Discover the diversity of our roles
Our people work in a range of interesting places and environments, where every day at work is different.
At Kaingaroa Tipu, you could find our employees in the field carrying out forestry management operations, in the air surveying the estate or trees for wind damage, holding a safety meeting at the processing plant, overseeing planting operations at the nursery, supporting our supply chain at the Port of Tauranga, as well as financial reporting and working with data and the latest technology at our main office.
The range of roles, the diversity of skills and the broad academic accomplishments of our staff inside Kaingaroa Tipu make it an interesting and dynamic place to come to work every day.
Meet Leesa Haimona
In her role as OHS Systems and Assurance Specialist, Leesa is focused on the safety and wellbeing of our people. She manages safety systems and wellbeing programmes that support and inform both Kaingaroa Tipu staff and frontline workers. This includes coordinating significant health and safety events and overseeing our digital incident management system.
Leesa began her career with Kaingaroa Tipu in 2010 and has grown through various roles and promotions. These have ranged from checking dockets in the commercial team to admin roles in Health and Safety. She has also stepped up to Acting General Manager of OHS when required.
“Kaingaroa Tipu has supported my health and safety training and encouraged my involvement in several external forestry industry-based training programmes. Hauora (wellbeing) is a huge passion of mine. ‘He aha te mea nui o te Ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata!’ What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.”
Leesa oversees the Safe Hunting Weekend promotions and has provided leadership for various hauora initiatives, such as the Waiora Tri-Series, Gumboot Friday activities, Mental Health Awareness Week and Share the Road programme, which educates schools about road safety with logging trucks. She is also behind the training and facilitation of the Be A Mate - Hei hoa – Te Ngahere program, a mental health and wellbeing initiative within the forestry community.
Leesa was supported by Kaingaroa Tipu to successfully obtain her NZ Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety Level 6.
As tangata whenua, Leesa is committed to the sustainability of the Kaingaroa Forest Estate. She grew up in Whakarewarewa Village, where her Tūhourangi ancestors settled, following the eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 that destroyed their village. As a young girl, traditional Māori weaving was a daily part of life along with being a penny diver and busking in the village as ships of tourists visited the Whakarewarewa Village. Leesa is also affiliated to Te Whanau A Apanui where she spent her holidays fishing and diving for kaimoana. So yes, Leesa is definitely considered a water baby!
Meet Hayden Pearson
Hayden is a team leader responsible for the waste and production thinning programmes of approximately 11,000 hectares of tree crop each year.
To maximise the value of the final tree crop, well-considered, efficient decisions are vital. “I have an awesome team who are smart, driven and professional who really make every day fun. My role is split between planning operations and the frontline leadership of contractors, which means I get time out in the field.”
Hayden's job requires strategic planning and active engagement in the management of field operations. He has enjoyed career progression within Kaingaroa Tipu and is committed to contributing to the ongoing success of our forestry management operations.
Operations Forester
Hayden joined Kaingaroa Tipu in 2016 as an establishment forester, overseeing land preparation operations. From there he moved to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) team, taking on the role of Systems Manager. He then became a Harvest Manager, specialising in harvesting operations and gaining experience in managing high-risk operations.
More recently Hayden has taken on the role of Operations Forester leading a team of five staff. Forestry was not originally in Hayden’s career path - he started out as an apprentice boat builder. After some years, he realised he needed a career that catered to his love of the outdoors. He studied and graduated with a Diploma in Forest Management, and his forestry journey began.
Hayden has undertaken a range of professional development opportunities with Kaingaroa Tipu, including multiple national and international deployments for firefighting. He has also overseen helicopter logging operations with a lead team to support contractors.
Meet John Moore
John has a senior leadership role at Kaingaroa Tipu as our General Manager Research and Technology. His mandate is to deliver the research, technology and innovation required to underpin the future of our forest and help bring our strategy to life. He leads a team that explores ways to incorporate new technologies into forestry practice, increase sustainable forest productivity and create a wood supply with the attributes required by our customers of the future.
Kaingaroa Forest is one of New Zealand’s most significant biological assets. Future success depends on our ability to innovate and identify new opportunities. John’s team provides robust data insights and information about the forest to empower long-term decision making. This ensures the forest is resilient to future threats such as pests, diseases, and climate change.
John joined Kaingaroa Tipu in 2018, as the business was in the process of developing its strategic plan, and the research and development programme was still evolving. The team has grown in recent years, and John recognises the expansion of the activities being undertaken. He has developed a research strategy and roadmap to support the ambitious, sustainable goals of the business.
“I really enjoy developing and testing new ideas, and some of my highlights to date include the nutrition trials, where we have seen consistent positive responses to applied nutrients, young age harvesting trials that showed under the right conditions we can produce premium products from stands grown on shorter rotations, and the opportunity to work with other species, notably hardwoods.”
Forestry Engineering Degree, School of Engineering, University of Canterbury, NZ
PhD in Forest Resources, Oregon State University, USA
Employment History:
New Zealand Forest Research Institute (now Scion) for 20 years
Center for Timber Engineering, Scotland for 5 years
Meet Jen Rogers
Jen is our Site Manager at the Murupara Log Yard and plays a key role in ensuring the site runs efficiently to meet demanding supply deadlines.
The responsibility follows many years when she worked as an Export Scheduler, a role focused on making sure the maximum number of logs are loaded onto each ship safely and on time. Jen spent her days managing weighbridges, gantries, log yards and working with the export supply and logistics team.
“I grew up in the seat of an off-highway double. Back then I was allowed to go to work with my Dad. The only restriction was I wasn’t allowed out of the truck at the skids, and I had to wait at the customers’ weighbridge when loads were being delivered.”
Jen’s forestry career began in 2004 at the Murupara Log Yard, where she started as a weighbridge operator. After a year in the role, Jen received a call from KT inviting her to apply for a temporary docket admin position, which soon became a permanent position.
Jen was responsible for logging, customer sales, general admin, financial reporting, and export finances before she became an Export Scheduler in 2009.
“I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had, including trips to see forest operations in Tasmania, Australia as well as visiting our customers in China. I’m always willing to learn and appreciate that people have taken the time to nurture me at Kaingaroa Tipu.”
