Speakers for the Conference
Mr Håkan Bjur
Head of Vapo Pellet Business Area, Vapo, Finland
Year of employee: 2003
Former employments: • Volvo Group. • Building own company: Next Marketing. • President of HNA: Trade & Industry. • President of Voith Turbo Safeset: Engineering Industry. • President of Neova: Leading Bioenergy Company in Sweden.
Education: economist, juridical studies.
Interests: Jerry Lee Lewis, history, classical vehicles.
Assignments: • Chairman of STPF: Swedish peat producers association.
• Executive Board member of IPS: International Peat Society. • Past president of Rotary International. • Executive Board member of Chamber of Commerce in central Sweden. • Honorary Consul of Georgia. • Executive Board member of SVEBIO: The Swedish Bioenergy Association. • Executive Board member of EPAGMA: European Peat and Growing Media Association
Mr Patrick Brennan
VP, NYK Line, USA
1979: Graduated Maritime College B.S. Degree - Marine Transportation.
1979: Obtained United States Coast Guard license (Unlimited) as 3rd Officer.
1985: Obtained M.S. Degree in Marine Transportation.
1985: Certified in Chartering under SUNY Maritime College / ASBA program.
2006: IMD Risk Management Training - Lausanne Switzerland.
1982: Joined NYK Line (NYC Branch Office) May 19th, as Assistant Mgr Tramp Operations (PCC and Bulk vessels).
1984 Expanded Duties to include broker for reefer business in USA.
1986-1988 was NYK representative on management committees dealing with ILA Labor matters.
1989 Named Manager of Tramp Group - NY Branch Office.
1989 Started NYK Bulkship (USA) Inc with over sight of PCC & Bulk matters.
1990 Established independent drybulk business activities for NYK Bulkship (USA) Inc. own profit / loss.
1995 Named General Manager of Bulk Division.
2005: Named as Vice President of NYK Bulkship (USA) Inc.
2006: Named as President of NYK Bulkship (USA) Inc.
2007: July 1st named as Senior Executive Officer & Board Member of NYK Bulkship (Atlantic) NV
Mr Jose Rafael Campino
President, Forestal del Sur, Chile
José Rafael is President of Forestal del Sur S. A., a company involved in the woodchip export business from Chile and Uruguay, in the plantation of eucalyptus and trade of pulplogs and sawlogs. He has worked in the forestry industry for more than 30 years.
In 1978 he joined Forestal Arauco where he worked until 1986, year in which he started up Forestal del Sur, for supplying fiber to the Scandinavian countries and Japan. In 1990 he started up Forestal Los Lagos, a plantation company located in the south of Chile and in the year 2005, together with Mr. Peter Lyford-Pike in Uruguay, he started up Forestal Atlántico Sur, which exports woodchips and pulplogs to European countries and purchases land and plants eucalyptus in Uruguay for an International Fund.
He is also Chairman of the Chilean Forestry Association, CORMA (Corporación para la Madera).
He is a Civil Engineer, graduate of the Universidad Católica de Chile and a Master in Science in Management of Stanford University, U.S.A.
Mr Reid Carter
Managing Partner, Brookfield Asset Management, Canada
Reid Carter is the Managing Partner, Timberlands and leads Brookfield’s timberlands management strategy. Reid is focused on the acquisition and management of private timberlands primarily throughout North America and Latin America. Since his joining Brookfield (formerly Brascan) in 2003, Brookfield’s timberlands portfolio has grown from a modest operation of 400,000 acres under management to the sixth largest timberland estate in North America by value, with more than 2.5 million acres under management. Reid joined Brookfield after serving as National Bank Financial’s Paper and Forest Products Research Analyst where he was a top-ranked analyst. Reid has a detailed understanding of the management, assets and relative global competitive positioning of North American Paper and Forest Products companies. Reid is a BC Registered Professional Forester and has over 28 years of experience in the forest industry including senior roles in TimberWest Forest Corp. and Fletcher Challenge Canada.
Mr Joao Cordeiro
Associate Principal for Pöyry, Finland
João Cordeiro is an Associate Principal for Pöyry. He heads the Fibre & Pulp practise area within the Management Consulting arm and is currently based in Helsinki, Finland. His is experienced in a wide variety of segments within the forest industry cluster including plantations, pulp, paper and energy businesses. His work involves business strategies, investment planning, understanding of public policies, product-markets and M&A. Mr. Cordeiro travels regularly between Europe and South America, which provides him insight on the dynamics of both regions. Pöyry has a strong position in providing management consulting services to global energy and forest industry clients.
