Adrian is an experienced forester with a broad background in forest management, policy, and advocacy across Canada. Before joining the OFIA, he worked as a consultant supporting clients on a wide range of forest management and policy challenges. Having worked as a Registered Professional Forester in three provinces, Adrian brings diverse regional perspectives and a deep understanding of the sector to the association and its members.
Beyond his professional practice, Adrian has been an active educator on forestry issues across Ontario and Canada. As a lecturer at Lakehead University and the University of Toronto, he has helped students understand the principles and real-world application of sustainable forest management. A passionate advocate for Canada’s forest sector, Adrian is always eager to share his knowledge and promote the use of forest products.
Forests and forest products have long played a personal role in Adrian’s life. A former canoe guide and amateur woodworker, he continues to spend much of his time outdoors and working with wood. He lives in Southwestern Ontario with his wife and their dog, Field.
Ian has a long history in Ontario's natural resource sector. Before the OFIA, he worked as a consulting forester and environmental scientist, undertaking projects for clients in the oil and gas, mining and exploration, nuclear energy, government, and forestry sectors.
Since joining the OFIA in 2015, Ian has served in various forestry, manufacturing, and environmental policy roles. Appointed as the OFIA's President & CEO in 2021, Ian currently oversees Association strategy, governance, public relations, and business administration. Working closely with Association membership, Ian developed a comprehensive strategic plan for the OFIA, representing a new direction and approach for the Association.
Ian championed the development and continued implementation of Ontario's Forest Sector Strategy and Biomass Action Plan, focusing on competitive measures designed to attract capital investment and strengthen the sector. He represents OFIA softwood lumber producer's interests in the ongoing trade dispute with the United States, developing strategy with members and coordinating legal efforts with counsel.
He actively engages in forest management planning and conservation-related files, including parks and protected areas, species at risk, carbon markets and pricing, and Indigenous relations. Serving as a public appointee to Ontario's Species at Risk Program Advisory Committee (SARPAC), and the Boreal Caribou Conservation Agreement Working Group, Ian provides strategic advice to the province on its species at risk program.
In 2019, Ian was recognized by Canadian Forest Industries magazine as one of the "Top 10 under 40" within the forest sector. He frequently speaks on behalf of the Association to the media, including interviews with the CBC, CTV News and Consumer Alert, Toronto Star, Northern Ontario Business, and many other local radio stations and newspapers. He has provided guest lectures at the University of Toronto and Lakehead University on forest policy and current issues in forest management.
Ian is a registered professional forester and has been a full member of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association since 2013. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.
Lauren McBride makes significant contributions to Ontario’s forest sector and the Association, streamlining day-to-day operations, planning Ontario’s largest event for the industry, managing communications, and overseeing strategic initiatives.
Lauren has led the development of OFIA’s Communications Strategy and rebranding efforts at the Association. With a passion for the people who work in the sector, Lauren also manages the Human Resources Committee, with a mandate to attract and retain new talent in the industry. Lauren coordinates the OFIA’s Algonquin Park Committee, ensuring that sustainable forest management continues to provide important social, economic, and environmental values to the surrounding region.
With an Honours B.A. in Environmental and Geography from Wilfrid Laurier University, Lauren began her professional career in environmental consulting working in the field, project management, environmental site assessments, and data analysis. Lauren expanded her career joining the OFIA in 2016, working in communications and policy-related roles.
Lauren’s core passions are her family and being outdoors. She lives in the small village of Orono with her husband and three children.
Mark Saranpaa is the Chief Grader and Inspector at the OFIA Home of CLA Grading and Inspection.
Mark co-ordinates and performs inspections at member facilities, instructs grade courses, and ensures the standard of the grading activities are maintained.
Mark has worked across the province gaining 30 years experience in the industry. Currently he lives in Kenora Ontario with his wife Char and enjoys the outdoors and winter sports.
Maryam Arefmanesh holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto, where her research focused on pulp and paper by-products and lignin valorization. Before joining the OFIA, she worked with a global management consulting firm advising international forest products and pulp and paper companies on strategy, commercialization pathways, and bio-based investments.
Her work has spanned a wide range of topics across the forest sector and bioeconomy, including pulp and paper, packaging, renewable fuels, biochemicals, and wood products. She brings a unique combination of research depth, analytical expertise, and strategic consulting experience to advancing innovation in Ontario’s forest sector.
Based in Toronto, she enjoys spending time outdoors, especially kayaking in the summer. In her free time, she enjoys reading, interior design, and home renovation projects, as well as hiking and exploring nature with her husband and their dog, Leo.