The Trustees

Suzette Weeding
Chair

A Gottstein trustee since 2015, Suzette is General Manager, Conservation and Land Management for Sustainable Timber Tasmania.  A graduate of the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Science, Suzette has 20 years’ experience in senior roles directly responsible for environmental management of forests.

She is a director of the international Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), a leading alliance of national forest certification systems which includes Responsible Wood in Australia. She is also a director of the Forest Education Foundation. She is a steering committee member of the Launceston National Institute of Forest Products Innovation and her extensive involvement with industry groups includes membership of the Tasmanian State Fire Management Council and the Forest Practices Advisory Council.

Suzette is a mother of two teenagers and lives just outside of Hobart on a small acreage. In her spare time Suzette enjoys gardening, horse riding, and netball.

“I am proud to be the Chair of the Gottstein Trust, a long standing Trust that creates opportunities for individuals to grow and acquire knowledge in a broad range of forestry and wood-products areas. One of the great strengths of the trust is the process of bringing those learnings back and sharing them with the Australian forest and wood products industries.”

John Simon
Immediate past Chair and Investment Committee Chair

“Having been involved in the international timber industry for over 40 years, I am delighted to be able to contribute to the activities of the Gottstein Trust”.

Since arriving in Australia in 1986, John Simon has held a number of senior executive positions in the local timber industry. These include being the CEO of Simmonds Lumber; Pine Solutions; and Hudson Building Supplies.

John has also participated actively in industry organisations as Chairman of Forest and Wood Products Australia; Chairman of the Timber Development Association; and a member of the Housing Industry Association’s manufacturers’ and suppliers’ Council.

John is the immediate past Chair of the Gottstein Trust.

James Malone

James is CEO & MD (and with Denis M Cullity) founder of Wesbeam Holdings Ltd, Australia’s only laminated veneer lumber manufacturer based in Perth Western Australia.

Prior to his current role, James held the positions of CEO & MD of WESFI Ltd, and worked in senior engineering roles with Shell Co of Australia, ACET Ltd and Mt Newman Mining Co.

James is a graduate of the University of WA – B.Eng (hons), MBA, was awarded a Mitsui Educational Fellowship to Japan in 1981 and was the joint winner of the Institution of Engineers Australia inaugural Railway Engineering Award in 1984.

Over his career, James has held the positions of Chairman and director of Wespine; director of Dyno Industries WA; President of Forest Industries Federation of WA; director of EWPAA and is currently a director of the Australian Forest Products Association.

"The role of the Gottstein trust is to assist members of the Australian forestry and forest products industry to increase their knowledge and capabilities, through the provision of funding for members of the industry to undertake further education and research.

It is a privilege to be a Trustee of an organisation that has such an important mission."

Carlie Porteous

"The Gottstein Trust allows the industry to get absolute exposure to the innovations in the wood fibre and forestry sector, which seem to be limitless".

Carlie was General Manager at Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) from 2021, before commencing a dual role as Manager of the Murray Region Forestry Hub and Executive Manager of the Softwood Working Group in mid-2023.

Previously she was an integral part of the Visy fibre and fibre supply chain team and has expertise in FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certification systems. She successfully managed the largest FSC Chain of Custody certificate within Australia and participates in a number of industry groups.  She was invited by the board of The Australian Forest Products Association as an observer for two years and is a director of FSC Australia and New Zealand.

Tony Price

Tony is currently principal of his own consulting business, Miller Grove Pty Ltd.

Prior to the current role he was Managing Director and CEO of publicly listed forestry company Midway Ltd, with operations in Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania. Prior to joining Midway he held a number of senior management positions in the forestry and mining sectors.

Tony has 35 years experience in the forest industry and has participated in all facets of the supply chain from plantation
establishment to marketing. Tony holds a Bachelor of Science (Forestry) from the Australian National University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management and has attended the International Executive Programme at INSEAD in France. He is also currently a Director of Forestworks and Otway Silva Pty Ltd.

“I am honoured to take on the role of Trustee of the Gottstein Trust. The forest industry has provided me with a fabulous career and I welcome the opportunity to play a role in assisting others develop their careers”

Pat Groenhout

Pat is an experienced and innovative forestry sector executive with over 30 years’ experience in Australia’s forest and wood products sector. He has worked in senior, executive and CEO roles in Australian forestry and is a former Chair and Board Member of Forest Stewardship Council Australia. In 2019, Pat established Greenwood Strategy which has rapidly grown to become a leading advisory service to Australia’s forest and wood products industry. Pat has a genuine passion for supporting the development and education of early- and mid-career professionals in the sector. He is a qualified leadership coach and has played an active role in the development and implementation of Forestry Australia’s mentor program, which he continues to support.

"The work of the Gottstein Trust is very important to our sector. It provides an outstanding educational program which is well regarded across the industry, as well as supporting research which often connects our sector with other important parts of the supply chain."

Kevin Harding

Kevin transitioned from a long research career in plantation wood quality research into consultancy work in this area. Including forest advocacy and mentoring roles with Australian Forest Growers,  Forestry Australia, University of the Sunshine Coast and the North Queensland Forestry Hub. He is an ANU Forestry graduate (1978) and has a PhD in Forest Genetics from the North Carolina State University (1995).

Since 2012 he has lived on a 44.5 ha tropical rainforest block in Far North Queensland. He is gradually planting up about 10 ha of cleared land on the block with hoop pine, rainforest cabinet wood species and a trial of agar wood. 

Kevin has admired and supported the work of the Gottstein Trust for many years. The Trust’s great support in funding Fellowship awards and excellent structured short courses in Forestry and Wood Science, deliver long-term benefits to our industry. Many prominent members of our Forestry and Timber industries have upgraded their skills and experience using these Gottstein Trust opportunities to build their careers and more effectively contribute to our industry. 

"Joining the Board of the Trust is a small way for me, as a Forest Researcher, Wood Scientist and industry advocate, to contribute to training and skills development opportunities for future professionals working in our industry. I am very grateful to give back to this industry that has provided me with many career highlights, opportunities to work with wonderful people and in outstanding natural environments."