growers and being part of a partnership with their businesses.
She said seeing the next generation coming through into the "traditional" wool industry showed there was room for people with different skills and backgrounds.
She was involved in the Picture You In Agriculture and Young Farming Champions programs talking about wool and careers in agriculture for the next generation coming through.
"If we can ensure the future coming in with passion, the problems of supply and what we can't control like trade wars, at least it will be in good hands to get the industry through the shifts that are bound to happen anyway," she said.
Looking to the future, Ms Wan said a lot of people had invested a lot of their time in her to show her how to do things and why they do things, "and I wouldn't want to waste that".
"I enjoy getting to work with farmers, be part of their partnership to maximise their returns," she said.
Ms Wan said while growers did a lot of work and made a lot of the decisions, it had to be right in the shed to ensure brokers could market the clip properly.
"We want to acknowledge the role of classers," she said.
"When you can walk across the show floor and see why a classer has pulled out a line, it makes it much easier to present that clip to the trade."
