Take a moment to get to know our new Head of Research, Development & Extension (RD&E), Ian Blanden, as he starts with FWPA this week.
With a career spanning over 30 years in executive roles within the forest & wood products industry in both Australia and abroad, Ian offers in-depth commercial expertise across the supply chain—from R&D and operations to sales, logistics, stakeholder engagement, downstream processing and value adding. His leadership in plantation forestry, and natural forest management, has been shaped by a deep desire to connect technical knowledge with commercial business outcomes. He sees FWPA as a great fit, expressing his excitement to join an experienced team with a true care for the future of Australia’s forest & wood products industry.
“Ensuring our natural resources contribute to the global bio-economy is complex, and it’s this complexity that excites me. In fact, supplying society’s needs through the sustainable commercial management of our forests is what originally drew me to work in this industry,” he said.
A Focus on Continuous Improvement & Giving Back to the Industry
“I am keen to use the knowledge I have gained leading large commercial forestry businesses to help FWPA achieve its goal of significantly increasing the importance of the sector in Australia, and to give back to the industry which has served me so well over the last 35 years.”
Ian is driven by his passion for continuous improvement and fostering a systematic approach to work and he aims to bring this perspective to his role at FWPA.
“In the short term I hope to build upon FWPA’s work to date with additional tools to embed a culture of continuous improvement within the function, and to demonstrate how RD&E supports FWPA in achieving its strategic goals and delivering value to its members,” he said.
Driven by People and Purpose
“What drives me on a daily basis is witnessing individuals, teams and organisations motivated by ongoing learning and growth”.
“A culture of innovation and continuous improvement can only truly exist in an organisation in which staff feel safe to voice their opinions, and where their contribution towards its success is applauded. The whole process can be both fun and highly rewarding”.
“Everyone likes to be part of a winning team, especially when the improvements are acknowledged by the wider industry.”
Championing Tangible RD&E Outcomes
Ian has a clear vision for sharing the outcomes of FWPA-supported research to enhance member knowledge, understanding and adoption.
“I am a firm believer that transparency is a powerful tool. As a species we humans have a relatively short-term collective memory. We need a way of communicating research outcomes and demonstrating that RD&E outcomes have in fact translated into real-world applications.”
“Seeing is believing and showing tangible examples of RD&E in action is a great motivator for everyone involved.”
A Global Perspective
Ian and his wife Gianella, who is also a professional forester, have travelled extensively and lived in mainland China for 11 years while Ian worked for the Nordic Renewable Materials Company, Stora Enso.
Outside his professional life, Ian has two sons, enjoys bushwalking and photography, and is writing a book on the history of the fourth-tier city in which they lived in Guangxi, China.
Ian’s first weeks in the role allow him to coincide with outgoing Head of RD&E, Chris Lafferty, and conduct a thorough handover to benefit from Chris’s extensive knowledge and experience in the organisation.
Chris will formally retire from this role at the end of June 2025, but will remain as FWPA’s company secretary.
