The Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) recently appointed Andrew Leighton as their new CEO. His role will commence officially on 1 Feb 2022.
According to Craig Taylor, chair of the FWPA Board, Leighton has years of experience in management and leadership roles. His senior executive roles include seven years as the managing director of Norske Skog Australasia, time as the vice chair of the Australian Forest Products Association, and other positions that relate to the many areas in which FWPA is active.
“We were impressed by the calibre of people shortlisted for the job,” said Taylor. “And on behalf of the board members I would like to thank them all for their time and energy in applying. The successful candidate, Andrew Leighton, brings a wealth of technical, management and leadership experience relevant to the FWPA position of CEO.
“Andrew is the ideal person to continue the great work of FWPA, finalise and implement our new strategic plan, and lead the company into new areas of service to the Australian forest and wood products industry.”
Leighton also commented: “I see huge potential for increasing the applications for, and use of, forest and wood products as the world adapts to a carbon-constrained economy. I have a longstanding passion for the forest products industry and a strong belief in its ability to play an important part in supporting environmental sustainability and driving the bioeconomy. I very much appreciate the importance of R&D investment and innovation and have a strong track record of championing this throughout my career.
“As an observer I have been impressed with the range and quality of FWPA’s achievements throughout the supply chain and I look forward to building on that solid foundation. One of my first objectives will be to meet with FWPA members, and I encourage them to contact me at FWPA.”
