What was it about UC and New Zealand that brought you here to study your BForSc(Hons)?
I had always wanted to study forestry at degree level but couldn’t do that in Zimbabwe as no university offered that. The nearest country that could offer that was South Africa. Unfortunately, at that time, there was apartheid in South Africa. This meant that I had to look elsewhere to study forestry at degree level. New Zealand appealed to me as it is a member of the Commonwealth and has a well-developed forestry industry. The wide-open spaces, low crime rates and absence of racism appealed to me a lot. UC was the best university for forestry studies in NZ at the time.
You’ve been in the forestry industry now for almost 40 years. Can you share some of your career highlights with us?
After completing my forestry degree in NZ I had ambitions of moving into general management within the forestry industry. I however realised that I was still financially illiterate and just didn’t have some of the skills required to run a forestry business. I then did an MBA with Durham University (UK). The MBA and BForSc(Hons) from UC have helped me a lot in my working career so far.
For most of the 40 years that I have been working, I have been in senior management. I have worked in the forestry and wood processing sector in Zimbabwe (22 years), Mozambique (6 years), South Africa (5 years) and Tanzania (7 years).
I have gained a lot of experience marketing wood products in Africa (Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda), Asia (India, South Korea, Vietnam, China), the USA and Europe (UK, Ireland, German, Austria). That’s probably one thing I have enjoyed the most in my career as I have learnt a lot about other cultures and how they conduct business. Each country dances to its own unique drumbeat.
What does a typical day look like in your role as CEO for Kilombero Valley Teak Company (KVTC) in Tanzania?
There is no typical day. One day you are focusing on marketing and sales issues- dealing with customers. Another day can be all about capital expenditure projects. All the aspects of the business need attention: strategy formulation & implementation, forestry operations, processing, financial issues, community / government / investor /employee relations. Every day is different.
KVTC initiatives serve as a model for international forestry practices when it comes to preserving the environment and supporting local communities. Can you tell us a little about this and why these are important to you?
About 70% of our landholding is managed for conservation purposes. We devote a lot of resources to looking after natural forest, grasslands and wetlands. We don’t exploit any of it for commercial purposes but it’s a responsibility we take upon ourselves voluntarily. We don’t just measure our performance based on financials but also on our contribution to community development. We invest in infrastructure that benefits communities (schools, clinics, sanitation), assist local communities and individuals to establish and manage their own forest woodlots whilst providing a ready market for their timber.
Do you have any fond memories of your time at UC?
I have a lot of fond memories of my time at UC: meeting students from all over the world : NZ itself, the Pacific islands, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong etc. In most cases I also got a chance to sample some of their food.
The lecturers / professors were easy to get along with. I became quite close to the then Dean of School of Forestry, the late Dr Graham Whyte. He visited me in Zimbabwe sometime in the 1990s.
I learnt to play cricket with classmates in between lectures right in front of the School of Forestry. It’s a sport I enjoy and follow a lot up to now.
Any additional comments or remarks?
I feel honoured that you reached out to me years after I left UC. I completed my degree in 1984 but still feels just like yesterday.
