Speakers & MODERATORS
More speakers and moderators to be announced shortly.
DAY 1
1A. Global Log & Lumber Perspectives: Japan
What are the global log and lumber trends and what are the wildcards? Will Japanese imports continue to slow or is there any short-term upside? Our speakers will offer their views on these topics and more and offer their outlooks.
Russ Taylor
President, Russ Taylor Global, BC, Canada
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 McGregor
VP Sales, Western FP, BC, Canada
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
DAY 1
1B. China Panel Discussion
Panelists will discuss their views of the China market, including the housing and property market slump and when it could bottom out. Their outlook for log and lumber demand and prices in China will be of most interest to delegates.
Russ Taylor
President, Russ Taylor Global, BC, Canada
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 Chien
Director International Sales & Marketing, Lignum Forest Products LLP, BC Canada
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.
Steve Downie
Director, Sales and Marketing, Export and Specialty Products, Interfor, Canada
Steve has been with Interfor for almost six years and has been involved in Asian lumber
export sales including China. For the past two years, he managed the Asian sales of
commodity and specialty products. Prior to Interfor, Steve worked as the Export Sales
Representative at Western Forest Products. Steve has lived in China and speaks
Mandarin.
Peter Buchleitner
Team Leader Export Asia, Claus Rodenberg Waldkontor, Germany
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
President & CEO, Western Coast Enterprise Ltd, BC Canada
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.
2. Southern Hemisphere – Logs & Lumber
The Southern log trade is in a period of flux with the dramatic decline of the Chinese real estate market. Yet Chinese demand for fibre remains elevated, with domestic manufacturing continuing to expand at break-neck speed. In South America, opportunities for domestic supply and export to North America are growing, but is the potential for incremental low-cost fibre supply tapped out? Our speakers will provide useful insight on these markets.
Kevin Mason
Managing Director, ERA Forest Products Research, BC, Canada
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 Wolters
VP of Sales, CMPC Maderas, Chile
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.
Mary Ellen Aronow
Director, Forest Economics at Manulife Investment Management, MA, USA
Mary Ellen conducts economic research to support the firm’s business and forestry investment decisions, including market analysis supporting investment and operational planning and decision-making for the firm’s timberland strategies. Mary Ellen leads the global timberland economic, financial, and statistical analytical efforts, including commodity price forecasting, portfolio analysis, and authoring thought leadership publications.
3. Europe/Russia – Logs & Lumber
Russian lumber exports to China have remained relatively robust even as log shipments have been scaled back under export restrictions. European lumber exports to the USA had spiked, but more recently lower US prices have slowed shipments. Our three speakers will provide their perspectives on what lies ahead for Euro and Russian trade in 2025.
Russ Taylor
President, Russ Taylor Global, BC - Canada
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.
Severin Rumplmayr
Managing Director, Donausäge Rumplmayr, Austria
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
Independent Industrial Expert, Russia
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.
Erik Eliasson
Sales Director, Norra Timber, Umea, Sweden
Erik has been the Sales Director at Norra Timber since 2010. Norra Timber is a cooperative company in the northern half of Sweden with approximately 2.2 million hectares of forest land. The company has three sawmills (900,000 m3 of capacity), two planing mills and one pole factory. Norra Timber is a 30% owner in the Husum pulp mill (750,000 tons per year).
Erik will discuss his perspectives and outlook for Scandinavian timber and lumber.
4. North American Timber Supply & British Columbia Outlook
Downward pressure on demand has recently driven fibre prices lower across the board, but some regions are continuing to see steady incremental investment. The panel will discuss demand trends for timber in North America and BC, including the need to find homes for residuals, as well as which regions offer opportunity and where risks are greatest.
John Cooney
Equity Analyst, ERA Forest Products Research, BC, Canada
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
COO & VP of Client Services, Forisk Consulting, LLC, GA, USA
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.
Rob Schuetz
President, Industrial Forestry Service, BC, Canada
Rob has spent over 35 years consulting in the natural resource industries and specializes in the analysis of fibre supplies and delivered log costs throughout Canada. Rob also oversees a private forest nursery producing 20 million conifer seedlings per year.
Rob graduated with a B.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Toronto in 1987 and has been with IFS since 1989. Rob will discuss the many issues and outlook for the BC forest industry.
JOHN BRINK
President, Brink Forest Products Ltd., BC, Canada
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.
DAY 2
5A. Top 100 Forest Products Companies
Session description coming soon.
John Cooney
Equity Analyst, ERA Forest Products Research, BC, Canada
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 Glazebrook
Director PWC Canada, BC, Canada
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.
5B. Lumber Panel Session
After starting the year with expectations for as many as five Fed rate cuts and a recovery in housing, we end the year in a less certain reality. While OSB has outperformed expectations in the first half, a series of headwinds from new housing construction and Repair & Remodel demand has upset expectations for many producers. Will 2025 bring clear sailing? What are the lurking dangers to navigate?
John Cooney
Equity Analyst, ERA Forest Products Research, BC, Canada
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 LYREN
Lumber Trader, Olympic Industries, BC, Canada
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.
