About us

Our vision

To transform New Zealand’s rural landscape into beautiful forest farms that protect the skies, waters, and ecosystems; and generate primary, secondary and tertiary industry that enriches rural communities and the investors that made it all happen.

Our values

We believe that productive land should remain productive as long as the productive activity is economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable.
 
We believe that communities thrive when they have access to, contribute to and are supported by economically viable and environmentally responsible industry.
 
We believe Government should use regulatory incentives to promote rather than inhibit investment that enhances the environment and strengthens communities.

Our People

David Bott

Founder

David has 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and CEO. 

David commenced his career as a barrister and solicitor, working in the field of international trade and insurance. In 2002, he took up the position of commercial manager of M&O Group (purchased by Wood Group), a multi-national providing safety and security services to the Oil and Gas industry in emerging markets.

Between 2003 and 2005, David was a commercial manager for Shell in New Zealand, assisting with investment valuations, gas deals, M&A projects, international taxation projects, and joint venture management.

In 2006, Shell appointed David Commercial Operator of the Maui Pipeline responsible for the introduction of Open Access to the Maui Pipeline and the development and management of the Maui Pipeline business…In his role of Commercial Operator, David drove industry change. He assisted Shell complete a pan-industry agreement to govern the use of the Maui pipeline under the open access regime and then lead the introduction and management of Open Access in New Zealand, working closely with the regulator, Gas Industry Company. David also designed, developed and managed New Zealand’s first gas spot market, the BGX.

David assisted Shell prepare the Maui Pipeline for sale and in 2016 sold his Maui Pipeline management company, Transact Management Limited, as part of sale of the Maui Pipeline to First Gas, a subsidiary of Colonial First State.   

Since 2017, David has invested in New Zealand’s agriculture sector. His primary focus has been commercialising at scale a new type of eco-forestry model that provides the market with a viable alternative to even-age rotational Pinus Radiata clear-felling. 

David holds Bachelor level degrees in Law and Commerce, and a post-graduate level degree in Strategy and Innovation from Oxford University. David received a Queens Commission from Royal Military College, Duntroon and has been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor to the Supreme Court of Western Australia. David holds a Company Directors Certificate from the Institute of Directors, New Zealand.

Advisory Board

  • Mark has more than 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, investor and corporate advisor in New York, London and Sydney. From 1990 to 2000 Mark was the Australian and Asian representative of  Hellman  &  Friedman following  his  training  on  Wall  Street with  James  D.  Wolfensohn  and,  in London, at Hudson Conway with Lloyd Williams.  
     
    In 2000 Mark co-founded leading Australian boutique corporate advisory and private equity firm Carnegie, Wylie & Co Pty Limited with John Wylie. Carnegie Wylie was acquired by leading Wall Street  bank,  Lazard Inc  in  2007, and  following  the sale,  Mark was appointed the  CEO  of  Lazard Australia Private Equity. 

    Throughout  his  career, Mark  has  been involved  in  a  range  of  diverse Australian  and  Asian investments and has participated in groups that have acquired major stakes in the  Courage Pub Estate,  John  Fairfax  Holdings, Hoyts  Cinemas,  Formula  One Holdings,  SCTV,  Macquarie  Radio Network,  Lonely Planet Publications and London Sumatra Plantations. As a corporate advisor, Mark has advised Qantas and Coles Myer on general strategic matters, Westfield on its A$22 billion merger and Qantas on its JetStarAsia start-up in Singapore. 

    Mark holds a BA from Oxford University and a BSc (Hons) from Melbourne University.  He is a former Treasurer of the Oxford Union.

  • Dean is a former President of NZ Farm Forestry Association and has 25 years’ experience across all aspects of the timber supply chain from seed to timber products, with a strong focus on specialty timber and continuous canopy forestry.

    Dean was self-employed for 20 years as a sustainable forestry consultant and plant nursery owner. His experience with specialty timber forests includes forest design, seed acquisition, seed propagation and seedling nursery, tree selection and planting, silviculture, harvesting, milling, machine processing, market development, building code standards development and construction applications.

    During his period of self-employment, Dean also volunteered on the executive of the NZ Farm Forest Association for 12 years, serving as President for 2 years. Dean received a Distinguished Service Award from the Farm Forestry Association for his dedication and contribution. His service included building and maintaining the Farm Forest Association website for 15 years. He currently chairs Farm Forestry Timbers Society, the industry representative body for specialty timber producers.

    In 2019, Dean took up a full-time position of Land Management Advisor with Northland Regional Council to assist in land transformation across the region. His primary focus was afforestation to control erosion and species research. He also initiated and managed a Poplar nursery research and development program for the region.

    In 2023, Dean took up the position of Senior Forest Service Advisor, Te Uru Rakau New Zealand Forest Service MPI, where he has continued his work advising New Zealand rural landowners including Pamu Landcorp, on the adoption of continuous cover forestry and rural landscape remediation.

    Dean holds a Masters Degree in Forestry Science from the University of Canterbury.

  • Duncan is experienced in delivering regional scale land transformation and remediation projects.

    Based in Whangarei, Northland, Duncan has over 25+ years’ experience working in land management, land use, forestry and afforestation, and regional scale environmental remediation land transformation project management.

    Starting off as a professional forester in Scotland, Duncan moved to NZ in 2009 and became Northlands Land Management Programme Manager in 2014 and subsequent Deputy GM at Northland Regional Council.

    Duncan was responsible for delivering the activity of Northland’s land management programme, catchment planning, soil conservation programmes.

    Since 2016/7 Duncan has been deeply involved in the research, design, and interim management of the Kaipara Moana Remediation. He has been contracting to the programme since 2021 and assisting the design and operationalisation of large-scale afforestation and landscape remediation in the 600,000-ha harbour catchment.

    Duncan holds a BSc Hons in Soils Science and an MSc in Forest Management.  Duncan received an outstanding contribution award in 2019 from the New Zealand Association of Resource Managers, for his contribution to Land management in the NZ Regional Sector.

Our logo

Tells a story:

  • The golden fern wings symbolise an investment of the highest calibre in terms of doing well while doing good.

  • The blue fern symbolises blue skies from reduced carbon in the atmosphere; pristine clean water from reduced run-off and sediment; and using innovation to resolve the negative social and environmental externalities caused by current forestry practices.

  • One green fern symbolises the nourishing of rural communities through an enduring productive relationship to the land and the other represents sustainably grown plantation timber substituting unsustainably harvested old growth forest timber. 

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