Speakers

Since 1988, Russ has conducted wood products market analysis/intelligence and business assessment/investment analysis on timber, lumber and wood products for hundreds of global industry clients. He has travelled globally (~100,000 miles per year for most of the last 25 years) to obtain first-hand insights. His area of expertise involves analyzing the North American and international supply and demand trends to provide national and global forecasts on key items, including wood supply, demand, trade and price outlooks.

Don was hired in 2018 to start and lead a new wholesale supply business at Western FP as part of a multi-year growth strategy. In the same year, he assumed responsibility for the entire lumber sales department at seven sawmills and two reman businesses.

Don has extensive experience in import and export sales, including Japan and China, and also has worked in log custom cutting.

Don has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from UBC and also has studied at the Japanese Language Institute in Kobe Japan

Since 1988, Russ has conducted wood products market analysis/intelligence and business assessment/investment analysis on timber, lumber and wood products for hundreds of global industry clients. He has travelled globally (~100,000 miles per year for most of the last 25 years) to obtain first-hand insights. His area of expertise involves analyzing the North American and international supply and demand trends to provide national and global forecasts on key items, including wood supply, demand, trade and price outlooks.

Mike is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience trading North American and European timber products, with a particular emphasis on the Asian markets. He joined Lignum Forest Products in 2020 to enhance the firm’s global market presence. Before his tenure at
Lignum, Mike managed the Asia export business at Conifex Timber where he developed a deep understanding of international trade dynamics. Prior to entering the lumber industry, Mike was a derivatives trader at a major Canadian financial institution which equipped him with a strong
foundation in market analysis and risk management.

Peter graduated with a master’s degree from the University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna in 2012. He started the career in Hamburg as Procurement Head for an Indian company sourcing European lumber and logs. Since 2017, he has been leading  the Asian export department at Claus Rodenberg Waldkontor Group in Hamburg, one of the largest independent forest trading houses in Europe. Log exports from Europe are to China, Korea, India and Vietnam. 

Jerry Mi operates three companies: Western Coast Enterprise in BC, Canada; Northwest Forest Link in Washington, USA; and German Timber Company in Bavaria, Germany. Jerry’s group of companies move large volumes of softwood fiber in various forms, including timber, logs, wood chips, and biomass, across three continents—Europe, North America, and Asia—using containers and breakbulk vessels.

His in-depth involvement on the frontline of fiber exchange in the three most important global markets—Germany, the USA, and China—gives him a unique vantage point to witness changes in the global fiber supply and glimpse its foreseeable future.

Kevin Mason is the Managing Director of ERA Forest Products Research. ERA. His focus at ERA Forest Products Research has been to enhance and expand the company’s analysis of global industry dynamics and to provide investment coverage on various companies and forest-product commodities for the firm’s diverse client base.

Kevin holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of BC, has been a CFA charterholder since 2001.

Ryan joined CMPC in 2012 and has played a pivotal role in the company’s commitment to delivering solutions in timber sourced from sustainable and certified plantations. Under Ryan’s leadership, CMPC has achieved remarkable growth in export market volumes around the world. 

CMPC is a global company with a rich history spanning over a century, rooted in innovation and sustainability. CMPC’s extensive product range includes cellulose products, lumber, mouldings, panels, packaging papers and tissue products.

Since 1988, Russ has conducted wood products market analysis/intelligence and business assessment/investment analysis on timber, lumber and wood products for hundreds of global industry clients. He has travelled globally (~100,000 miles per year for most of the last 25 years) to obtain first-hand insights. His area of expertise involves analyzing the North American and international supply and demand trends to provide national and global forecasts on key items, including wood supply, demand, trade and price outlooks.

Donausäge Rumplmayr (RURU) is an Upper Austrian family business and specialist among sawmill industry leaders in its third generation. The company values have been within the family from as early as 1857 and the name RURU dates back to 1927. The high-quality sawn timber and pellet products have become established in regional, national and international markets thanks to their reliable quality.

Slava Bychkov is an industrial expert involved with forestry, pulp and paper and the wood products industry since 2000. He has hands-on experience in the international sawmilling projects with a particular focus on Russia.

His specific fields of interest are Russia forestry state policies and national standards for wood products targeting international markets.

After being a Lumber trader for more than three years at Olympic Industries, Canada’s leading international wholesale lumber company, John Cooney joined ERA Forest Products Research as an equity analyst in 2017. John holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from Mount Allison University and a Master of Management, Specialization in Finance and Investment Theory from the University of British Columbia.

Amanda Lang is a Partner and, as COO and VP of Client Services. She leads all of Forisk’s operations, including consulting project management and Forisk Subscriber Support activities as well as Forisk’s forest industry capital investment research program. Ms. Lang received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Forest Resources from the University of Georgia.

John Brink began his life-long forest industry career in Holland before immigrating to British Columbia in 1965. He has been focused on the remanufacturing sector in Western Canada and is truly a survivor and a visionary.

John has a passion for the forest industry and his vision for the future is inspiring. He believes that our future depends on further manufacturing of our rich forest resources as well as developing a new industrial strategy for BC. John is also an author and a podcaster with the “On The Brink” series.

After being a Lumber trader for more than three years at Olympic Industries, Canada’s leading international wholesale lumber company, John Cooney joined ERA Forest Products Research as an equity analyst in 2017. John holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from Mount Allison University and a Master of Management, Specialization in Finance and Investment Theory from the University of British Columbia.

