NEW ZEALAND FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE LIMITED - Key Persons
An advocate for Scion technology within the private investment sector, Amanda leads the Innovation Team and manages commercialisation investment at Scion. She has a strong desire to see science reach… Read more
Brendon Green (Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāpuhi) (Director) is the founder of Kaitiaki Advisory Limited and holds board positions with Watercare, Tainui Kawhia Incorporation, Workforce Development Council Waihanga Ara Rau (Construction and Infrastructure) and Hiringa Energy Limited. He has served as chair for Tainui Kawhia Incorporation and Tirohia Landfill Generation Joint Venture. Brendon is co-chair of the Waikato Regional Skills Leadership Group, is a member of Taumata Aronui that advises the government around education for Māori, holds the position of Maangai Māori on Waikato District Council's Infrastructure Committee and is a tribal member of Waikato Tainui's Te Whakakitenga o Waikato. He has held technical and commercial roles with the NZ Dairy Board, Contact Energy, General Electric (Mexico and the US) and Mercury in developing its renewable energy portfolio under Mighty River Power. Brendon holds a degree in Chemical and Process Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma in Dairy Science and Technology.
Brendon Green (Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāpuhi) (Director) is the founder of Kaitiaki Advisory Limited and holds board positions with Watercare, Tainui Kawhia Incorporation, Workforce Development Council Waihanga Ara Rau (Construction and… Read more
Job Titles:
- General Manager People, Culture & Safety
Experienced HR and Safety professional with demonstrated history of working in heavy manufacturing, engineering and chemical industries.Cameron's portfolio spans all aspects of people, culture and health and wellbeing.Graduated from the… Read more
Job Titles:
- Senior Scientist Award ( 2011 )
Dr Andrew Cridge is a molecular entomologist with experience in biosecurity, biocontrol, insect genomics and genome evolution. His research focuses on developing integrated and sustainable solutions to detect and manage invasive insects of New Zealand's native and productive ecosystems.
Qualifications
PhD (Biochemistry) University of Otago, New Zealand - 2005
BSc (Honours) (Biochemistry) Lincoln University, New Zealand - 1994
Cridge B. J. and Cridge, A.G. (2015) Evaluating how universities engage school students with science: a model based on the analysis of the literature Australian Universities' Review 57(1):34-44
Dr Darryl Herron is a Forest Pathologist and Diagnostician. His focus will be on helping lead Scion's Diagnostic Service and driving an emerging threats research programme linked to work being done in diagnostics.
Qualifications
PhD (Microbiology), University of Pretoria, South Africa - in completion
MSc (Microbiology), University of Pretoria, South Africa - 2014
BSc (Hons) (Microbiology), University of Pretoria, South Africa - 2008
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- General Manager for Scion 's Bioproducts
- General Manager Forests to Biobased Products
- Honorary Professor
Dr Florian Graichen is General Manager for Scion's Bioproducts and Biomanufacturing Areas - which include the Portfolios covering High Value Biorefineries, Distributed and Circular Manufacturing, Bioproducts and Packaging and Integrated Bioenergy. These activities are directed at solving new product and process challenges and opportunities that arise through transition to a Circular Bioeconomy - a new economy focused on sustainable design and renewable resources. This transition is unlocking a generational and transformational opportunity for the country - mitigating climate change and creating prosperity from this transformation. Around the world, bio-based industries are leading the green transition away from fossil-based resources that have been the backbone of our economies for centuries.
In 2022 Florian was appointed as an Honorary Professor by the University of Waikato in the School of Engineering. He is board member of Packaging New Zealand and the Bioresource Processing Alliance. Florian also represents New Zealand on the Australian New Zealand and Pacific Islands Plastics Pact (ANZPAC) Collective Action Group and is a member of several advisory groups to New Zealand ministers and ministries.
Qualifications
PhD in Chemistry (Dr. rer. nat), University of Regensburg, Germany
Diploma in Chemistry (Dipl. Chem. univ), University of Regensburg, Germany
Dr Florian Graichen is General Manager for Scion's Bioproducts and Biomanufacturing Areas - which include the Portfolios covering High Value Biorefineries, Distributed and Circular Manufacturing, Bioproducts and Packaging and Integrated… Read more
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Board
Dr Helen Anderson (Chair) is an experienced director and is currently chair of Studio Pacific Architecture. She sits on a number of advisory committees for government including MFAT. Dr Anderson… Read more
Dr Helen Anderson (Chair) is an experienced director and is currently chair of Studio Pacific Architecture. She sits on a number of advisory committees for government including MFAT. Dr Anderson is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors and has served on the Institute of Directors National Council. She has recently held directorships of ClearPoint, BRANZ, Massey University, NIWA and DairyNZ and currently serves on the boards of Antarctica NZ and The Nature Conservancy NZ. She has a PhD in seismology from the University of Cambridge.
