Uganda Team

Lee Cunningham - Chief Operations Officer

Lee received his forestry degree from Stellenbosch University, South Africa in 1992. He joined The New Forests Company from Sappi Usutu Swaziland where, for three years, he was technical manager (forests) responsible for the tactical delivery of one million tons of timber to the Usutu mill. At Usutu he was also responsible for ensuring the sustainability of the 70,000 hectare plantation through correct site species matching and intensive silviculture. Before this, he worked on mensuration and growth & yield analysis at Sappi and was contracted to do forest engineering research for Port Elizabeth’s Technikon’s Department of Forestry. He has also worked in Malaysia as planning co-ordinator for Borneo Pulp and Paper and in Malawi doing forestry management for Press Agriculture.

Pieter du Plessis - Plantation Manager, Namwasa

Pieter began his career in forestry with Sappi Forests in the lowfeld in 1998 and he received his estate management and silvicultural forestry diploma in 2000. Whilst completing his final diploma exams he was offered a permanent position at Sappi Forests Inkwazi District. During the course of the next five years he rose quickly from a grade 12 forester to a grade 8 management forester, gaining increasing experience and skills in management and silviculture on bigger plantations.

Carl Clur - Plantation Manager, Kirinya

Carl started his forestry career as a student with Sappi Forests in 1974. He received his diploma in 1978 and worked his way up to plantation manager over the next 10 years gaining valuable experience. After serving on numerous plantations he left Sappi to join an herbicide marketing company who sold chemicals into the forestry industry. Carl gained enormous knowledge on weed control over the following seven years, especially in dealing with contractors working for the large forestry companies.

Grace Alande - Financial Controller

Grace holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Nairobi and is a Certified Public Accountant.  She joins The New Forests Company from The Diamond Trust Properties Uganda Limited, where she hled the role of Financial Controller.  Previously, she has held top financial positions at Intertek International, Kenya Office, Redlands Roses Ltd and GTZ/Agricultural Research Support Programme, among others.  She has worked in Kenya, Uganda and also on a short-term assignments in Sierra Leone. She brings with her, from many diverse industries, her financial management experience  as well as a thorough understanding of systems development and control.

Pierre le Roux - General Manager

Pierre is a South African forestry student graduate from the University of Stellenbosch who has worked for Sappi as a planning forester and for NCT as a members service co-ordinator. More recently he was the operations manager for Bedson Timbers. Apart from his degree in forestry, he has a diploma in wood technology and a MBL from the University of Pretoria.

Pierre takes over after the unexpected death of former GM Don Alborough who passed away in February.

John Filmer - Plantation Manager

John started out as a student for Masonite and after qualifying as a forester from Saasveld, worked for more than 10 years for North East Cape Forests.  Here he progressed through the ranks from forester to estate manager and finally as their harvesting forester.

John joins NFC on June 1^st and will formally take over Namwasa August 1^st from Pieter, who will become senior plantation manger Tanzania, and will begin planning operations in Kilolo.

Meredith Bates - Corporate Responsibility Manager

Meredith began her career teaching primary school where she started an after school programme in the townships outside Port Elizabeth, South Africa. She came to understand the importance and challenges of quality and accessible education. Meredith is extremely passionate about social enterprise and the possibilities of using effective business models to achieve environmental, social and economic development objectives. Next she came to Uganda to work with a Ugandan public relations firm on environmental and investment promotion projects. Before coming to The New Forests Company, she was the General Manager of SocketWorks Uganda (the Ugandan subsidiary of the West African company SocketWorks Global), which develops and implements Information Management Systems for universities and public institutions across Africa. She is on the board of Amani Africa and Enjuba, both social enterprise organizations in East Africa. Meredith got her Bachelors of Science in International and Community Development from Vanderbilt University in the United States.