Mr Laercio Couto
President, RENABIO, Brazil
Brazilian, married, 64, born in Tocantins, Minas Gerais, Brazil; B. Sc. in Forestry (Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Brazil, 1964-1967); M. Sc. in Forestry (Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Brazil, 1975-1977); Ph.D. in Forestry (University of Toronto, Canada, 1977-82); Pos-doctorate in Forestry and Agroforestry Colorado State University, USA, 1993-1994); retired in February 2003 as a Full Professor of the Department of Forestry of the Universidade Federal de Vicosa being actually an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Toronto and a visiting researcher at NIPE – UNICAMP, Brazil. President and Chairman of three NGOs: the Brazilian Center for Nature Conservancy and Sustainable Development – CBCN, the Brazilian Society of Agroforestry – SBAG and, the Brazilian Network of Biomass for Energy – RENABIO; A Forest Consultant for , AFORTECH, TECFLORA, ESA, BRAZIL TIMBER, COMAPI, SUZANO, REPLANTAR, ERB AND COTRENE, ; Director of Forest Strategy of GMR Reflorestamento; Coordinator of the Agroforestry Research Group of the National Research Council-CNPq; Ad-hoc Research Consultant of CNPq, Embrapa and FINEP; Member of the Editorial Board of the Canadian Forestry Chronicle; Former Brazilian Team Leader, Task 30 of IEA – Bioenergy; Field experience as Forest Engineer (1968- 1975) in several forest companies in Brazil. Worked in Sao Paulo, Paraná, Bahia and Pará states, mainly with Pinus sp, Eucalyptus sp, Araucaria angustifolia, Coccus nucifera and Gmelina arborea in the following áreas: seedling production, forest plantations establishment and tending, harvesting and transportation, forest protection and forest products commercialization. Advised several M. Sc. (16) and Ph.D. theses (10) in silviculture, forest management, biomass for energy and agroforestry at the Federal University of Viçosa. Published more than 100 scientific papers and made several technical and academic presentations in Brazil and other countries. Was an international consultant for the Brazilian Agency for International Cooperation – ABC (forestry and environment) in Chile and all countries of Central América; for GAPCO in Guinea and Gutchess International Incorporated (1994-1998) in Brazil, this last one resulting in the installation of the biggest and most modern eucalypt based sawmill of the world, located in Bahia state (today ARACRUZ Wood Products). Was the head of the Department of Forestry of the Federal University of Vicosa (1989-1993); Administrative Director of the Society for Forest Research – SIF (1989-1993); Research Director of the Society for Forest Research – SIF (1996-2002).
Mr Otavio Decusati
President Tanac, Brazil
Is Managing Director of TANAC S.A.. For 35 years in the company, the Engineer of Mechanic Operations knows and has participated of all the operations of the company, which gave him a base for the business he leads. TANAC has been innovating in the market and accompanying the world tendencies in the segments in which it acts: Black Wattle forest management, production of vegetable tannins and of woodchip for the celluloses industry. Decusati accompanied the certification of the activities of the companies of Tanac along the years, making the company sustainable and competitive in the world scenery
Mr Andre de Freitas
Executive Director, Forest Stewardship Council, Germany
Employment:
June 2008 – Present: FSC A.C. and FSC International Center
Director General of FSC AC + FSC IC
Responsible for leading all activities of the FSC A.C. and FSC International Center.
Supervising directly and/or indirectly all operational and strategic matters of FSC A.C. and of the subsidiaries
of the FSC Group, including formal records, legal and financial affairs.
Reports to the FSC Board of Directors.
July 2006 – May 2008: FSC International Center
First Head of Policy & Standards Unit, later Head of Operations
Overall planning and coordination of the policy and standards framework of FSC
Overall coordination of Policy development and Communications in FSC.
July 2005 – June 2006: Rabobank Brazil
Social & Environmental Manager
Coordinate the development of a social and environmental policy for Rabobank’s activities in Brazil and
implement the systems and procedures to ensure its application; represent the bank in discussions
related to social and environmental issues.
January 2002 – June 2005: IMAFLORA – Institute for Forest and Agriculture Management and Certification Executive Director.
