New CEO for AFPA

19 March 2013

Ross Hampton, a senior manager in global networking giant, Cisco Systems, has been appointed CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA).

Information from the Overseas Investment Office (OIO), shows it was given consent in January.

The price was confidential.

OIO documents showed SCFNZ Ltd, planned to harvest and replant the land to ensure a steady supply of timber.

"The overseas investment will allow Sunchang Corporation to secure a portion of the logs it requires from its own forests which will enable it to control the quality of those logs."

The Benhopai sale was the company's second Marlborough land purchase within six months. In August it bought 2900ha of forestry land on Northbank.

Sunchang manufactures plywood, fibrewood and lumber and is one of many overseas wood product manufacturers eager to secure their sources of supply.

Story by Kat Pickford, Marlborough Express. To read the full story, click here.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/8429030/S-Koreans-buy-land-in-Waihopai-Valley

AFPA chair Greg McCormack says Mr Hampton is currently General Manager of Australian and New Zealand public sector business development for Cisco – a role which he has held for six years.

Before joining Cisco Systems, Mr Hampton was Chief of Staff to the Australian Government Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage. In that role Mr Hampton was one of the lead advisers in the Australian Government's response to Climate Change at United Nations' meetings in New York, London, Buenos Aires and Zurich.

Mr McCormack also paid tribute to outgoing CEO Dr David Pollard. "David has done a very good job bringing together NAFI and A3P as a single national association and producing our roadmap of key issues for public policy makers and industry leaders. He leaves the organisation well positioned to take full advantage of timber and paper products competitive strengths and renewability against other materials. We wish him well. "

Mr Hampton is expected to be in his new role by May.

Source: AFPA Canopy

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