Our Governance

Andrew was elected President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters in 2025. Graduating from Aberdeen in 2001, Andrew began his career with the Forestry Commission in South Wales and later spent 15 years in the public sector covering roles in Forest Planning, Harvesting & Marketing and Operational Support. He spent nine years working for Pryor & Rickett Silviculture (now Euroforest Silviculture) serving private clients, charities and public bodies and winning competitive contracts which led to his appointment as a director in 2022. He is now a Director at Bronwin & Abbey Ltd and is also a Board Member for PEFC UK. He also coordinates Mbale Coed, a charity that supports tree planting in the Mbale region of eastern Uganda.

Before retiring in 2023, Gary was Principal Silviculturist at Forest Research based at Alice Holt Lodge in Surrey. From 2001-2021, he held the honour of being Editor-in-Chief of Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research, the Institute’s scientific journal published by Oxford University Press. Gary worked in Forest Research for most of his career focusing on applied forest science with a special interest in continuous cover silviculture and species diversification. Gary is currently Chair of the Institute’s Professional and Educational Standards Committee and is Commissioning Editor for the Royal Forestry Society’s Quarterly Journal of Forestry.

Martin is an independent Chartered Forester based in North Yorkshire working on a range of forest industry supply chain, market and workforce assignments for clients in the public, private and third sectors. He has held various professional positions including as a non-Executive Director of the National Forest Company and is a member of the England Forest and Wood-based Industries Leadership Group.

Martin has played an active role with the Institute, being until recently the Chair of the North England Regional Group and representative on the Forestry & Climate Change Partnership, and is currently a mentor for the Emerging Leader Programme.

Helen is a forest scientist and senior forestry leader with more than 40 years’ experience in research, policy and sustainable forest management. She holds a BSc and PhD from the University of Edinburgh, specialising in plant ecology and ectomycorrhizal Sitka spruce. During her career she has held a range of senior roles at Forest Research and the Forestry Commission, including Head of the Centre for Sustainable Forestry and Climate Change. Since 2020, she has served as Chief Forester for Scotland and as a Research Fellow at Forest Research. She was awarded an OBE in 2020 for services to forest science and forestry and received The Institute’s Medal in 2025.

John graduated in forestry from Bangor University in 1979 and after two periods of local authority employment and an urban forestry study tour in the USA, he achieved chartered status in 1994. He joined Woodland Trust in 1995 becoming Director of Woodland Creation in 2010. This role included establishing the Trust’s Outreach team across the UK with a focus on smaller scale woodland and agroforestry for farmers and communities. John became Director of Woodland Outreach in 2017 until 2022 and was then an Ambassador for the Trust until his retirement in January 2025.

Mike studied Forestry at Bangor University in the early 1990s and brings over 30 years of experience in forestry, across woodland management, project management, and investment advice. As a director of Tustins, a leading forestry agency, Mike is a trusted expert in the field. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and a RICS Registered Valuer. While he collaborates with a diverse range of clients, his true passion lies in the world of commercial forestry. Outside of work, Mike is an accomplished dinghy sailor, racing regularly on the south coast.

Chris has held senior leadership roles at Forest Research for more than 20 years, most recently as Chief Scientist. He has undertaken applied research in support of policy and practice across many aspects of sustainable forest management, notably risk and resilience, ecosystem services, and biosecurity. He has championed knowledge exchange, been involved in numerous collaborations and projects, and authored many publications including the UK National Ecosystem Assessment, Action Oak Knowledge Review, and the Resilience Implementation Framework. Chris was awarded an honorary professorship by Stirling University and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, as well as the Institute.

Since completing a Bsc (Hons) Degree in Forestry at Newton Rigg and receiving the ICF Best Student Award, Tom has gained extensive experience in the forestry and forest products industry working for some of the largest primary wood processing companies in the UK. He has both domestic and international experience in timber harvesting, wood processing and supply management, with extensive knowledge on supply chain dynamics such as certification and due diligence.

Tom has always been an active member of the Institute and advocate of professionalism in the industry with roles on the North England Member Network committee, including the role of Chair which he currently holds, as well as being a member of the Harvesting and Marketing Special Interest Group.

Luke is currently Area Manager at Tilhill Forestry. He has worked in the forestry industry for ten years, from operational roles on the saw to management positions, and has developed a broad range of practical experience that he brings to the Council through his current role leading a team of foresters across England and Wales. He is committed to working collaboratively to help create a stronger and more sustainable industry for the future. Having personally benefited from discovering forestry as a career, and from the many opportunities it has provided, he is particularly passionate about engaging with and encouraging new entrants into the profession.

Jo is currently Head of Planning and Environment at Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and has 25 years of experience in the forestry sector. Leading FLS’s spatial planning, her work enables FLS to maintain habitats, landscapes and timber availability while proactively tackling climate impacts, biodiversity loss, tree health threats, and responding to the needs of neighbours and stakeholders. She has worked in England and Scotland in policy, regulation and delivery.

Jo is committed to promoting professional, responsible and sustainable forestry practices, and maintaining trust in the sector. She encourages public sector foresters to join the Institute, to support collaboration within the profession.

Miriam is a forest operations team leader in Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Her team of eight foresters manage around 12,000 hectares of the Welsh Government Woodland Estate in North-East Powys. In the ten years since she came into the world of forestry, Miriam has worked on a range of different things in the public sector in England and Wales, including leading on NRW’s direct woodland creation programme, and previously land management policy and woodland incentives. Miriam is passionate about what a diverse forestry sector could contribute to tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies.

Catherine is a Chartered Forester and Arboriculturist with over 25 years’ experience working at the intersection of people, trees, and landscapes. She collaborates across industry, academia, and public sectors to explore innovative ways to connect people and trees. Current projects include strategic leadership for the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership and University of Sheffield led “Trees Together South Yorkshire”. Other clients include Trees for Cities, the Woodland Trust, the National Trust (Sycamore Gap) and the GCLI in the US. She is a regular contributor in national print and broadcast media; including BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme.

Richard obtained a degree in forestry from Bangor University in 2001 and shortly afterwards joined the Forestry Commission. Over the last 26 years, he has worked in a variety of roles across the organisation, including Forestry Works Supervisor, Beat Forester, Woodland Officer, and is currently the Operations Manager in Central England FD, leading on silviculture, forest establishment, and protection. He also has a strong interest in health and safety and has been a Professional Member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters since 2018.

James is a Technical Member of the Institute and currently serves as a Senior Forest Manager with Tilhill Forestry. He has nearly 19 years of experience in the forestry industry and has consistently sought to develop his professional leadership and operational expertise throughout his career. He is an experienced forest manager whose roles have encompassed a wide range of forestry and land management services. His particular interests include woodland creation, water quality, and sustainable forest management. He is a confident and engaging people manager, with strong commercial awareness and a keen attention to detail.

Anna is a Technical Member of the Institute and currently works as a forester. She started out in Forestry England as a forest planner in the southwest, before moving to Tomorrow’s Forests in 2024 to develop her practical forestry knowledge. She is currently involved in a range of projects from management planning, planting, working with volunteers, harvesting, and designing new woodlands, and is particularly enthusiastic about promoting diversity in the forestry sector.