Our People

RYAN CAVANAGH

Chief Executive Officer 

Ph.D Chemical Engineering, 
BEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering & Minerals Engineering, University of Birmingham, UK

Ryan joined our team as CEO in 2020 bringing global leadership experience along with his trademark energy and commitment to developing people, culture and high-performance outcomes.

With 17 years in lead roles at Rio Tinto, in locations ranging from Invercargill to London and Zimbabwe and as Senior Vice President for global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, Ryan has worked for multiple large organisations in different capacities.

As part of McKinsey’s Global Transformation team, Ryan was often seconded into client executive teams as a Chief Transformation Officer coach to lead and execute sustainable change.

Earlier in his career, he was responsible for all Rio Tinto affairs in New Zealand and General Manager for Gove Operations in the Northern Territory.

Pauline is our Chief Financial Officer at Timberlands and leads the financial management of accounts receivable, accounts payable, treasury, taxation, audit, insurance, and management accounting for all business units.

With 38 years of experience in the forestry sector and over 20 years with Timberlands, Pauline is a respected forestry veteran in her field. Pauline has wide-ranging experience and expertise in transport, harvesting, tree crops and shipping.  She cares deeply about the people and the community who work in forestry.

Prior to joining Timberlands, she held many positions within Fletcher Challenge Forests joining them in 1985, when they were Tasman Forestry, as a contractor payment clerk and finishing in 2003 as a shipping accountant. She studied extramurally during this time and became a Chartered Accountant and member of the Chartered Accountants, Australia and New Zealand in 1993.

Pauline has an extensive understanding of our forestry operations and the history of Timberlands. She leads a committed finance team at our main office.

PAULINE VAN DEN KERKHOF

Chief Financial Officer

       Chartered Accountant & Member of the CAANZ

DEAN WITEHIRA

Chief Operations Officer 

BForSc (Hons), University of Canterbury
New Zealand Certificate in Forestry, Waiariki
Polytechnic General Management Programme, Harvard Business School.

Diploma in Te Ara Reo Māori, Te Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa. 

Dean is our Chief Operations Officer and has worked in and around the Kaingaroa Forest Estate for over 35 years. Dean started his career as a forestry worker while still at school and now leads the Genetics, Tree Crop, Harvesting and Marketing operations.

Dean has extensive experience in managing large-scale commercial forests, high-risk environments, the marketing and sale of logs and residues, harvesting and distribution, tree crop investment, tree improvement and nursery operations.

Developing people and relationships is central to how Dean builds safety awareness and forest productivity at Timberlands.

His previous work includes being a Director and shareholder of Timberlands Limited and Timberlands Pacific PTY Ltd, Australia. Dean is currently the Vice President of the NZ Forest Owners Executive, Chairman of Forest Genetics and is a Director of Forest Growers Research.

Ko whakapapa ia ki te Tai Tokerau. Tana Iwi ko Ngapuhi me Ngai Tawake te hapu. Tana ingoa whanau ko Whautere Witehira no Mataraua, Kaikohe.

Colin joined Timberlands in 2003 and is a recognised forest industry expert in the disciplines of sustainability and forest operational management.

As the GM of Sustainability, Colin is responsible for environment, iwi and community relations, fire and security, forest communication, enterprise risk, biosecurity and operational land matters.

Colin is committed to the seven core Restorative Development Goals for Timberlands and leads initiatives to support the reduction of carbon emissions across the supply value chain. 

Colin represents the company and the forestry sector in numerous domestic and international forums, including NZ Forest Owners Association Committees, the Central North Island Wood Council and as a delegate to the Forest Stewardship Council.

COLIN MAUNDER

General Manager Sustainability 

Bachelor of Forestry Science 
Masters in Environmental Sciences (Hons), Canterbury University, New Zealand.