Timber Queensland CEO Mick Stephens has been appointed Associate Director to the Board of First Super – an Australian super fund with strong links to the furniture, joinery, pulp & paper and timber industries.
On Friday, the Wood Central Publisher spoke to Mr Stephens, who said he was excited to join the Board of the fund that is “run only to benefit 50,000 members” who trust the fund to “manage more than AU $4 billion of their hard-earned savings.”
Mr Stephens, a contributor to Wood Central, is a Director of Forestry Australia and brings a wealth of experience to the role.
He has worked in the forest industry for 30 years, including a two-year secondment to the Canadian Forest Service and senior roles in the Australian Government with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, CSIRO, ABARES and the Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics.
Additionally, Mr Stephens spent three years as Deputy Administrator of Norfolk Island in public administration and governance.
Working across public policy, research and advocacy in the forestry and timber industry, Mr Stephens has assessed various market and supply chain issues impacting the sector, including climate change and sustainability.
More recently, he has been a strong advocate for developing a strong agroforestry industry in Northern Australia and pushed for greater use of timber ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
In 2010, Mr Stephens received a Gottstein Fellowship to study active forest management for multiple landscape benefits across the United States and Canada, particularly for fire risk reduction and renewable bioenergy.
In May, he shared the positive impact of the fellowship in an exclusive contribution to Wood Central.
“My 2010 fellowship was a unique opportunity to think a little outside the box and investigate new ways of thinking.”
“I travelled to North America to look at novel approaches to fuel reduction through thinning and mechanical treatments as part of preventative forest fire management,” he said.
“Besides learning from overseas practices and networking with relevant experts, it was a fantastic personal experience to get outdoors and visit amazing places and forests.”
According to First Super CEO Bill Watson, Mr Stephens’ experience will benefit the fund and its members, which began as a super fund for forestry and timber workers.
“Mick’s abiding passion for forestry and the wood products industry is demonstrated by the breadth and depth of his experience.”
“His professional experience in natural resource management, public policy and market analysis is a great addition to First Super,” he said.