Kaberia Kamencu

Kaberia is the chair – Timber, Wood and Manufacturing Sector at Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM). He has had the pleasure of being a career ex banker with extensive stints in Equity Bank and Chase Bank (now SBM bank) where he held positions different positions, most notable being Branch manager and subsequently Head of Alternate Banking Channels.

Later in his career he quit banking and launched his entrepreneurial journey. He is a serial entrepreneur with interests in different sectors including timber processing, milk processing, supply chain and oil & gas sectors.

Cori Ham

Principal, Margules Groome

Mr Ham is a Principal of Margules Groome and has more than 25 years of experience in business and strategy development, forest certification, forest operations accounting, timber valuation, and forest management planning.

He has worked with clients to develop feasibility and business plans for forestry ventures and has been involved in several strategy formulation processes for corporate and government clients in Africa.  He has also been involved in bio-energy supply chain and fuelwood supply studies.

Mr Ham holds an MBA (cum laude) and Bachelor of Forest Science (Honours) degrees from the University of Stellenbosch. Mr Ham worked as an independent consultant, focusing on forest management, social and business development projects before joining the Department of Forest and Wood Science, Stellenbosch University as Lecturer in Forest Planning and Economics in 2008. He joined Margules Groome as part time associate in 2017 and full time as Principal in 2020.

Pauline Okeyo

Senior Solution Engineer – WAMEA Region

Pauline Okeyo is a GIS Professional with over 10 years’ experience, currently working with Esri as Senior Solution Engineer for Africa, where she supports Esri technology users in applying GIS solutions to achieve sustainable development across the continent. Prior to joining Esri, Pauline worked for Esri Eastern Africa as the Professional Services Manager, and before that in biodiversity management for the Kenya government.

Michael Breetzke

Director – Swift Geospatial

Michael Breetzke, is the co-founder and director at Swift Geospatial. He started Swift Geospatial in 2016 with the main objective of bringing decision support to clients within the mining, agriculture and forestry industry. Today that objective has been realized with leveraging satellite imagery and GIS technology to keep an eye on the ground. Michael is passionate about sustainability and bringing spatial knowledge to all. In his spare time he like to put his feet up while supporting Manchester United.

Stephanie Bishop

E&S Associate Director at New Forests Kenya Asset Management

Stephanie’s current roles E&S Associate Director at New Forests responsible for managing ESS aspects of all investments, including stakeholder engagement, gender and diversity, biodiversity management and successful realization of New Forests African Forestry Impact Platform (AFIPs) impact goals

She has 15 years African Forestry and Industry ESS and Impact Experience across multiple African geographies

Charles Gitahi – Komaza

Managing Director, KOMAZA

Charles is the Managing Director of Komaza in Kenya. He has over 13 years in the tree Nursery industry. He has held various roles for the 10 years he has been working at Komaza including Nursery Manager,Director of Nursery Operations and R&D and Senior Director of Nursery Operations and R&D.

Notable achievements include overseeing development of Melia Volkensii propagation systems and facility that has consistently delivered 800,000 seedlings yearly for the past 3 years, as well as setting up Komaza’s multiple nurseries across Coastal and Central Kenya that propagates and delivers over 3 million seedlings annually to farmer partners.

Charles’s current role is focussed on developing expansion systems that will enhance Komaza’s capacity to expand into multiple counties in Kenya as well as International expansion.

Adison Kakuru

Vice Chair, UTGA Board

Adison is a politician, businessman, farmer, and environmentalist, currently the Vice Chair of the UTGA Board, . He is a forester by profession and Director of Lincoln Consultsam, a private commercial forestry company in Uganda with vast experience in natural resources and forestry.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry (Honours) and a Master of Science, in Environment and Natural Resource Management.

He has held various leadership positions including being a Member of Parliament in Rukiga County Constituency and Chair and District Chairperson of Kabale District (LC 5 Chairman). Kakuru has continued to serve in a different way by planting trees that are beneficial in conserving the environment”, planted over 400Hectares (Ha) of trees in Kyankwanzi District-majorly for the production of timber and poles and to help conserve the environment by helping to mitigate climate change.

He oversaw Implementation of contract agreements with key partners like Sawlog Production Grant Scheme (SPGS) and Lincoln consortium as the Managing Director. And recently served as a Senior Presidential Advisor for Wetlands Restoration.

Benjamin Van Heerden

Planning Manager – The New Forests Company

Ben is the Group Planning Manager at the New Forests Company. Ben is passionate about forestry and aspires to see the industry develop throughout Africa to reach its full potential. Prior to joining NFC, Ben completed his MSc in Forestry at Stellenbosch University

On The Day

Mövenpick Residences Nairobi

Tuesday 15th November 2022

8h00 – 14h00