Overall planning and coordination of IMAFLORA’s programs and projects, development of project proposals
and fundraising, relationship with the Board of Directors and partner organizations, institutional
reporting, budget and financial health control, institutional representation and discussions on public
policies related to forests.
June 2006-present Board of Directors of ISEAL
(International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance).
Jan 2007- present Steering Group of HCV RN (High Conservation Value Resource Network).
Education:
1993 – 1997 University of São Paulo – USP, Brazil
Forest Engineer, ESALQ Campus, Piracicaba, SP,
Mr Hakan Ekstrom
President, Wood Resources International, USA.
Mr. Håkan Ekström is the principal of Wood Resources International LLC, an internationally recognized consulting firm providing forest market analysis and wood price reporting for the forest industry worldwide.
He has, for the past 23 years, worked in various capacities relating to wood products utilization, international forest products marketing and global wood supply. His international experience is extensive, including visitation of more than 20 countries to research forest resource issues and to study forest products industry developments on-site.
He is also the editor of the Wood Resource Quarterly and the North American Wood Fiber Review, two reports tracking wood markets and focus on the global and the North American market, respectively. The reports include information about wood costs, wood supply and trade of wood products in all the major regions of the world.
Mr Ben Ellsworth
Director, MGT Power Ltd, UK
Ben Elsworth has worked in the energy sector for over 10 years including stints with Enron and Electricity de France. He has been focusing on biomass fuel and power since 2001 and was part of the team that pioneered the commercial co-firing of Biomass and coal in the UK with American Electric Power. He was a co-founder of independent biomass trader Renewable Fuel Supply Limited – which was for several years the market leader for sales of imported biomass to the UK - and went on to become a founding director of MGT Power one of the first companies to announce the development of large scale biomass power stations fired by internationally sourced sustainable wood fuel.
Mr. Bob Flynn
Director, RISI Inc, USA (also part of Organising Committee)
Robert Flynn is Director of International Timber for RISI. His work involves analysis of trends in international timber supply and demand and trade in pulpwood and sawlogs.
Prior to joining RISI in April 2006, he worked 18 years as a consultant with several firms including Jay Gruenfeld Associates and Wood Resources International, assisting clients in understanding trends in forest resources, forest ownership, and industrial development in Southern Hemisphere plantation forest countries, China, and elsewhere. In addition, Mr. Flynn worked 11 years as a forester, primarily for Champion International in Oregon.
Projects in 2006 have included multi-client studies on China’s timber supply deficit, the Global Tree Farm and Managed Forest Industry (comparison of growing costs and investment opportunities in planted forests around the world), and the International Pulpwood Resource and Trade Review (also known as “The Woodchip Report”, 14th Edition published February 2007).
Mr Kiyoshi Kamikawa
Managing Director in Pulpwood, Pulp & Recovered Paper Division, Japan Paper Association.
Graduated from University of Tokyo in 1977. Joined Forestry Agency of the Government of Japan in the same year. Served in various Departments and Organizations such as Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Department of Construction and Department of the Environment. Took positions including Director of Conservation Division and Director General of Forest Training Institute of Forestry Agency. After 29 years of public service, joined Japan Paper Association in 2006. Responsible for raw materials ( woodchip ,pulp and recovered paper)
Mr Patrick Kime
General Manager, NCT Forestry Cooperative Ltd, South Africa
Patrick Kime is the General Manager of NCT Forestry Co-operative, which handles the marketing needs of a large portion of the independently grown timber in South Africa. Through its subsidiaries, NCT is the largest exporter of wood chips from South Africa, and owns and manages about 25 000 hectares of plantations. Prior to taking up his current position, he had experience in a number of plantation production and planning roles in South Africa. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from the University of Stellenbosch.
Mr Takuya Kuwahara
President, AMCEL, Brazil
Takuya Kuwahara is the President of Amapa Florestal e Celurose S.A. (AMCEL) since April of 2009.
AMCEL own 306,000 ha of land in northern part of Brazil and planting Eucalyptus and exporting wood chips to Europe and Japan.
AMCEL started the business in 1976 and in Dec/2006, two Japanese companies, Nippon Paper Industries and Marubeni Corporation, jointly acquired AMCEL.
Takuya Kuwahara joined Marubeni Corporation, major trading house in Japan and No.1 wood chip trader in the world, in 1990. Since the beginning of his carrier in Marubeni, he has been in charge of wood chip trading and spent four years at west coast of United States to handle softwood wood chips export from US.
