Our Board
Mr Craig Taylor
Mr Taylor has over 30 years’ management and consulting experience in primary industries, sustainable resource management, supply chain management, manufacturing, sales and marketing, mostly in the plantation forestry sector. He is a Director and Principal of The Fifth Estate Consultancy which works across the spectrum of the resources and primary production sectors. Mr Taylor provides advice to Australia’s and New Zealand’s largest forest and wood products companies covering strategy, business development and investment.
After completing his BSc (Forestry) at the ANU, Mr Taylor worked as a professional Forester with the NSW Forestry Commission before taking on management roles with Boral Timber and Wesfi. Immediately before joining The Fifth Estate, he was a Vice President with Jaakko Pöyry Asia-Pacific.
He is a Non-Executive Director of PF Olsen Limited (New Zealand), the largest independent forest manager in Australia and New Zealand, and Chairman of Beyond Subsistence Pty Limited, a NFP which undertakes forestry and agroforestry training and development with subsistence farmers in Africa. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Forestry Australia.
Board additional responsibilities:
Member of Nominations and HR Committee and Director Selection Committee, and Chair of Growers Research Advisory Committee.
Ms Katie Fowden
Ms Fowden is the Strategic Relations Manager for Hyne Timber and XLam, where a significant part of her role is the promotion of the companies brand, products and the industry more broadly.
Ms Fowden’s background is in advocacy, government liaison, policy and corporate communications. Her skills and experience align closely with the aims and objectives of FWPA. She is also currently a non-executive director of Responsible Wood.
Board additional responsibilities:
Member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Prof Tony Arnel
Tony is Industry Professor for the Built Environment at Deakin University and works in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment. Most recently he was the Global Director of Sustainability at Norman, Disney and Young. He is an expert in the built environment and has been a policy formulator and sustainability advocate for more than three decades working in government, capital city government and the private sector.
Tony is a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects. He is also a Life Fellow of the Green Building Council of Australia, a founding director and was chair between 2007-2012. During this time, he was also chair of the World Green Building Council (2008 – 2011). His current board involvement includes ARBS Exhibitions Ltd (Chairman) and the Deakin University School of Engineering (Chair). He is the immediate past President of the Energy Efficiency Council and a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Board additional responsibilities:
Member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee
Mr Stephen Dadd
Mr Dadd is an Executive Director of the Pentarch Group. Prior to joining Pentarch he ran Boral’s National Building Products Division where he worked for over 18 years in a range of executive roles including as Executive General Manager of Boral’s timber business. Before Boral, Mr Dadd was a strategy consultant with the Boston Consulting Group for 9 years and has also worked in the sugar industry as production Engineer with CSR.
Mr Dadd serves on the Board of various Pentarch group companies including the Highland Pine Products joint venture. He is the Chair of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and a non-Executive Director of Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) and is the chair of AFPA NSW and the Central West NSW Forestry Hub. Mr Dadd is also a Councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales.
He has a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of New South Wales and an MBA from the London Business School and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Board additional responsibilities:
Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Mr Nicholas Roberts
Mr Roberts has significant forestry and timber industry experience in Australia and overseas. He has been the Chief Executive Officer of Forestry Corporation, NSW’s largest commercial forest manager, for more than ten years and was previously Managing Director of Weyerhaeuser Australia, a position he held for five years. He has been actively involved in industry associations, chairing A3P and serving as a Director for Forest and Wood Products Australia.
Board additional responsibilities:
Member of the Nomination and HR Committee.
Ms Yvonne Pengilly
Ms Pengilly holds a Bachelor of Technology (Engineering) and has worked within the construction industry for the past 35+ years including roles as board member, assistant commissioner, managing director, regional manager, project manager, design manager and contracts administrator across project areas of trade contracting, client side project management, principal contractor, developer and government. These roles have encompassed a diverse range of projects including housing, hospitals, integrated hotel casino, airport, shopping centre, 5 star resort, multistorey residential projects and modular construction in both regional and metropolitan areas.
During her career, Yvonne has worked with in all facets of the industry from family operated businesses to Tier 1 builders, and significant developers delivering high end resort developments and apartments. Yvonne is a registered open builder in Queensland and has held board positions with two state regulatory authorities in Queensland, along with being Chair of the Building Regulators Forum supporting the Building Ministers forum to respond to the Building Confidence Report recommendations.
Yvonne was awarded Master Builders Qld (MBQ) State Woman In Construction 2013 and used this platform to found Women In Construction FNQ, which successfully promotes engagement with engineers, architects and builders in Far North Queensland through educational events.
Board additional responsibilities:
Member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Our Team
Andrew Leighton
Andrew Leighton brings a wealth of technical, management and leadership experience relevant to the role of CEO at FWPA.
His senior executive roles have included seven years as Managing Director of Norske Skog Australasia and time as Vice-Chair of the Australian Forest Products Association.
Andrew is excited to lead FWPA, and sees huge potential for increasing the applications for, and use of, forest and wood products as the world adapts to a carbon-constrained economy.
Chris Lafferty
Chris joined FWPA in March 2002. As Research and Development Manager, Dr. Lafferty is responsible for implementing FWPA’s policy of supporting R&D projects across the entire forest and wood products value chain.
Professionally qualified as a chemist, Chris was awarded a Master’s degree in Applied Chemistry from RMIT and a PhD in chemistry from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland.
Before joining FWPA he was a senior research scientist with the CRC for Clean Power from Lignite. Prior to that, Chris was a senior research scientist at the Center for Applied Energy Research at the University of Kentucky.
Jodie Mason
Jodie manages RD&E projects and programs of interest to forest growers.
