Nick Roberts - a new chief executive for Forests NSW
From the Winter 2007 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Forests NSW has a new chief executive officer. Nick Roberts took the helm at the beginning of May, bringing with him significant experience in the timber industry in Australia and New Zealand. Sarah Chester reports.
Forests NSW new CEO is a well-travelled man. One minute he is in New Zealand, the next the United Kingdom and then Tasmania.
Travel has been a big part of Nick Roberts’ life, as I found out when I caught him just about to jump in a car to travel from Launceston to Bell Bay in Tasmania.
We spoke on the phone as he headed north. My first question, prompted by my colleagues, was “Is it true that you are a Kiwi?”.
“I consider myself a Kiwi, but I was born in north Wales in a little town called Caergwrle. They always say that if you are born in Caergwrle you will die in Hope, which is the next door town,” he said.
I thought to myself we will have to keep a check on this place called Hope.
When Nick was three years old his family emigrated to Southern Africa and he was brought up in Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe).
“At school I was interested in science subjects and the outdoors and forestry was a good mix of those two,” he said.
Nick went to university in north Wales at Bangor where he studied forestry and wood science and received a first class honours degree.
“When I left university I was keen to explore, and was offered a job in New Zealand working for the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company.
“I was going to New Zealand for two years, but two quickly turned into 22,” he said.
Nick worked in pulp paper process engineering and wood-related issues, where he gained a good broad appreciation of the industry, before moving into sales and marketing with the same company.
He eventually got tired of sitting on aeroplanes, and moved into operational management in forestry, becoming general manager of South Island Operations for Fletcher Challenge Forests.
In 1997, he changed companies to take up the position of managing director at Weyerhaeuser – responsible for its New Zealand business.
In 2002, he became managing director responsible for Weyerhaeuser’s Australian plantation forestry, sawmilling and timber distribution businesses.
Last month, he started work with Forests NSW, bringing to the job a wealth of experience, spanning some 27 years in all major sectors of the forest products industry.
“I’ve got broad forestry technical and operational experience and I think I also bring a strong market and commercial focus to the business,” Nick said. “Safety is also a strong focus area.”
“One thing I would say about Forests NSW is that it is very pleasing to be working for an organisation that is so highly regarded both nationally and internationally.”
On a more personal front, Nick is married to Kate and has three daughters ranging in age from 16 to 21.
He likes to run two or three times a week and he also enjoys walking, swimming, reading, cooking and rugby.
“Twenty-two years in New Zealand is enough to make you an All Blacks fanatic,” Nick said.
And we can’t hold him responsible for that!
Public Affairs & Media, Albury
