Stephen Ryan
Hancock Victoria Plantations CEO Stephen Ryan has resigned after 17 years in the timber business. Mr Ryan served as HVP Plantations CEO since 2017, before which he served as Chief Financial Officer. Source: Timberbiz
Josie Pane will become acting CEO of HVP Plantations before Mr Ryan retires in December.
A process will commence to appoint a new and permanent CEO to lead HVP.
HVP Plantations is a privately owned plantation forestry company, managing over 240,000 hectares of land across Victoria – the largest landowner outside the Government. HVP supplies logs for sawn timber, paper manufacturing, treated panel board and other timber uses to domestic and export customers.
HVP has secured a number of government grants that created local jobs and been central to many initiatives such as wetland restoration projects, consultations with traditional owners, and worked with leading conservation bodies and cross-border state governments to support a South Australian-based Koala breeding program.
Victorian Forest Products Association CEO Deb Kerr said Mr Ryan had been an enthusiastic advocate for plantation forestry.
She said that under Mr Ryan’s tenure, HVP had been an industry leader in diversity and inclusion, particularly with the increase in the number of women in HVP’s workforce.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of AFPA, Natasa Sikman, said Mr Ryan had always been a strong and enthusiastic contributor for the forest products sector, and for HVP, and would leave the business with solid foundations for the future.
“His passion for human resources policy development, including professionalisation of the workforce and enhanced training opportunities through the AFPA Growers Chamber, has been valued and appreciated. He also brought a particular focus on increasing diversity, equity and inclusion on workplace policy, to the Chamber,” she said.
“Businesses like HVP Plantations are critical to a strong forest products sector and again we thank Stephen for his leadership and the positive legacy he leaves at the company and for sustainable forestry in Australia. We also welcome Josie Pane to the Acting CEO role and look forward to working with her as she leads HVP through its next stage.”
