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New CEO for Forestry Industry Contractors Association
The Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) has announced the appointment of Rowan Struthers as its new CEO. An experienced professional who has worked across the forestry sector in various roles, including senior leadership and forest management, Rowan took over the job from departing CEO Prue Younger, who finished up in March.
Having graduated from Canterbury University Forestry School, Rowan has more than 30 years of experience working in forestry. He has worked in most facets of the industry, including silviculture, wood flow/supply chain management, harvesting, log trading, human resource management, sales and marketing of processed products, building supplies management, forest procurement, and general management.
Rowan has held senior leadership roles in a diverse number of companies that include Fletcher Challenge Forests, Umbraco (a privately-owned building suppliers company managing multiple sites), Hancock/Manulife, and most recently, chief operations officer at China Forestry Group. He has also been a member of the New Zealand Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) executive.
FICA chair Nick Tombleson says the FICA Board is delighted to have Rowan on board, who will take the organisation forward into its next stage.
“Rowan has a huge amount of knowledge across so many parts of our industry. That will be of huge benefit to our forestry contractor members and we’re looking forward to drawing on his experience as we take FICA into the next period,” he says.
Rowan says that he’s ready to take on the new challenge and will be focused on building a professional, efficient, and sustainable contractor workforce. “Over the 30 years I have spent in the industry, a key part of my success has been the collaborative relationships I have been able to develop with contractors,” he says.
“This role is a great opportunity to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders to further the good work that has already been done by many. I look forward to the challenge.”
Source: FICA press release