TIMBER UNLIMITED - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Structural Engineer
• Technical Manager

Currently on secondment from Engco, where he is Technical Director for Timber, he's indefinitely joined Timber Unlimited as Technical Manager. He'll be responsible for championing and demonstrating the viability of timber in construction. Bjørn is a structural engineer with a background in carpentry and studied structural timber engineering and building physics. He has specialised in mass timber designs since 2010, and since coming to New Zealand in 2013, he's worked on strengthening heritage buildings and introducing mass timber designs to the country. His first point of action in this role with Timber Unlimited is collecting feedback from the design community on the recent publication of NZS AS 1720.1:2022 in order to submit collated recommendations for improvements.

Job Titles:

• Management Assistant

Debbie was employed by Timber Unlimited in September 2022 in the role of Management Assistant and New Zealand Timber Design Awards Manager, and was delighted to restart the New Zealand Timber Design Awards programme that she had the privilege of managing for 10 years. Previously, Debbie was employed by the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association for 6 years as Promotions Manager, and prior to this, she was with the New Zealand Pine Manufacturers Association for 5 years as Executive Assistant to the CEO before the merger with the Wood Processors Association. Debbie has over 20 years of experience in the Woodworking Industry in both Australia and New Zealand, and project managed the construction of two of her houses, which provided practical experience to materially assist in her wood industry roles.

Job Titles:

• General Manager of Research at BRANZ

Chris is the General Manager of Research at BRANZ, a position he has had since 2015. He leads a group of 40 research and knowledge dissemination professionals who are supporting and driving improvements in the building system through actionable and accessible knowledge. He has a strong background in leadership, business development, knowledge transfer and building relationships and partnerships with industry leaders, Government officials and science providers. A research chemist by training, Chris has led a number of teams in Europe and in New Zealand at ESR, REANNZ, GlycoSyn Technologies, Industrial Research and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. The BRANZ role is his first experience with the building industry - he enjoys the challenge and sees the huge potential for research to continue to underpin a building system that delivered better outcomes for all.

Job Titles:

• Technical Director and Chartered Structural Engineer at PTL Structural

Daniel is a technical director and chartered structural engineer at PTL Structural and Fire and specialises in the design of timber buildings. Originally from Northern Italy, Daniel worked for several years in the timber industry in Europe before obtaining his PhD at the University of Canterbury working on multi-storey timber buildings. He is the president of the New Zealand Timber Design Society and co-editor of the Timber Design Society Journal. He is also involved in New Zealand and European Timber Design Standards and also works closely with industry and research institutions on various timber R&D projects.

Henri was born in Toulouse, France and grew up in the southwest near the Atlantic coast, surrounded by the vast Landes Forest. His love for trees led him to pursue studies in forest management, become an engineer in the wood industry, and earned a PhD in wood science. His career in Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I) for the forest-wood chain spans several continents and cultural origins, and he strives to make a positive and sustainable impact on the community and industry. For 14 years in Australia, Henri led the Forest Products Innovation Team, working on projects related to forest performances and engineered wood products. He successfully led several national and international projects with academic and industry partners, developed an extensive research network, engaged with major Australian processors, manufacturers, and growers, and ensured that his team's wood research program remained relevant to industry and community needs. After two years as Product Development Manager at one of Australia's largest wood processing companies, Henri specialized in the manufacture, optimization, and application of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam) products. Currently, he is General Manager for Forests to Timber Products at Scion, focusing on research initiatives that support the transition from a linear to a circular economy in the forestry sector, increasing value capture from forest to product, and equipping the industry with tools to address potential risks and increase productivity.

Job Titles:

• Director

Robert is the Director of Timber Unlimited, which is a collaboration between New Zealand Timber Design Society, Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association, BRANZ and Scion. The Centre is hosted at Scion and is financially supported for establishment through the Ministry for Primary Industries. He has a background in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering and was the CEO of the Structural Timber Innovation Company (STIC) between 2009 and 2013. Subsequently, he was the Director of the Quake Centre, hosted at the University of Canterbury. He has managed research and product development, set research directions and priorities and developed client and partnership relationships for the past 23 years.

Job Titles:

• Technical Manager

Hugh started his career at the Gisborne City Council, and this included reviewing of building consents at the time NZS 3604 was introduced. He worked briefly in consulting before spending 33 years lecturing in Civil Engineering at the University of Auckland, where he is also an honorary academic. He has taught structural timber for most of that time and collaborated with the University of Canterbury in setting up STIC, the structural timber engineering company which undertook leading research supporting commercial and multistorey timber. Hugh's research included tests on timber houses following the Christchurch earthquakes and initial dynamic tests and monitoring of the first post tensioned multi-storey timber building at NMIT in Nelson. Hugh is a past President of the Timber Design Society and, in that role, led the bid to host the World Conference in Timber Engineering in Auckland in 2012.

Job Titles:

• Independent Chair

Jo has a background in leadership in the primary sector including; agribusiness, wine, food and beverage manufacturing and fast-moving consumer goods. She has worked across a range of businesses including privately-owned and global multinationals based in New Zealand and off shore. Passionate about New Zealand's primary, food and fibre sectors, Jo has considerable strategic and commercial marketing experience supporting businesses achieve sustainable value through company purpose and values development, consumer and channel insight, innovation and branding. Alongside her consulting and mentoring roles Jo is the Independent Chair of Kono GP, a Director for Pāmu (Landcorp Farming), and a member of the Governance Group for the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, and has been an independent director on the AUT Ventures board.

With over fifteen years General Management and Executive Team leadership and management experience in the Construction and Manufacturing Sectors throughout Australasia John is regarded as an industry leader in how the supply chain integrates into the design and delivery of our build environment. John has a deep passion for the long-term sustainable environmental and economic prosperity of our manufacturing and construction sectors. With a background in architecture and a career in manufacturing and construction he has a unique perspective on how early engagement and commercial tension can coexist. John is the Chair of the Wood Processors & Manufacturers Association and a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors, New Zealand Institute of Building and a regular speaker on the topics of project governance, project collaboration, design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) and build offsite technologies and methodologies.

Lucinda has over 25 years of experience working in advertising as a brand and communications strategist. Over this time, she has worked across a huge range of industries and brands ranging from banking, telco, retail, television, fast-moving consumer goods and New Zealand Crown entities. Lucinda believes that as a strategist, it's keen insight into human nature that is the lifeblood of great brand strategy - empathy and advantage. She is passionate about bringing this perspective and skillset to bear at all stages of the business, brand and marketing process. For Lucinda, finding the sweet spot between customers, creativity and courageous companies and organisations is where real change and success lie.