New Senior Director Announced As SFI Standard Lead

OTTAWA, Jan. 10, 2013 /CNW/ - Gregor Macintosh joins the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) as the Senior Director of Standards – a position that supports the SFI Standard as it relates to the standard setting review process, implementation, revisions, complaints and interpretations.

Based in British Columbia, Macintosh joins SFI after nearly 13 years in the field of certification auditing focusing on environmental and sustainable forest management performance, chain of custody auditing and forest carbon accounting. Previously working as a forest certification auditor with KPMG PRI, he has extensive experience with all the North American forest certification standards including SFI, CSA, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Macintosh has professional experience in Canada, the United States, and China.

"As we get underway with the review process to develop the 2015 – 2019 SFI Standard later this year, Gregor's extensive, on-the-ground audit experience brings valuable knowledge to our team," SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow said today. "He is in tune with implementation, auditing and performance of all the programs; and he will be a great addition to our team."

"Having already worked extensively with SFI as past-chair of the SFI Auditors' Forum, I know how important the SFI certification standard is to help promote responsible forestry in North America," Macintosh said. "I am looking forward to working with SFI and the many organizations that certify to the SFI Standard."

Macintosh holds the Registered Professional Forester designation with the Association of British Columbia Forest Professionals and the certified environmental and sustainable forest management Lead Auditor designation. He is a Certified Forester with the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and holds the SAF Certified Forestry Auditor designation and has completed the California Climate Action Reserve (CAR) Forest Protocol Verifier course for verifying carbon-offsets from forest projects.

Macintosh will oversee pilot projects and task forces, and serves as staff liaison for the External Review Panel and the SFI Resources Committee. He also serves as the SFI Inc. liaison with certification bodies and auditor accreditation programs. Macintosh can be reached at [email protected] or 778-351-3358.

About SFI Inc.

SFI Inc. is an independent non-profit charitable organization, and is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program. Across North America, more than 80 million hectares are certified to the SFI forest management standard. The SFI program's unique fibre sourcing requirements promote responsible forest management on all suppliers' lands. SFI chain-of-custody certification tells buyers the percentage of fibre from certified forests, certified sourcing and/or post-consumer recycled content. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally.

SOURCE: SFI Inc.

Kathy Abusow, President and CEO, [phone]