Corporate Structure

FII is governed by a Board of Directors that is accountable to the BC Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation (JEDI).

The Government appoints the Board to set operational policy for the organization and, in cooperation with senior management, to set strategic direction. The Board also monitors FII’s performance based on the Province’s planning and reporting principles. The Minister provides annual direction to the Board through issuing a mandate letter.

The Board is responsible for appointing the President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and delegates responsibility to the President & CEO for the day-to-day leadership and management of the organization.

Commitment to Gender-Based Analysis (GBA+)

Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) recognizes that our work impacts our stakeholders in different ways. FII aims to mitigate barriers or challenges that diverse groups experience in accessing our information, programs, and services.

FII is committed to starting from within by equipping and empowering both management and staff to lead positive transformational change in the application of GBA+ in their work. There is a shared responsibility for GBA+ amongst all levels throughout the organization to ensure that our work considers the diverse needs of our stakeholders – promoting and advancing accessibility, inclusion and equality.

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors brings together a wide variety of expertise that helps guide FII’s programs, activities and support for BC’s forest sector.

Rick Manwaring

Chair

Rick was appointed the role of Deputy Minister, Ministry of Forests, on March 31, 2021.

Prior to his appointment as Deputy Minister, Rick was the Associate Deputy Minister. He was responsible for Regional Operations (North, South, Coast); Rural Opportunities, Tenures and Engineering Division; and, the Integrated Resource Operations Division with direct oversight of BC Timber Sales and the BC Wildfire Service. Prior to that, he was the Assistant Deputy Minister for the South Area Regional Operations since 2011.

Rick holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of New Brunswick and is a Registered Professional Forester. He’s worked for the BC Public Service since 1992 when he took a job in Bella Coola – before he even knew where Bella Coola was! He got the call asking if he wanted to come to BC, looking down the list he thought Bella Coola looked like a good remote coastal place. He ended up spending six years there, moving on to posts in Mackenzie, Terrace, Kamloops and now Victoria over the following 30 years.

Fazil Mihlar

Vice Chair

Fazil Mihlar was appointed effective December 7, 2022, as Deputy Minister, Ministry of Jobs Economic Development and Innovation. Prior to this role, Fazil was Deputy Minister, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation; Deputy Minister, Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness; Deputy Minister, Climate Leadership; Assistant Deputy Minister, Institutions and Programs Division, Ministry of Advanced Education; and Assistant Deputy Minister, Oil and Strategic Initiatives Division, Ministry of Natural Gas Development.  Before joining government in 2013, Fazil was Associate Editor of The Vancouver Sun newspaper.

Fazil has been nominated twice for a National Newspaper Award for best editorial writing in Canada.  Before joining The Vancouver Sun in 1999, Fazil managed the Royal Bank Financial Group’s public affairs department for B.C. and the Yukon.  He was also Director of Regulatory and Labour Market Studies at the Fraser Institute and managed a small business consulting group at Simon Fraser University.

Fazil holds a B.A. in Economics from Simon Fraser University, an M.A. in Public Administration from Carleton University and a Marketing Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing in London, England.  He has also completed a Certificate Course on Risk Management at Harvard University and the ICD-Rotman Directors’ Education Program with the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Fazil is the author/co-author of many research reports including A Review of the Canada/US Free Trade Agreement, The Cost of Regulation in Canada and The Rational Consolidation of Banking in Canada.

Bobbi Plecas Vice Chair Forestry Innovation Investment British Columbia Canada

Bobbi Plecas

Director

Bobbi Plecas was appointed Deputy Minister, Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills (PSFS) on December 7, 2022. In this position she oversees 25 public post-secondary institutions with a budget of $2.4B. Bobbi is also responsible for skilled trades training in the province and the Crown agency, British Columbia Council for International Education (BCCIE). BCCIE undertakes initiatives that support international education in BC. It is the only provincial organization of its type in Canada dedicated to development of international education. The ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills regulates over 300 private training institutions and is working on the commitment to build 8,000 new student housing units to mitigate the student housing shortage. Bobbi is a member on the Board of Directors at Forestry Innovation Investment.

Prior to joining PSFS she was Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation effective November 2020. The Ministry has overall provincial responsibility for the economy and economic development across the province. Additionally, the role is responsible for international trade with staffed offices in 20 jurisdictions around the world.

Bobbi has also been the Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat, Office of the Premier and the Deputy Minister of Climate Change where she led the development of the leading CleanBC plan, aimed at reducing climate pollution through a transition to clean energy.

Bobbi has been a member of the provincial public service for more than 30 years, has worked in 12 different ministries and has held a variety of executive roles across government. She lives in the province’s capital city, Victoria, with her husband and two daughters.

Neilane Mayhew Board of Director Forest Innovation Investment British Columbia Canada

Neilane Mayhew

Director

Neilane Mayhew was appointed Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport on November 26, 2020.

