The ForestWorks Board consists of six people elected by ForestWorks members to focus on corporate governance, company policies, finance and general management including the SEC. Directors contribute their industry knowledge, expertise and time to the management of ForestWorks operations and the strategic direction of skills development, leading to benefits for the whole industry.
The current Company Directors of ForestWorks are:
John Downes, ForestWorks Chair
Recently retired Regional Manager of Occupational Health & Safety in South Asia for the Kimberly Clark Corporation, current Chair of ForestWorks the Industry Skills Council, Director of GTE (Group Training Company), retired Member of the Pulp and Paper National Industry Skills DevelopmentUnit, retired Member of the Pulp and Paper National Industry
OHS&E steering committee.
Mr Downes has almost 25 years experience in the pulp and paper industry and has worked extensively in industrialrelations, human resources and occupational health and safety.
Michael O'Connor, ForestWorks Deputy Chair
Michael O’Connor is the National Secretary of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), Forestry and Furnishing Products Division (FFPD). Mr O’Connor has been a full time Union official for almost 25 years.
He has been an outspoken supporter of timber workers, their families and communities and has coordinated a large number of community campaigns in support of employment and resource security for Union members.
Since being appointed to the position of National Secretary by the Forestry and Furnishing Products Division in October 2005 he has devoted himself to the task of building a stronger Union. He represents Union members and their interests on
a range of government bodies including the Forest and Wood Products Council.
Mr O’Connor is currently Co-Chair of the Board of FIRST Super, a $1.6 billion superannuation fund covering workers from the timber, furnishing and pulp and paper industries.
Jane Calvert, ForestWorks Director
Jane Calvert is the State Secretary of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, Forest and Furnishing Products Division, Victorian Forestry Branch, and National President CFMEU FFPD. Ms Calvert chairs the Victorian Forest Industry Training Advisory Committee, is a Director of Timber Training Creswick Ltd, Committee Member of the Frederick Scholarship Trust, Chair of the Tree Felling Safety Group, Member of the WorkSafe Victoria Forest Industry OHS Stakeholders Forum and Trustee Director of FIRST Superannuation.
Julie George, ForestWorks Director
Julie George is the General Manager– Management Services Division for Hyne & Son Pty Limited. She is the former chair of the Queensland Forest Industry Training Advisory Board and former Chair of the Training Package Steering Committee. She is also a former member of the Government Roundtable Advisory Committee, Queensland Timber Board Industrial Relations and Training Committee, Maryborough and Wide Bay TAFE Councils.
Ms George has expertise in human resource and operational risk management, management services, strategic planning, industrial relations and safety legislation. She holds a Masters of Management (HR) (USQ) and her professional memberships include the Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI), Australian Institute of Management (AIM) and Lawyers engaged in Alternative Dispute Resolution (LEADR).
Allan Hansard, ForestWorks Director
Allan Hansard is CEO of the National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI), the peak body representing Australia’s forest industries. NAFI presents the forest industries’ views to the people of Australia, governments and public authorities on matters relating to the national development and use of forests and forest products, as well as promoting community awareness of the forest industry.
Mr Hansard has qualifications in forestry, resource economics and policy development and has over fifteen years experience working on forest policy and economic analysis both in the private sector and Federal Government departments including the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Prior to his appointment as CEO of NAFI, Mr Hansard spent two years as deputy CEO of the organisation as well as CEO of Tree Plantations Australia.
Alex Millar, ForestWorks Director
Alex Millar is the Secretary/Assistant National Secretary of CFMEU - Pulp and Paper Workers Branch. He has spent many years representing workers in the Pulp and Paper sector and in doing so, has achieved a high level of expertise in the needs of the sector and the needed skills and training infrastructure.