Job Titles:
- Board Director
- Director
- Chief Executive Officer of Oji Fibre Solutions
is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Oji Fibre Solutions (OjiFS) - Pulp, Paper and Packaging and is directly responsible for all activities of these businesses: health safety and environment, EBIT, manufacturing, engineering, sales and marketing and strategic development. Jon has gained over 30 years' experience in the forestry, pulp and paper business. Jon's interest in the industry started from his biochemistry degree from Manchester University and then a PhD from UMIST in Pulp and Paper Manufacturing. His career has spanned international boundaries starting in the United Kingdom in technical and production management of fine coated papers mills, in New Zealand with packaging paper manufacturing at Kinleith and then pulp mill management experience at Tasman. He also managed the Pulp and Paper Mills in Australia as well as sales and marketing functions for Australian Papers. Jon returned to New Zealand in 2012 to take up the challenge as CEO of the business formerly known as Carter Holt Harvey Pulp, Paper and Packaging. The name changed to Oji Fibre Solutions (OjiFS) in November 2015 following the sale of the business on 1 December 2014 to a joint venture between Oji Holdings and Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ).
Dr Jon Ryder (Director) is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Oji Fibre Solutions (OjiFS) - Pulp, Paper and Packaging and is directly responsible for all activities of these businesses:… Read more
Scion head office is located in Rotorua, with a staff of around 300. A second office is located in Christchurch with around 30 staff, interns and students. A small team of specialised staff are also located in Wellington.
Julian became Chief Executive in March 2017. He joined Scion as a deeply experienced chief executive, having led large-scale civil infrastructure projects in waste treatment, renewables, telecommunications, energy… Read more
Job Titles:
- Scientist, Physics and Materials
Dr Katharine Challis is a physicist specialising in using advanced theoretical and computational methods to explain and predict the behaviour and dynamics of physical systems. She is currently interested in energy processes that occur at the nanoscale and has a Marsden Fast-Start grant to work on the physics of how cells use energy.
Qualifications
2006 PhD Theoretical Physics, University of Otago, Dunedin
2002 BSc (First Class Honours) Physics, University of Otago, Dunedin
Job Titles:
- Research and Ideation Office Manager
Dr Kirsty McGregor manages Scion's Research Investments Office, providing pre- and post-award research funding and grant writing support to scientists. The team provides a point of contact for external funders and Research Offices.
Kirsty joined Scion in 2019, having previously held administration and research support roles at the University of Oxford UK and the University of Waikato. Kirsty's research background is in plant ecology and invasive species risk assessment.
Qualifications
PhD Ecology (Lincoln University, New Zealand)
MSc Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (Imperial College, London, UK)
BSc (Hons) Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology (University of Plymouth, UK)
Alba, C., Skálová, H., McGregor, K.F., D'Antonio, C., Pyšek, P. (2015) Native and exotic plant species respond differently to wildfire and prescribed fire as revealed by meta-analysis Journal of Vegetation Science 26: 102-113.
Dr Kirsty McGregor manages Scion's Research Investments Office, providing pre- and post-award research funding and grant writing support to scientists. The team provides a point of contact for external funders… Read more
Dr Lloyd Donaldson is a leading microscopist specialising in plant anatomy and ultrastructure, and has pioneered techniques in confocal fluorescence imaging of wood and biomaterials.
Qualifications
DSc (Wood Science) University of Canterbury, NZ -2002
MSc (Hons) (Botany) University of Canterbury, NZ -1986
BSc (Botany) University of Auckland, NZ -1980
Job Titles:
- Project Lead for Scion 's Bio
- Team Lead, Plant Systematics and Collections
Dr Matt Buys is the Project Lead for Scion's BioCollections and the team lead for Plant Systematics and Collections at Scion. He is also the curator of Scion's National Forestry Herbarium. This role involves the management of New Zealand's largest reference collection associated with forestry.
Qualifications
PhD (Plant Systematics), Stellenbosch University, South Africa -1997
MSc (Plant Ecology), Stellenbosch University, South Africa -1991
BSc (Hons) (Botany), Stellenbosch University, South Africa -1988
Job Titles:
- Portfolio Leader for Integrated Bioenergy
Dr Paul Bennett is the Portfolio Leader for Integrated Bioenergy. Paul has spent over 30 years working on a range of fuels, biofuels and bioenergy issues. He has worked as an independent consultant, for quasi-government organisations and large corporates developing new technologies and business opportunities in biofuels. Paul and his team at Scion are investigating new economic opportunities in such things as industrial biorefining, bioenergies and bio-based substitutes for petroleum and other declining resources.
