For immediate release
1 August 2022

Scion is pleased to welcome Henri Baillères as its new general manager of Forests to Timber Products, starting today.

Dr Henri Baillères has deep research and industry experience in forestry and wood product innovation. Most recently, he was product development manager at Hyne Timber in Australia, an industry leader in the manufacture, optimisation and application of cross laminated timber (CLT) and Glulam products. Before that, he led the Forest Products Innovation Team of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Baillères has also worked on forestry and wood product projects in several countries in Asia, the Pacific, and Africa.

Scion chief executive Dr Julian Elder says he is really pleased that Baillères is joining the team.

“He’s well known to us having visited Scion a number of times, and his international industry leadership in advanced timber engineering will further strengthen our world-leading forest to timber products impact area.”

Baillères says it is an honour and a privilege to join the Scion team, which enjoys a strong international reputation and leadership position in many areas of research with a wide range of high-level work.

“Scion's ambitious strategy for New Zealand will be transformational and pave the way for the development of a thriving new bioeconomy.

“I am ready to embrace my new position with enthusiasm and passion, where I expect to add value through my technical and scientific expertise, my understanding of the forest-wood value chain and my enjoyment of multidisciplinary teamwork.”

Baillères was born in Toulouse, the European capital of the aeronautics and space industry. His scientific career began with CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development) studying the structural properties of wood from hybrid eucalyptus plantations in the Republic of the Congo. His research spans the broad spectrum of the forest-based sector, reflecting his technical skills, engineering background and research experience in wood science and technology. He has published widely in forest and wood science and engineering.

His qualifications are a PhD (Wood Science from the University of Bordeaux), a MSc in Wood Science (Paris-Saclay University) and a Master of Engineering in Wood Industry and Technology (University of Lorraine, France). He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS).

ENDS

Henri Baillères