ASIF Panel Discussion on the Effects of the Ukraine War and Russian Sanctions on NZ’s Wood Trade

Brian Johnson

Brian is a founding Director of Margules Groome. He previously headed Pöyry Management Consulting (New Zealand) and was also the head of Pӧyry’s Global Forest Valuation Focus Group. Prior to this he held various senior roles within Fletcher Challenge.

He has an extensive forest industry experience base in valuation, investment analysis, project analysis, due diligence, market analysis, business modelling and resource assessment. He is experienced in the financial, structural and technical aspects of sale and purchase processes participating in major acquisitions and divestments in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, North & South America, Europe and Asia. This further extends to supporting capital raising initiatives in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and London financial markets.

His thorough understanding of corporate decision-making processes and governance and the development of corporate policy relevant to this area is augmented by broad experience in capital budgeting, policy, process development and control.

Brian is a Registered Consultant and member of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) and holds a Bachelor of Forestry Science degree from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, a Graduate Business Diploma in Finance from the University of Auckland, New Zealand and completed a Forest Valuation paper from Lincoln University, New Zealand.

Dennis Neilson

Dennis Neilson is Director of Rotorua based international forest products advisor and information company DANA NZ Limited.

Dennis first travelled to Russia in the last days of the Soviet Union, when he spent some weeks travelling around Russia’s largest province Yakutia, and then in Moscow, investigating possible Russian Government - Fletcher Challenge joint business.

He has since visited NW Russia a number of times, particularly the where several Russian Wood Industry company headquarters are located in St Petersburg and Moscow.

In 2018 Dennis led an tour to the Russia-China border city of Manzouli where several trains a day of Siberian sawn timber and (then) logs are delivered each day, to be sent further on into China, or were processed in several hundred Chinese wood processing plants just over the border.

In 2019 he was lead author of a major (US based) Fast Markets RISI multi-client study

Dennis/DANA NZ had fully organised a 2- day conference on the Russian Forest Industry Sector to held in Helsinki, Finland in May 2020, but that had to be cancelled because of Covid travel restrictions

In 2021 and in6o 2022 Dennis keeps in regular contact with a number of Russian forestry, wood processing and wood products export executives

Simon Dorries

Simon Dorries is the Chief Executive Officer of Responsible Wood (formerly the Australian Forestry Standard Ltd). Responsible Wood is the National Governing Body for PEFC in Australia. Responsible Wood is accredited as a Standards Development Organisation by Standards Australia to write, maintain and updating the Australian Standards which underpin the Responsible Wood Certification System. These Standards include AS4707- Chain of Custody for Forest Products and AS4708 Sustainable Forest Management. 

Simon holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and has worked in the Forest and Wood Products Industry for over 35 years. Commencing with the Plywood Association of Australia in 1985 as a cadet scientist while undertaking a science degree through part-time study.  Simon stayed with the Plywood Association for 30 years through a number of name changes to eventually become General Manager of the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia.

In addition to his role at Responsible Wood, Simon is currently Chair of Standards Australia Committee TM-011 Engineered Wood Products.