Confor’s new communication generation

Ms Kaiser, who is multi-lingual (German, Spanish and English), was selected from a strong short-list to work part-time for Confor. Her rich and diverse CV includes academic qualifications and work experience in science, communication and business. She holds a first class degree in biology, an MSc in Environment and Development from the University of Edinburgh, and is currently studying part-time for a further MSc in Forestry from the Universities of Bangor and Copenhagen.

In the early days, she worked as a remote sensing specialist, mapping changes in land and forest cover for a National Research Centre in Madrid, before she discovered her passion for communication and the media.

Currently, besides working for Confor, Stefanie is part of the founding team of a Swiss start-up company that advises investors and project developers on the structuring and management of sustainability-oriented projects in the fields of forestry, energy, food, water and ecosystem services.

In the academic sector, she has undertaken research related to community forestry and forest ecology, and has been brought in by a UNITAR training centre as a consultant for an agroforestry and food security project in Senegal.

Apart from her interest in science and business, Ms Kaiser has always been a natural communicator, and has worked in related sectors for several years. She has been involved in online publishing, web content management, journalism and media production. Her great passion is to work at the intersection of communication and science.

"I am delighted to welcome Stefanie to the Confor team," said Confor chief executive, Stuart Goodall. "She brings in a rare combination of technical, environmental and communications qualifications and skills. Good communication is vital for any successful trade association, and Stefanie's lively style, experience with IT and application of modern communications will enrich Confor's current programme of updating and improving its website, e-news and communications generally with members."

"This has been a long-awaited opportunity for me to combine my two apparently disparate spheres of interest, which are communication and natural resource management," said Ms Kaiser. "I think forests and timber are and will increasingly be among the key assets of the 21st century, with a growing interest from mainstream investors and a clear tendency towards sustainable practices. I am also very keen to switch from a global to a more local approach and focus more on the commercial forestry sector in the UK."