Qualifications
PhD (Chemistry), Birmingham University, United Kingdom -1989
BSc (Hons) (Chemistry), Birmingham University, United Kingdom -1985
Job Titles:
- Principal Researcher, Microbial Ecology - Soil Systems
Dr Peter Clinton is a forest ecologist who specialises in maintaining the productive capacity of commercial forests. He is one of New Zealand's leading experts in sustainable forest management. His expertise expands to production ecology, tree nutrition, biogeochemistry, soil organic matter and stable isotope methods. He has been an Adjunct Professor at the School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, since 2016. He has an extensive publications record (>100 international peer-reviewed papers) in the ecology and management of natural and planted forests. He has an extensive international networks with leaders in forestry research in the USA, China, France, Australia, the UK and Chile, and have hosted numerous researchers on sabbaticals as well as on exchange visits. He has helped to organise several international conferences and events, including chairing sessions at the World Forestry Congress in Argentina in 2009 and the IUFRO Congress in the USA in 2014. Recently, he was invited to give the closing keynote address at the prestigious North American Forest Soils Conference in Quebec, June 2018, which is held every 5 years. He is also an associate editor for the New Zealand Journal of Forest Science and frequently review manuscripts for several leading forestry and soil science journals.
Qualifications
PhD (Forestry), University of Canterbury, New Zealand -1991
MSc (1st Class Hons) (Botany), University of Canterbury, New Zealand -1987
BSc (Botany), University of Canterbury, New Zealand -1983
Smaill, S.J.; Clinton, P.W. 2016. An overview of the issues affecting fertiliser use in New Zealand's radiata pine forests. New Zealand Journal of Forestry 61, 11-16.
Moore, J.; Clinton, P.W. 2015. Enhancing the productivity of radiata pine forestry with environmental limits. New Zealand Journal of Forestry 60, 35-41.
Smaill, S.; Clinton, P.W.; Allen, R.B.; Davis, M.R. 2014. New evidence indicates the coarse soil fraction is of greater relevance to plant nutrition than previously suggested. Plant and Soil 374, 371−379.
Hamonts, K.; Clough, T.J.; Stewart, A.; Clinton, P.W.; Richardson, A.E.; Wakelin, S.A.; O'Callaghan, M.; Condron, L.M. 2013. Effect of nitrogen and waterlogging on denitrifier gene abundance, community structure and activity in the rhizosphere of wheat. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 83, 568−584.
Zhou, X.; Chen, C.; Wang, Y.; Smaill, S.; Clinton, P.W. 2013. Warming rather than increased precipitation increases soil recalcitrant organic carbon in a semiarid grassland after 6 years of treatments. PLoS ONE (8) 2 art no. e53761.
Huang, Z.; Condron, L.M.; Davis, M.R.; Clinton, P.W. 2011. Soil carbon pools, plant biomarkers and mean residence time after afforestation of grassland with three tree species. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 43, 1341−1349.
Job Titles:
- Scientist
- General Manager Forests and Landscapes
Dr Tara Strand is a scientist who specialises in modelling the dispersion of particles in the atmosphere. Her skills are valuable in a number of research programmes including fire behaviour… Read more
Dr Thomas Carlin is an invasion ecologist with broad interests across Zoology, Quantitative Ecology, and Biosecurity. Tom received his PhD in Ecology from the Bio-Protection Research Centre, Christchurch, where he studied how species' niche shifts occur across the world. At Scion, Tom is working on a range of projects including helping to prevent invasions of wilding conifer species, models of pathogen spread, and improving urban ecological systems.
Qualifications
PhD (Ecology), Lincoln University, New Zealand - 2021
BSc (Hons) (Zoology), University of Exeter, United Kingdom - 2015
has over 25 years of management experience in organisations that conduct research and develop and market valuable new products, services and technologies globally. Currently, he is the General Manager of ArborGen Australasia, a leading supplier of conventional and advanced genetic tree seedlings to the forestry sector. Greg has a BSc (Hons) from Victoria University and has completed executive training programmes at Darden Business School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Greg Mann (Director) has over 25 years of management experience in organisations that conduct research and develop and market valuable new products, services and technologies globally. Currently, he is the… Read more
Job Titles:
- General Manager Forests to Timber Products
- International Leader
Henri is a recognized international leader in the development and management of multi-partner RD&I projects for forestry and the forest products supply chain. He has thirty-five years of international experience in sustainable forest resources for wood product development and innovation.
