Supplying Timber Issue 9 0 - Autumn 2025 - Flipbook - Page 29
———— WOMEN IN TIMBER ————
Lessons from global forestry
Michelle Buckland, Chief
Commercial O昀케cer at Miro
Forestry, o昀昀ered attendees
a global perspective on the
industry. She re昀氀ected on
how far the UK has come in
creating opportunities for
women in timber, particularly
when compared with other
parts of the world.
Michelle’s presentation
highlighted Miro’s impressive
operations in Ghana and Sierra
Leone, where the company
manages over 22,000 hectares
of plantation forest and employs
around 4,000 people.
She shared striking stories
about initiatives to increase
female participation in all
areas of the business – from
heavy machinery operation to
plantation management and
nursery operations – and how
women’s attention to detail
has improved e昀케ciency across
Miro’s supply chain.
Her passion for sustainability
was evident. She described
Miro’s conservation work,
community schooling
programmes, and how
sustainable forestry is
driving both economic and
environmental progress.
Michelle’s advice to those at
the start of their careers was
clear: “Ask questions, involve
yourself in every part of the
business, and don’t accept the
ceiling – you are your own worst
enemy if you do that. Bring your
perspective, because that’s
what makes the industry move
forward.”
SUPPLYING TIMBER
29
Resilience and leadership
Claire Toomey, Head of
Sustainability and ESG Lead at
Howdens Joinery, delivered an
inspiring session on her journey
from studying food science to
the timber sector.
Claire’s talk covered the
challenges of balancing career
development with family life,
and how resilience became a
central theme of her career.
She spoke about her role in
embedding Howdens’ net zero
strategy, securing SBTi approval,
and driving sustainable change.
Claire also championed timber
as a vital renewable material
in the 昀椀ght against climate
change, explaining that a deep
understanding of forestry and
sourcing is essential to creating
meaningful ESG strategies.
Claire said: “How did I go from
a girl from the West Midlands
who wanted to be a pilot, to 20
years in the timber industry and
a board director? The answer is
resilience, determination and a
love of learning.
"Keep asking questions – that
is how you learn. For me, it’s
been about leadership, timber,
sustainability and anything
that supports women in their
careers.”
AUTUMN 2025
↑
Above: 120 people
attended the 昀椀rst
Women in Timber
Conference.
Above left: LinkedIn
trainer Judy Parsons
THE MARKET
platform rather than a static CV.
She walked participants
through practical steps for
building a strong presence,
optimising their pro昀椀le, aand
showcasing achievements rather
than job titles.
Judy introduced the audience
to LinkedIn’s networking tools,
and encouraged them to see
the platform as an extension
of in-person events. She
demonstrated how small tweaks
to a pro昀椀le can dramatically
improve visibility and in昀氀uence,
citing examples from her 12
years of experience.
Her key message: “Think of
LinkedIn as your professional
brand. It’s not about every job
you’ve ever done; it’s about
what you want to be known for.”
The session left attendees
inspired with practical skills to
raise their pro昀椀le in the industry.
