UK Timber Leader Set to Head PEFC International Board

Chairman of James Latham Plc, Peter Latham, was elected as Chairman of the PEFC International Board, at the PEFC General Assembly which was held recently in Bali, Indonesia.

As well as being Chairman of one of Britain’s oldest timber companies, he is a former Chairman of the Forests Forever Committee of the Timber Trade Federation and member of the Council of Commonwealth Forestry Association.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Latham said: “I would like to thank everyone at PEFC for the support I have received. I am very much looking forward to taking on this demanding new role with the support of the global PEFC family.

“While PEFC enjoys increasing successes as an organisation, achieving significant growth in certified forest area, the number of new members and acceptance in public procurement policies, the organisation still faces important challenges and I am confident that we will face them together.”

Welcoming the appointment, Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International said, “I am very much looking forward to working alongside Peter in his new role of Chairman.

“Peter brings with him a wealth of valuable experience; not only has he been on the Board of PEFC International since 2011, he was also previously Chairman of PEFC UK and heads up one of Britain’s oldest and most respected timber trading companies, James Latham. His knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to our organisation as it works to implement our vision of a world in which people manage forests sustainably.”

Peter Latham was awarded an OBE in the 2012 New Years Honours List in recognition of his service to the UK wood industry