ForestWorks Directors are elected by members and contribute their industry knowledge, expertise and time to guide the strategic direction and governance of ForestWorks.
Denise Campbell-Burns
Chair | Chair of the Employment Committee
Denise is the Secretary of the Pulp & Paper Workers District and elected President of the CFMEU Manufacturing Division. With over 25 years’ experience in the forestry industry, her technical discipline is in workplace health and safety and hazard management. Her breadth of experience incorporates policy and system development, fatality investigation and culture change as well as industrial relations and negotiating skills. She has been a key stakeholder in specialty industry safety projects with the Victorian Country Fire Authority, Victorian State Coroner and WorkSafe Victoria.
In more recent years her focus has been in representing workers in the pulp and paper sector. Her experience in the sector means she has a strong understanding about the needs of the industry and the required infrastructure for skills and training for workers.
Denise is a Director of First Super – the $3.5 billion industry superannuation fund for the timber; pulp and paper; furniture and joinery industries.
David McGinness
Deputy Chair
David possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience in the timber industry and related sectors, having worked in the field for over 30 years. After starting his career in chartered accounting and auditing, he began working at AKD in the early 1990s, a timber and sawmilling business with 1,200 employees across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. At AKD, David has held top positions in operations, risk management and workplace relations, and served as company secretary for over 25 years.
David has established strong relationships with industry professionals, training providers, and educational institutions to advocate for the development of the timber industry and its people. He holds a Bachelor of Business, a Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance, a Graduate Certificate in Industrial Relations, is a member of CPA Australia, and an Associate of the Governance Institute of Australia. In addition, he is a founding Director and Secretary of SPE (Management) Pty Ltd, an export woodchip joint venture established in 1996, and currently serves as its Chair.
Travis Lawson
Director | Chair of the Risk, Audit, and Compliance Committee
Travis is a third-generation timber/forestry worker who commenced with the CFMEU as a union organiser in 2004.
Travis has previously consulted and worked with ForestWorks on the project to Build and Maintain Timber Stacks Unit of Competency and also the Advances in Wood Machining and Saw Doctoring Project which resulted in two updated qualifications for saw technicians and wood machinists.
Travis has also completed various projects with industry stakeholders that have resulted in specialised career paths for mobile plant operators, forestry maintenance workers, treatment plant operators, saw technicians/wood machinists, maintenance personnel, and various other production roles with the goal of achieving industry excellence for the employees and their workplaces.
Travis is extremely passionate about timber and its journey from the forest to the countless products that it is transformed into, and he views timber as the ultimate renewable and sustainable resource which will have a major role to play regarding future global development.
Scott McLean
Director
A born and bred Tasmanian, Scott has worked in the forest and wood products industry for three decades.
Scott has been involved in a number of training and safety management issues over the years, including the introduction of mechanical harvesting, the FOLS system, high risk licensing and training packages for forest and timber products workers.
As the former chair of the Tasmanian Forest Industry Training Board (TFITB) for almost a decade, Scott together with the TFITB Board navigated the merger with ForestWorks, in order to enhance training and skills outcomes for workers and the industry.
Scott is an Independent Director on the Board of SEET, a workers entitlement fund.
Emma-Kate Griffiths
Director
Emma-Kate has worked in the forestry sector since 2003, holding diverse leadership roles across both public and private organisations. In her current position at Timberlands Pacific, she leads the company’s People, Safety, and Stewardship portfolios, overseeing Responsible Wood and FSC certifications across multiple estates.
A results-driven and values-based leader, Emma-Kate fosters a culture of excellence by empowering and motivating individuals to reach their full potential. Her approach to leadership ensures that both employees and contractors thrive, contributing to high performance, safety, and continuous improvement across the business.
Emma-Kate holds a Master of Human Resource Management and a Master of Business Psychology, integrating her professional expertise with a strong understanding of organisational behaviour and the psychological drivers of performance and engagement.
Outside of work, she is actively involved in her community and enjoys spending time outdoors and supporting her family’s sporting activities.
Daniel Pfunder
Director
A Human Resources and Safety Leader dedicated to Workforce Wellbeing and Organisational Resilience, Daniel joined HQP in 2012 and currently leads the People & Safety team, overseeing human resources, health and safety, and corporate fire management functions across the organisation.
His leadership reflects a strong commitment to fostering safe, inclusive, and high-performing workplaces. With a career spanning both the private and public sectors, Daniel has held a variety of human resource management roles, including in local government prior to joining HQP. His expertise covers industrial relations, workforce development, and organisational culture.
Daniel holds a Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Management) from the University of the Sunshine Coast and a Graduate Certificate in Industrial Relations from Charles Sturt University. He is currently completing a Bachelor of Laws to further strengthen his capabilities in governance and compliance.
A member of the Australian Institute of Human Resources and the current Treasurer of the Industrial Relations Society of Queensland, Daniel is actively engaged in advancing professional standards and contributing to the broader HR and IR community.