Alejandra is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 15 years of experience working in the Forest and Forest Products industry. She manages a multi-million portfolio of clients in the Forest and Forest Products industry to complete external audits in a variety of regulatory environments such as Canada and the US. ​Through her career, Alejandra has been able to help clients meet their financial reporting requirements applicable in Canada and the US and has extensive experience advising and assessing compliance across various reporting frameworks.

After being a Lumber trader for more than three years at Olympic Industries, Canada’s leading international wholesale lumber company, John Cooney joined ERA Forest Products Research as an equity analyst in 2017. John holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from Mount Allison University and a Master of Management, Specialization in Finance and Investment Theory from the University of British Columbia.

Stefan is a seasoned Lumber Trader at Olympic Industries, specializing in Southern Yellow Pine and OSB. With 15 years of industry experience, including 6 years at Olympic, Stefan’s extensive background spans various areas within the building supplies industry, equipping him with a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics. Focused on servicing large-scale multi-family projects, he expertly navigates risk management and supply challenges. With dual degrees in Philosophy and Economics, Stefan brings a unique macro-level perspective to market operations and the psychological drivers of decision-making. His analytical approach and commitment to client success has made him a trusted partner in the industry.

John has over 20 years of experience in North American lumber markets. John’s career has spanned prominent companies in various sectors of the business including Canfor, Taiga, Boscus, and currently Interfor where is the GM, Sales & Marketing – Commodities. His experience has given him a unique perspective on industry opportunities and challenges. He maintains strong relationships with some of the largest lumber consuming companies in North America.

Dean has worked in the Forest Industry for over 30 years. His depth of expertise and experience touch the entire timber life cycle from logging through to value-added manufacturing. Dean spent his first 10 years in the industry working various positions in remanufacturing and sawmilling; before moving into sales and marketing. Dean’s keen interest in the industry lead to various management roles along the way, which ultimately lead him to his most current position. Deans’ knowledge of the Forest Industry includes a particular emphasis on his expertise in Western Red Cedar and value-added. 

Kevin Mason is the Managing Director of ERA Forest Products Research. ERA. His focus at ERA Forest Products Research has been to enhance and expand the company’s analysis of global industry dynamics and to provide investment coverage on various companies and forest-product commodities for the firm’s diverse client base.

Kevin holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of BC, has been a CFA charterholder since 2001.

Fraser Hart had over 15 years of pulp sales experience before co-founding TTOBMA  in March 2016. Previously, Fraser was at Resolute Forest Products. TTOBMA  publishes monthly pulp net-price indices for benchmark grades in major markets like China, Europe and North America. Fraser has a B.Com. from McGill and an MBA from the University of Dayton, Ohio.

Ashley is the Director of Long-Term Lumber Risk Management at Sitka USA and will assist in growing international lumber relationships. Previously he was involved with MaterialsXchange and also Koch Industries.

He is also behind “The Lumber Word Podcast” that features a weekly 30-minute assessment of North American lumber markets. Ashley will produce a live podcast episode at the GWS with his two partners.

Gregg has extensive experience in the lumber business and currently manages Sitka’s office in Chicago. Sitka Forest Products was established in Quebec in 2004 has expanded significantly and is now one of the largest providers of softwood products in Canada and USA.

Gregg specializes in risk management and hedging for commodity lumber and panel products and is also a featured presenter on “The Lumber Word” podcast.

Sarah Bingham is the VP of Development and Sustainability at Adera Development Corporation, one of the most active developers of mass timber homes in North America. In addition to facilitating multi-family projects from inception to completion throughout the Lower Mainland, Sarah spearheads the company’s environmental sustainability targets, both at the corporate and project levels, building on the success of nearly 20 years of innovative development projects. Sarah is a Registered Professional Planner and is Chair of the UDI – Lower Mainland’s U40 Executive Committee and a member of BC Mass Timber Advisory Council.

Patrick is an accomplished senior business executive who earned an undergrad in Mechanical Engineering at Western University and an Executive MBA from the Krannert School of Business at Purdue University. Over the last 30 years he refined expertise across all facets of a complex engineering & manufacturing business. This has been achieved throughout three career seasons as an executive in aerospace manufacturing, as an owner in robotic automation for the food industry, and most recently as a start-up executive in mass timber building design and fabrication. 

Mike Wisnefski has over 25 years of extensive experience and he has consistently driven innovation within the lumber market. This includes integrating computer technology inside the lumber trading pits at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in 2009 and founding MaterialsXchange in 2019, a transformative digital marketplace for lumber transactions.

Mike will discuss why the role of lumber futures is misunderstood by the industry in Session 7

After beginning her career in the woods working for Western Forest Products on BC’s Vancouver Island, Claire Huxtable moved into private equity markets, working in the U.S. as a portfolio analyst and account manager for Hancock Timber Resource Group, one of the world’s largest timberland investment management organizations. At ERA, Claire focuses on timber and pulp market supply, demand and price dynamics and modeling of financial results.

Doug Mills brings more than 40 years of experience to his work at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, in marine, road, rail and air modes of transportation.  Doug joined the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in 2000, serving in the Statistics, Shore Operations, Supply Chain and Trade Development departments of the Port, where he currently holds the position of Senior Account Representative for Bulk, Breakbulk and Export Container cargo sectors. Cargo commodities in Doug’s portfolio include coal, potash, grain, sulphur, forest products, steel, project cargos, and liquid bulk products.