Industry News News
Forest and Wood Products Australia appoints new CEO

Australia’s forest industries congratulate and welcome Andrew Leighton to his appointment as new chief executive officer of Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), acting CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), Victor Violante, said today.

“Andrew is well known in Australia’s forest industries, his senior roles including seven years as managing director of Norske Skog Australasia and he is a former vice-chair of the AFPA board. He is an excellent choice to lead FWPA into its next stages of research and development, including implementation of FWPA’s new strategic plan,” Mr Violante said.

“There are exciting opportunities ahead for forest industries R&D as the world moves towards carbon-friendly products, but also major challenges where Andrew will have an intimate knowledge and understanding. It’s particularly exciting to hear Andrew reiterate his strong belief in forest industries supporting environmental sustainability.

“AFPA works closely with FWPA on aligning our industry’s R&D with industry needs and addressing the emerging challenges and opportunities for our sector and ensuring that we continue to innovate and be at the forefront of global trends. Andrew’s extensive experience in Australia’s forest industries will ensure this strong collaboration continues.

“On behalf of Australia’s forest industries and the AFPA team, I welcome Andrew Leighton to his new position and look forward to a constructive working relationship in 2022 and beyond,” Mr Violante concluded.