KEN SHIELDS
CEO, Conifex Timber Inc., Vancouver, BC
Ken is the Chair and CEO of Conifex Timber and the former CEO of Raymond James Ltd. Ken has also worked previously as a former director for Slocan Forest Products Ltd., Timber West Forest Corp. and Raymond James Financial Inc., and is currently a director of the Forest Products Association of Canada and the BC Council of Forest Industries. Conifex operates a sawmill and bioenergy plant in Mackenzie, BC.
John Bal
GM, Sales & Marketing, Interfor, BC Canada
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 Garofano
Partner, President & COO, Delta Forestry Group, BC Canada
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.
Zoltan van Heyningen
Executive Director, U.S. Lumber Coalition, Washington, DC, USA
Mr. van Heyningen joined the U.S. Lumber Coalition in July 2005 and has been the Executive Director of the Coalition since April 2006. Mr. van Heyningen led the Coalition during the difficult negotiations that established the U.S. – Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement, and more recently, through every phase of the current ongoing trade cases against Canadian lumber imports. Prior to joining the Coalition, Mr. van Heyningen worked on trade policy initiatives for over a decade during his time at Dewey Ballantine LLP.
6. Pulp, Paper, Wood Chips
While downstream fibre use can seem secondary to lumber and log markets, over the past couple of years we have increasingly seen the impact of pulp/paper/packaging closures and stranded chip supply on sawmill operations. As paper demand remains in structural decline, where will pulpwood and chips find sustained demand? Where are the strongest end markets? Our speakers will share insights gained from their broad international experience.
Kevin Mason
Managing Director, ERA Forest Products Research, BC, Canada
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
Managing Partner, TTOBMA, SC, USA
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.
Bob Flynn
Consultant, Timber & Wood, WA, USA
Bob Flynn has spent more than 45 years in the forest products industry, including 10 years as a forester and 35+ years consulting on international trade of woodchips, logs and other forest products, timber supply and demand issues and global timberland investment.
Bob retired as Director, International Timber, for Fastmarkets RISI in October 2019, and continues to work on selected projects for various international clients, primarily having to do with the international woodchip markets.
Lunch Speakers
The weekly Lumber Word Podcast has been running since COVID and will soon reach 100 episodes! It is a current discussion of where lumber markets are headed and what surprises might be on the horizon. The track record of the three panelists’ outlooks is quite remarkable! The Lumber Word presentation will be made and recorded over lunch and will be posted on-line shortly thereafter.
Ashley Boeckholt
Director, Sitka FP, IL, USA
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 Riley
Managing Director, Sitka FP, IL USA
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.
Charles Delatorre
President/CEO, Industrial Forest Products & Commodity Transportation, SC, USA
IFP is a leading forest products trading company and is very active in wholesale trade offering multiple species and products. Its remanufacturing facilities specialize in value-added products for the multi-family and industrial sectors while Commodity Transportation brings it all full circle by completely managing the supply chain in-house for their clients. Charles is a regular guest speaker on “The Lumber Word” podcast and will be participating in a
live episode at the GWS.
7. Mass Timber/EWP/Lumber Futures
Lumber Futures can be a complicated topic. However, futures contracts will be explained in a way that should make it much easier for any lumber seller or buyer to hedge the price of their lumber! Mass Timber along with engineered wood products will be discussed from two regional perspectives – Europe and Canada — by two leading companies. The session will be moderated by Sarah Bingham of Mass Timber builder Adera.
Sarah Bingham
VP, Development & Sustainability, Adera, BC, Canada
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 Poulin
President & CEO, Element5, ON, Canada
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
President, Lumber Division, HighGround Trading LLC, IL, USA
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
Raffaele Parlato
VP Sales, Hasslacher Norica Timber, Austria
Raffaele is the VP Sales at Hasslacher Norica Timber since 2021. Starting in 2013, he was in
charge of global sales at SCA Wood in Sweden and then business development.
HASSLACHER is a vertically integrated corporation in the wood sector operating 14 plants in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Spain and Canada. Main products are lumber, Glulam, CLT, FJ structural lumber, pellets and packaging solutions. Raffaele will discuss EWP and Mass Timber in Europe.
8. Transportation & Logistics
Getting your order to your customer is the final step in the chain. Transportation from the mill to the port and beyond has seen significant challenges recently, from labour to capacity shortages and extremely volatile prices. We will hear from rail and port managers on where they are focusing efforts now and shared opportunities for gains.
Claire Huxtable
Senior Analyst, ERA Forest Products Research, BC, Canada
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
Senior Account Rep., Port of Vancouver, BC, Canada
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.
REMI G. LALONDE
Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer, CN, QC, Canada
Remi Lalonde was appointed to an executive role in CN earlier this year. Remi is the former President and CEO of Resolute Forest Products and has a deep understanding of wood products markets and customers. Remi will be part of Session 8 on Transportation & Logistics topics and will discuss trends, issues and developments in the North America rail segment for wood products.
GLOBAL WORLD SUMMIT Starts in:
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