Jodie holds a Bachelor of Forest Science and a Master of Business Administration. She has over twenty years’ experience in forest management, with focus on operations, certification, forest carbon and environmental auditing. She has worked in both native forest and plantation management and provided consulting services to the sectors for fifteen years, across Australia and internationally.
John Campigli
John Campigli
John joined FWPA in July 2023. He is responsible for the business and financial functions of the Corporation.
John is a CPA with more than 20 years experience in CFO roles in the private and not-for-profit sector, including the Sports industry, professional associations and service industry. Recent roles have included a Research Foundation and Government co-funding models in alignment with FWPA’s structure.
Janette Newport
Jan joined FWPA in 2022 to assist with the management of the forestry RD&E program.
She has an extensive career in forestry working in both the public and private sector, and as an independent forester specialising in policy and the provision of advice to state government departments and forest organisations. Jan holds a Bachelor of Forest Science, Graduate Diploma of Business Management, and Graduate Diploma of Education (Applied Learning).
Jarrod Gooden
Jarrod Gooden
Jarrod joined FWPA in March 2012. As R&D Projects Officer, Jarrod assists the R&D Manager and the Forest Research Manager with the management of FWPA’s portfolio and R&D activities.
Jarrod completed a Bachelor in Biological Sciences at La Trobe University, majoring in zoology, and microbiology with a minor in botany.
Before joining FWPA, he worked at the Department of Primary Industries for five years in various roles including Project Officer in PIRVic Plant Genetics & Genomics and also at Fisheries Victoria’s Fisheries Co-management Council.
Boris Iskra
Boris is responsible for managing FWPA’s activities in building codes and material standards.
Boris has had more than 24 years of direct involvement in the Australian forest and wood products sector and holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Structural) degree and a Graduate Diploma in Building Fire Safety and Risk Engineering.
He has represented the timber industry on a number of Standards Australia’s Technical Committees including TM-002 Timber Framing and TM-006 Timber Preservation and Durability. He is actively involved in the drafting of technical guides, informing designers, specifiers and regulators in relation to timber engineering and bushfire compliant solutions, and is a member of Standards Australia’s Timber Standards Coordination Group.
Beth Welden
Beth manages the ForestLearning Education program, aiming to serve educators, children, and the public with information on Australian forests and forest-based products, and provision and access to forestry teaching resources. The program is further supported by links to key government, industry organisations and educational service providers.
Before joining FWPA, Beth spent the previous 13 years involved in the formation and management of peak school to industry partnership programs with AgForce Queensland and the Gateway Schools to Agribusiness South region. Beth has held roles in communications, teaching, science research, science curriculum extension, curriculum development, and strategy within schools, peak agricultural industry associations, the Plant Biosecurity CRC and various government agencies including CSIRO, DAFQ and DNR&M.
Beth served as a non-Executive Director for the first Primary Industries Education Foundation Board and was a participant in Australia 2020 and the DAFF Rural Leaders Course. She holds a Grad Dip Ed (Science), 1st class Hons Science (Entomology), Bachelor of Applied Science, CERT IV Training and Assessment and Cert IV TESOL.
Kevin Peachey
Kevin has an extensive background in the forestry industry. He studied forestry at Australia National University and has worked in policy advocacy for increased R&D funding for the forest industry and also as chamber manager for pulp, paper, and bioproducts sector members. He was also an executive officer for Timber Towns Victoria and the National Timber Councils Association.
Erick Hansnata
Erick is an experienced economist with more than 10 years working in academia, government, and the private sector. His expertise includes economic modelling and environmental economics.
Before joining FWPA, he was a Research Fellow at the National Centre for Social Economic Modelling and a Senior Economist at KPMG. Erick holds a Master’s degree in International and Development Economics from ANU and a PhD in Economics from the University of Canberra. Erick is also an active member of the Economic Society of Australia (ESA) as well as the American Economic Association (AEA).
Peter Ye
Peter Ye
Peter joined FWPA in March 2023. He is responsible for the assistance in the business and financial functions of the organization.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with double major in accounting and finance from Melbourne University. He is also CPA qualified and has more than 4 years of experience in the private and public sector. Before joing FWPA, he worked as an Assistant Accountant at Nexif Energy.
Sarah Downey
Sarah is a talented marketing and communications manager with over nine years of proven experience developing integrated marketing and communication strategies in the education and construction industries.
As an integral part of FWPA’s marketing and communications team, she manages the development and creation of key marketing and communication initiatives while making a difference by focusing on sustainability and the built environment.
Driven by team success, Sarah actively contributes to a positive work culture by developing positive relationships with all stakeholders.
Rhiana Archie
Rhiana obtained an Associate in Arts degree from Valencia College in 2014. She then went on to study Marketing & Management at the University of Central Florida before moving to Melbourne in 2017. Rhiana worked in hospitality management for more than 10 years. She is also a freelance writer.
At FWPA Rhiana is part of the Marketing & Communications team. She coordinates events, digital content, social media management, EDM, digital analytics, copywriting, editing and print advertising.
Emmy Petersson
Emmy is a seasoned marketing professional and brings experience across comms, project management and coaching from a range of organisations both in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
Born and raised on a small farm in the forests of southern Sweden, she’s passionate about the important role wood products can play in the built environment and a sustainable community. At FWPA you can find her bringing a wide range of marketing communications, campaigns and strategic initiatives to life.
Campbell Mayne
Campbell is responsible for developing and implementing marketing campaigns with the Marketing and Communications team in collaboration with each of the FWPA program managers.
A marketing generalist, he has experience in designing and executing digital marketing strategies from start to finish in the education sector. Campbell holds a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Marketing and Finance from RMIT University. Campbell is excited to bring his skills and experience to FWPA and to help position and promote wood products as the most renewable material available.