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Case Study

Name: Lisa Marty
Position: Chief Executive Officer
Company: Victorian Association of Forest Industries
Qualifications: 

• Bachelor of Arts (Honours)


• Bachelor of Economics


• Master of Environment

Age: 33

What does your job involve?
As CEO I am also responsible for management tasks typical of running an organisation, things like strategic planning, finance and HR. I also act as a spokesperson to increase awareness by government, stakeholders and the community about the social and economic significance of Victoria’s forest industries and the environmental credentials of forestry and wood products.
 
What’s a typical working day for you?
My days are anything but typical! I do spend time at my desk researching and writing but most of it is spent meeting with Government, our members, stakeholders or participating in meetings on important issues facing the industry such as skills development.
My work’s really interesting and every day is different – I can be doing anything from writing a submission to government or chairing a rural women’s award panel to talking about sustainability and the environmental advantages of wood to almost anyone! 
 
What’s the biggest challenge in your job?
My biggest challenge in the job isn’t a personal one – it’s the job itself. There are some misconceptions about our industry and often the strict regulation of forestry practices and the benefits of sustainable forest management, including for fire management and mitigating climate change, are overlooked.
My biggest challenge is to communicate this and support broader recognition that a local forestry industry will enable future generations to benefit from local employment and manufacturing and the environmental advantages of wood from well-managed forests.
 
What sort of person do you think would be interested in your job?
Well, the main thing is that they would have to be interested in policy development. This involves understanding and juggling a wide range of resource, strategic, government and industry issues.  You’d also have to like communicating and getting on with people in very different roles and from many backgrounds.
 
What’s the best thing about what you do?
Everything! It is really – it’s the diversity of working on a whole range of projects, the challenges they present and the fulfilment of working in an industry I have become passionate about.
 
Do you feel that what you do makes a difference?
I certainly would like to think so. Effective policies that encourage and ensure a robust, sustainable forest industry will deliver benefits to our state and Australia for generations to come. 
The core of my job is policy development and advocacy. As an industry, forestry is highly regulated and that involves State and Federal governments, the forestry industry and other interested parties, such as local councils and environmental groups. I’m involved in developing and supporting policies that ensure our industry remains environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.
 
Please note: We spoke to Lisa about her career and what she does day to day. We hope you find this useful and interesting – but please remember, that all jobs are not exactly the same and other roles with the same title may be different in many respects. You should confirm all the details of a particular job with the organisation offering it.