In 2009, after accumulating 20 years of experience in wood chips market, he arrived at Brazil as a President of AMCEL.
Ms Liane Luke
Director, Four Winds Investments, USA
24 yrs. experience in real asset investing with the last 14 yrs. exclusively in timberland investing.Co-founder and Portfolio Manager of Phaunos (PTF), executing its global strategy and building PTF’s world class team.
Chief Timber Officer at FourWinds and Member of the Phaunos Board of Directors, heads timberland investment and timber portfolio management at FourWinds Capital. With more than20 years experience in real asset investing, Ms. Luke has spent the last 10 years working exclusively in timberland investing. As a Vice President of Hancock Timber Resources Group from 1996 to 1998, Ms. Luke developed timber investment products for US tax-exempt institutional investors with first investments made within six months. From 1998 to 2005, Ms. Luke was a Principal and Managing Director of Resource Management Services, the largest privately held forest management and consulting firm in the United States. She raised over $500 million for timberland investments and designed products with tax efficient structures for international clients. In 2005, Ms. Luke formed Greenway Investments to focus on structured finance and other novel timberland acquisition projects. Ms. Luke earned her BA magna cum laude from the University of New Hampshire and her MBA from the Yale School of Management.
Mr Peter Lyford-Pike
Managing Partner - FAS / Uruguay
Peter Lyford-Pike started his involvement with the forestry sector in 1988, as one of the founding Directors and General Manager of Tile SA, the first Eucalyptus pulpwood exporter out of Uruguay.
Immediately following this activity, he was directly involved in starting two companies doing the first large scale Eucalyptus plantations and the first exporting Eucalyptus sawmill in Uruguay. He also started, for the same Uruguayan Group “Otegui Forestal”, the pulpwood export operations out of Argentina.
In 2002 he left the Group and founded Pike & Co, a forestry consulting firm. This firm has successfully completed more than 24 consulting assignments for international forestry sector corporations and international public agencies, on top of numerous studies for domestic companies and government entities.
Peter is a partner in Forestal Atlántico Sur SARL, a company established in 2006, specialised in forestry management and logistic services, and forestry exports. He is also a partner in Carbosur SRL, a company dedicated to preparing and implementing CDM and environmental projects.
He is one of the three co-organizers of the International Pulpwood Resource and Trade Conferences, and has made presentations on the Uruguayan and Argentinean forestry sectors in numerous international seminars.
Mr Daniel Martino
Executive Director de Carbosur, Uruguay.
Lead Author of several reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Nobel Peace Prize 2007).
Lead Reviewer of National greenhouse gas inventories, UNFCCC.
Member of expert committee, Voluntary Carbon Standard AFOLU.
Member, roster of experts, AR/CDM Working Group.
Member, Steering Committee of ICTSD/IPC Platform on Agriculture, Climate Change and Trade.
Doctor of Philosophy (1998, University of Manitoba, Canadá)
Master of Science (1991, University of Manitoba, Canadá)
Ingeniero Agrónomo (1982, Universidad de la República Uruguay),
Mr Donald McClure
Partner, Cogent Fibre LLC, USA
Don is a founding partner of Cogent Fibre and Managing Director of Cogent’s European operations. Cogent Fibre is the leading exporter of wood chips in the eastern United States. Don is responsible for securing Cogent's product contracts, new business development and legal affairs. Prior to forming Cogent, Don spent five years in a private firm specializing in the marketing of wood by-products. Don has an extensive financial background having started his career on the derivatives trading floor of CIBC Wood Gundy and has held senior positions at both Arthur Andersen and KPMG. Don brings a unique perspective to Cogent’s operations by combining his years of experience in both corporate and small business environments
Mr Greg McCormack
Chairman, Midway Pty Ltd, Australia
Greg has extensive experience in the Australian Forests industry. His range of business operations include softwood and hardwood plantations, forest harvesting and logistics, woodchip processing shipping and marketing, production of sawn timber , distribution and marketing.
He is currently President of the National Association of Forest Industries in Australia and has been active in Industry and Government relations for most of his career.
He has a University Degree in Business majoring in Economics and Accounting.
