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

“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.

Brian Farmer

"I have a substantial background in forest and business management.

An imperative for me has been to ensure that those working with me have the best opportunity to learn more and develop their skills.

The Gottstein Trust has given me a great privilege in helping the broader industry participants with the opportunity to grow and share their learning experiences."

Nils Gunnersen

Throughout a career spanning 35 years I have been the beneficiary of great mentors; diverse learning opportunities; programmes; and institutions that have put lifelong learning and personal development at the core of who I am. The opportunity to support this ideal across an industry that has provided me my career path is irresistible – it’s compelling to see others grow, and doors open to them in their own development, with Gottstein the vehicle for this. The responsibility and honour to serve as a Gottstein Trustee, and see its great leverage of industry energy and goodwill towards a brighter future, together, is immeasurably rewarding.

Beyond acting as a Trustee for the Gottstein Trust, Nils works as a Non-Executive Director on the board of Midway Ltd, chairing its Safety and Sustainability Committee. He is also a director/ Company Secretary on the BoD of Chebmont Pty Ltd, trustee for the Gunnersen (Family) Investment Trust, and sits on that BoD’s investment sub-committee. Nils has worked across the forest and wood products industry in Australia and overseas, from: resource establishment; harvest and haul; sawmilling; wood processing; lumber and panels; softwood and hardwood; sales and marketing; wholesale distribution; treasury; IT; business development; COO and CEO leadership; as well as on various industry representative bodies.

Nils has been a Gottstein Trustee since 2011, and served as Trust Chair from 2017 to 2019.

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.