Before joining the CEPF Secretariat, Franz Thoma worked at the Bavarian National Forest Enterprise (BaySF) in Germany as an Expert of sustainable forest management. In addition, he has gained several years of experience from the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry in Styria, Austria, working as an advisor for small-scale private forest owners. Franz holds a M.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Technology in Munich, Germany.
A new CEPF trainee, Laura Kenina, holds a B.Sc. in Forest Science from the Latvian University of Agriculture. Prior to her internship at CEPF, Laura was a trainee at Latvia’s State Forests, focusing on bioenergy. Currently, Laura is studying silviculture and ecology and has participated an Erasmus programme at the University of Eastern Finland.
Meri Siljama has worked for CEPF since 2014 and as of 1 of June this year she takes over the position as CEPF Policy Advisor and Coordinator of Nordic Family Forestry (NSF). In her new position, Meri will focus on issues pertinent to European, and, in particular, Nordic family forest owners. Her main focus will be on policies related to climate, energy, bio- and circular economy. Meri holds a M.Sc. in Forest Economics and Marketing from the University of Helsinki.