Mr Dennis Neilson
Director, DANA Ltd., New Zealand
Dennis Neilson is a Director of the New Zealand based forest industry consulting and publishing company, DANA Limited. Dennis has had previous experience as a Wood Supply and Export Marketing Manager for Fletcher Forests; and as a Manager and Director of a JV New Zealand- Japanese woodchip export company. He is presently a Director of a eucalyptus plantation- owning company.
For several years now, Dennis has been a co-author of the annual multi-client report entitled, “The International Pulpwood Resource and Trade Review”, - the 2007 edition is its 14th edition. He also has been the co-author of three editions of a major report on the Global Tree Farm and Managed Forest Industry, which is designed for international forest investors.
Dennis is one of the three organizers of this, the second International Pulpwood Resource and Trade Conference, after helping to organize, and speaking at the first meeting in Uruguay in 2005. He also speaks regularly at international meetings on forestry investment, wood supply and wood product issues.
Dennis travels regularly to keep up to date with industry and trade trends. In 2006 he visited 28 countries during five trips to research new trends and to assist DANA consulting and publishing clients identify wood resources and trade opportunities. These countries included the important Asian Woodfiber markets of China, Japan and Taiwan, as well as several important Northern, Central and Eastern European fibre importing countries; Australia, South Africa and Turkey.
Mr Claudio Ortolan
Director of Business Dev., Brazil, GFP, Brazil
As Director of New Investments - Brazil Mr. Ortolan oversees the management of new investment deal sourcing in Brazil for GFP.
Education:- Universidade Federal do Paraná BS – Chemical Engineering
- Faculdade de Administração e Economia do Paraná MS – Economic Engineering.
Prior to joining GFP, Mr. Ortolan spent twelve years at Klabin, one of the premier forest products companies in Brazil, serving most recently as project manager in the forestry division implementing projects on logging, biomass for energy, timberland transactions and creating local forestry investment funds.
Mr. Ortolan is a member of the Board of Directors of the World Forest Center, Portland, OR
Mr Alvaro Perez del Castillo
Executive Manager Pike & Co. , Uruguay
Forestry Engineer (Uruguayan State University-UDELAR). He developed his career at the LATU (Uruguayan Technological Laboratory), in charge of wood industrial processes and mechanical properties research of the Uruguayan Eucalyptus and Pine wood.
He has attended numerous courses in Brazil (Federal University of Viçosa), Chile, Argentina and Japan (3 months at the FFPRI “Forest and Forestry Products Research Institute”). He has published various papers and dictated conferences in international forums.
He joined Pike Consultora Forestal in a full time regime in August-03, becoming Project Manager for the whole Pike Forestry Consultant’s Forest Information System (FIS). Since January-06 he is PikeCF Executive Manager, becoming Project Leader in numerous works done in Uruguay and Argentina.
Mr Juan Prados
Socio Director, Expertos Forestales, Spain
Juan Prados Edwards is a Forest Engineer by the Madrid Polytechnic Institute, MBA by ESADE Business School and a Master Degree in Enology and Viticulture.
He is shareholder in the Spanish wood and biomass trading company Entorno Fértil and of the consultancy company Expertos Forestales Agrupados. With operations in Europe, Africa and South América with trading volumes of over 350.000 m3/yr.
Previously he occupied several positions at the ENCE group such as Forestry Operations Manager (3 mill m3/yr) and Country Manager for Portugal with over 700.000 m3/y of trading.
He has also been dedicated to associative matters as, Vice-president of the European Confederation of Wood-working Industries (CEI-Bois), Member of the Board of the Spanish Confederation of Woodworking Industries (CONFEMADERA) and Chairman of the wood promotion project “Living with wood”.
Mr Ivan Tomaselli
Partner, STCP, Brazil
Education
1972, B.Sc. in Forestry, Federal University of Paraná;
1974, M. Sc. in Wood Technology, Federal University of Paraná;
1977, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Melbourne, Australia, 1977;
1980, Post Doctorate- BFH, Hamburg, Germany, 1980.
Qualification Summary
More than 30 years of experience in carrying out projects related to the forest product industry
and market, as well as public policies and programs for the sector;
Coordinated projects and acted a consultant in Latin America, North America, Asia, Africa and
Europe;
Extensive experience in coordinating international projects;
Consulted with international organizations such as FAO, ITTO, ITC, World Bank Group,
CIFOR, IIED and others;
Published more than 150 works and given more than 200 talks and courses at a world level;
Excellent critical and analytical ability.