Prior to this appointment, Neilane was with the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions (MMHA), which she joined in October 2017, serving first as Associate Deputy Minister and Chief Operating Officer before being appointed Deputy Minister in June 2018.

Before moving to MMHA, Neilane was with the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (MIRR), in roles which included Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Initiatives Division and Assistant Deputy Minister and Executive Financial Officer (ADM/EFO). She was appointed Associate Deputy and COO for the Ministry in October 2014.

Neilane has also worked in tax administration, serving in a variety of roles for the Ministry of Finance including Executive Director of the Appeals and Litigation Branch, Executive Director of the Property Taxation Branch, and Executive Director of the Consumer Taxation Programs Branch.

Neilane has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Laws from UVic. After graduation, she practiced law with a small firm in Victoria before joining the BC Public Service in 2001. In her spare time, she runs, bikes and swims and has completed several marathons and triathlons.

Executive Team

Learn about our team of passionate Executives who work to propel FII and the BC forest sector forward. To connect with any of our Executives, please reach out to us at info@bcfii.ca

Headshot of Michael Loseth

Michael Loseth

President and Chief Executive Officer

Under Michael’s leadership, FII works collaboratively with the forest industry and key stakeholders to position British Columbia and the BC forest sector within the global marketplace. Evaluating market dynamics and emerging global trends, Michael ensures that FII investments are guided by comprehensive strategies that reflect current realities. Developing strategic partnerships and leveraging resources, Michael ensures that FII’s programs maximize the benefits to the industry and the government’s broader interests for the forest sector. In addition to leading FII’s BC Team, Michael is the Executive Director of FII’s China subsidiary and Chair of the Board for FII’s India subsidiary.

Michael has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of British Columbia and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and an Undergraduate Degree in Political Science from Carleton University in Ottawa. Michael has over 24 years’ experience leading and delivering government programs, almost exclusively focused on the forest sector. Michael has considerable experience and knowledge of international markets, with a special focus on Asia Pacific.

Headshot of Doug Greig

Doug Greig

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Doug Greig provides leadership, business discipline and corporate direction to the financial and administrative operations of the company. Doug assists in the establishment of strategic and performance targets and helps manage the organization of resources to accomplish annual and long-range goals. Doug is responsible for developing and improving financial, human resource, information technology and administrative controls, policies and procedures for the offices in Vancouver BC, Shanghai, China and India.

Doug endeavours to continually improve the accountability and transparency to the management of risk, internal financial and operational controls, as well as the protection of assets. Doug is a member of the Board of Directors of the company’s subsidiary in India and is the Board Supervisor for the company’s subsidiary in China.

Headshot of Sonya Zeitler Fletcher

Sonya Zeitler Fletcher

Vice President, Market Development

Sonya leads domestic and international marketing and communications strategies that encourage wood as a primary choice for construction and daily living while expanding North American and overseas market recognition of BC’s and Canada’s world-class forest practices and products. Working closely with forest-sector companies, trade associations, research institutes, government agencies, design and construction interests, Sonya aligns marketing and communications initiatives on forest management and reputation, product and building solutions, as well as drives priorities around issues and brand challenges in the marketplace.

Sonya has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration majoring in International Marketing from European University (now called EU Business School), and an Undergraduate Degree in Modern Languages (German, Spanish and Japanese) from McGill University in Montreal. Having worked in Japan, Europe and North America, Sonya has over 25 years of experience developing and managing marketing and communications programs in the logistics, information technology and forestry sectors.

Headshot of Jim Messer

Jim Messer

Vice President, International Marketing

As Vice President, International Marketing, Jim is responsible for informing the strategy to position the BC forest sector in the global marketplace. This includes assessing trends and developing business opportunities that have the potential to expand export markets for BC forest products and building solutions. Jim supports FII’s mandate by assessing risks, influencing decisions and providing effective counsel in global marketplace activities. In support of stakeholder relations, he interacts with senior-level provincial, federal and international government representatives and key forest industry stakeholders to achieve corporate and sector objectives. When in international markets, Jim represents the company and the Province of British Columbia as it relates to FII programming and forest sector activities.

Jim has over 40 years of experience in the forest sector, starting out in the Interior, and then taking on a range of responsibilities on the Coast. He has hands-on experience in pulp and paper operations, sawmill operations, forest operations and harvesting, aerial wildfire operations, value-added operations, and sawmill equipment design and maintenance.

Governance Documents

FII follows the Governance and Disclosure Guidelines for Governing Boards of British Columbia Public Sector Organizations as detailed in the following documents.

FII Audit Committee Terms of Reference & Membership

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About Us

Learn more about FII's programs, delivery model and how we help to maintain, create, and diversify markets for BC forest products.

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