Growing trees and gratitude: Meet Forico’s new CEO
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When did your interest in the Tasmanian forest sector begin?
I have had an awareness of forestry since undertaking a project in high school on the Tasmanian economy and learning that it was one of the [then] 5 pillars of our economy. I have been a passionate sustainability advocate for many years and believing plantation-based forestry to be one of the ultimate sustainable businesses, have been closely following Tasmanian forestry companies and operations since the 1990s. This interest has escalated as the need to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere has become an increasingly pressing priority over the last 20 years. I believe growing and regrowing trees is one of the great mechanisms for achieving this with the ancillary benefit of being able to produce aesthetically beautiful products that keep carbon dioxide locked up for long periods of time.
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Tell us about your career pathway, prior to taking on your most recent role at Forico.
For most of the past 20 years I have been scratching my sustainability itch by being a passionate advocate for renewable energy while working for an iconic Tasmanian business, Hydro Tasmania. Throughout this time, I was primarily in leadership roles focussed on stewardship of the state’s remarkable intergenerational hydro asset portfolio, and developing assets to utilise another of Tasmania’s outstanding natural endowments— wind.
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How do you think the skills and knowledge you’ve developed in previous positions will assist in this new role?
I have been fortunate to work for a business such as Hydro Tasmania that invested heavily in the growth and development of its employees. I have also been fortunate to work with a number of exceptional people over my career who have coached and mentored me and actively contributed to my development. As such I have well-practiced leadership, management and strategy skills. Most importantly, I have learnt the secret sauce for success, and this is a pro tip – ensure you surround yourself with exceptional people and create an environment where they can flourish.
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How do you hope to spend your time as Forico’s CEO and what are your priorities?
Forico is a well-managed business blessed with a very capable leadership team and many passionate and committed people working for us. Coming from Hydro Tasmania where many people were deeply passionate and committed to renewable energy, it has been delightful and inspiring to find so many people at Forico similarly passionate and committed about forestry and sustainability. So my focus is on creating an invigorating sense of purpose and aligning our people behind a compelling vision, to harness their passion and commitment to ensure we maximise the value of the assets we are entrusted to manage.
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What stands out/appeals most about Forico as a business?
We are fortunate to have a tremendous team at Forico, the business has a lot of technical and commercial capability, so we are well positioned from a skills perspective. There is also a real family feel in the business, the staff here really care for and look out for each other, so that makes it a tremendously supportive place to work. We are also fortunate to have some industry leading practitioners, so this provides an inspiring environment for people to grow and develop and progress their careers.
The business also manages a truly impressive estate and set of production assets and is genuinely committed to sustainability and being an exemplary corporate citizen.
The world needs to rapidly transition to sustainable solutions, in many areas wood, wood fibre and associated products are increasingly recognised as playing a pivotal role. As such forestry is a key enabler to this broader sustainably transition. So the combination of great people and an impressive estate being managed in an exemplary manner is an outstanding platform for Forico to avail ourselves of these exciting emerging opportunities.
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What challenges do you think face the Tasmanian forest sector?
Renewal, continuing to attract the best and brightest people in a world of increasing opportunity and reducing barriers to access.
Creating compelling careers and opportunities that appeal to a much broader cross section of the community.
Advocating for the policies and the supporting structures required to ensure the industry maximises the enormous potential and exciting prospective opportunities to add value to Tasmania.
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Finish this sentence, ‘A good CEO should…’
Lead, motivate and inspire…
Remember my pro tip – ensure we surround ourselves with exceptional people and create an environment where they can flourish.
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Outside of work, what’s most important to you?
I am incredibly fortunate to share my life with Ruth, my wonderful wife, Giorgio, Isabella and Aurelia, our three mildly annoying, but mostly delightful, children— as well as Mr Bernard and Bentley our Labrador and Golden Retriever. ‘Albertini Inc.’ is what is most important to me.
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What’s your favourite Tasmanian destination?
Gee, a tough question, so many beautiful places. I have been fortunate and had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Australia and the world and visited many beautiful and exciting places, and while they are doubtless nice to visit and experience, the reality is that there is nowhere I would choose to live ahead of Tasmania. It is so easy to take what we have here for granted, but one doesn’t have to look too hard to realise how fortunate we are to live in this place, endowed with so many wonderful attributes and an enviable way of life. My favourite place is probably Richmond, and this mainly for sentimental reasons; while we recently moved to Sandy Bay, we built our family home in Richmond and lived an idyllic village life there for 15 years, raising our children and sharing our lives with family and wonderful friends and supportive community.
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One thing people are often surprised to learn about me is…
That I was once thin, previously had a full head of hair and once possessed a cracking sense of humour – three teenage children have taken a toll! I am a pretty unremarkable and unsurprising, a regular sort of guy so I really don’t know what people would find surprising. If pushed, probably that I practice mindfulness and have a gratitude routine, a bit new age for a traditionalist like me, however I find them really helpful in my everyday life to maintain clarity, drive and purpose.