Professional Experience
1989 - current - STCP Engenharia de Projetos Ltda., Curitiba - PR
Current Position: Director
Acts as consultant, carrying out projects related to the forest-based industry, forest product
market, investment opportunities, public policies and sector development plans.
1977 - current – Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba - PR
Current Position: Full Professor
Professor of Technology and Rural Construction Department, lecturing in graduate and post
graduate Forest Engineering and Industrial Timber Engineering disciplines, as well as
responding for research activities, extension courses and dissertation and thesis orientation.
1987 - 1989 - Timberplac Indústria e Comércio de Madeiras Ltda., Curitiba - PR
Position: Industrial Director
Responsible for managing, coordinating and controlling the Company’s veneer and plywood
production activities.
1981 - 87 - STCP Engenharia Ltda., Curitiba - PR
Position: Director
Acted as consultant, having carried out projects related to the forest-based industry, forest
product market, investment opportunities, public policies and sector development plans.
1978 - 80 – State of Paraná Forest Research Foundation, FUPEF, Curitiba - PR
Position: Director
Responsible for overall forest research project coordination for member companies.
1991 - current – International Tropical Timber Organization
Member of Brazilian Delegation.
1987 - current – Brazilian Association of Plywood and Processed Timber Association
(ABIMCI), Curitiba - PR
Current Position: Technical Adviser / Technology Vice President.
1985 – current – Consultant to International Organizations:
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization
ITC - International Trade Center
ITTO - International Tropical Timber Organization
World Bank Group (IBRD, IFC, IDA, MIGA and ICSID)
CIFOR- Center for International Forestry Research
IIED - International Institute of Environment and Development.
1987 - 92 - CBII – ABNT Committee for Raw Materials and Vegetable and Animal Products
Position: President
Mr Jeff Wickle
President, TerraSource Valuation, USA
Jeff Wikle is a Manager of TerraSource Valuation, a US-based appraisal and forestry consulting firm which specializes in timberland valuation. Jeff worked as forester for many years in New England before moving into the appraisal profession, first working his way through commercial real estate valuation as a banker, to become an MAI, member of the Appraisal Institute, the most sought after US appraisal designation. He then moved to North Carolina to become a timberland appraiser first working with Canal Forest Resources, American Forest Management, the James W. Sewall Company and then forming TerraSource Valuation in 2006. With 35 years of broad and diversified real estate appraisal and forestry consulting experience, he has been involved in timberland management, acquisitions and divestitures throughout the US and various international countries, particularly South and Central America. TerraSource’s valuations of both natural and plantation forests are relied upon by a long list of timberland investors
Mr Roger Wright
President, Hawkins Wright, UK
Roger Wright is the founder and managing director of Hawkins Wright Ltd. a leading independent research company which specialises in international pulp and paper markets. The company was established in 1983 and clients include most of the world’s leading pulp and paper companies and interested financial institutions.
Hawkins Wright publishes multi-client reports and carries out proprietary research for individual organisations. Regular publications include ‘Outlook for Market Pulp, Supply and Prices’, the website and monthly newsletter ‘Pulpwatch.com’ and ‘Defining the China market for pulp, paper and board’. Most recently, a thorough analysis of the opportunities for forest based companies to produce energy and fuels from biomass has been published – Energy from Forests – and this work continues through publication of the bi-monthly ‘Forest Energy Monitor’.
In the last twenty five years Roger Wright has undertaken over 500 research and consultancy assignments in over 50 countries. He has made many contributions to industry publications and frequently addresses audiences at international conferences on trade matters.
Mr Haluk Yildiz
General Manager, Kastamonu Entegre, Turkey
Yıldız, born in 1959, a native of Black Sea coast town Samsun, holds a mechanical engineer degree from prestigious Bosphorus University in Istanbul.
He started his career in Samsun Copper Works nearby his birthplace. After realizing it was not what he wanted to do with his life and his career, he left once again to pursue a dream far away from home. After having worked in Lassa Tire Company and Aksa Akrilik chemical company, he joined Kastamonu Entegre in 1992 first as a plant investment manager and climbed the corporate ladder to become General Manager in year 2000.
Yıldız, who loves jogging and long walks in the mornings, packs more books than suits when travelling, has been with Kastamonu for 18 years.
Among his hobbies are playing tennis and travelling abroad to discover new destinations.

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