As General Manager of the Impact Area "Forests to Timber Products" Henri oversees projects, programmes, and impact delivery to encourage the growth of healthy, resilient forests that produce high-value trees… Read more
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
- Technologist
Jeremy Warnes is a technologist and business development manager with a focus on technologies for the manufacturing sectors. Jeremy's specialises in bio-based materials with a particular emphasis on natural fibre composites and adhesives, and sustainable residential housing.
Qualifications
BSc (Hons) (Chemistry) Victoria University, NZ -1982
Dickson, A R, Even, D J, Warnes, J M, Fernyhough, A. (2014, June). The effect of reprocessing on the mechanical properties of polypropylene reinforced with wood pulp, flax or glass fibre. Composites - Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 61, 258-267. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2014.03.010
Job Titles:
- General Manager Finance and Corporate Services
A highly experienced general manager whose leadership and value has enabled business performance in a wide range of organisations in Australia, Germany, the UK and New Zealand. She has a… Read more
Job Titles:
- General Manager Science Services
Job Titles:
- Head of Marketing and Communications
As Head of Marketing and Communications Melanie joins Scion to help enable the success and impact of Scion's Strategy to 2030 by leading and supporting the marketing and communications team to deliver communications with effective and appropriate reach to demonstrate the impact of Scion's research.
Nicole Anderson (Ngāpuhi, Te Roroa, Te Aupōuri) (Director) is a chartered professional director (CMInstD), has a proven track record in governance across a range of sectors, bringing experience in strategic analysis, business planning and commercial development to Scion's Board. She is currently a director at Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities, Far North Holdings, Top Energy and Northland Inc, Northland's Regional Economic Development Agency. Nicole is the current board chair at International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ), the national authority for the accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories, inspection bodies and radiology services.
Nicole Anderson (Ngāpuhi, Te Roroa, Te Aupōuri) (Director) is a chartered professional director (CMInstD), has a proven track record in governance across a range of sectors, bringing experience in strategic… Read more
brings more than four decades of experience in commercial forestry to his new director role at Scion. He has served on numerous boards and directorships, primarily focusing on research and development and community service organisations. He has gained international experience in forestry and governance and has held chief executive roles in forestry since 1999. Currently, Phil is the managing director at Port Blakely in Canterbury. In this role, he oversees all of NZ Forestry's holdings. He also serves on the board of both the New Zealand Forest Owners Association and the Forest Growers Levy Trust.
Phil Taylor (Director) brings more than four decades of experience in commercial forestry to his new director role at Scion. He has served on numerous boards and directorships, primarily focusing… Read more
Job Titles:
- General Manager Strategic Partnerships & Communication
Roger's move to Scion brings together two strands of a professional life focused on helping build a sustainable and prosperous future for Aotearoa New Zealand.His career started as a forest… Read more
Job Titles:
- Te Toihau Māori - General Manager Māori Futures
Shontelle (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine) brings a wealth of experience working in the public sector at both central and regional levels, as well as extensive experience working with whānau,… Read more
has over 25 years' experience in financial management and general management. She has experience as a CFO of companies in a range of industries including aged care, utilities, manufacturing and retail; and was previously a Director Plant and Food Research Ltd. Ms Pezic is a chartered accountant and has a BCom and DipBus from Auckland University.
Job Titles:
- Associate Science Leader, Forest Ecology and Management
- Social Scientist
Tim Barnard is a social scientist specialising in policy analysis and environmental planning. He represents New Zealand on the Technical Advisory Committee of the Montreal Process.
Qualifications
M.A. (Environmental Planning), University of Nottingham, 1989
B.A. (Hons) (Geography), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, 1986
Former Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI)
Affiliate Member of the New Zealand Planning Institute
is a chartered accountant and has has worked in both New Zealand and Germany, starting her career at Ernst & Young Wellington Tax as a member of the Māori Sector Services Team (now EY Tahi). She is currently a Project Manager at Te Kura o Te Koutu in Rotorua, working in a full immersion Te Reo Māori environment. Prior to that she was a senior accountant at GHA - Chartered Accountants & Management Consultants, working for local Māori entities with interests in farming, forestry and geothermal energy. Ms Morrison obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Victoria University in Wellington, majoring in Biology. In the future director role, Ms Morrison will participate in Board meetings as an observer. The role is not an official Cabinet appointment.
Zara Morrison (Future Director) is a chartered accountant and has has worked in both New Zealand and Germany, starting her career at Ernst & Young Wellington Tax as a member… Read more