Forest Products Society - www.forestprod.org
FOCUSING ON THE INTERSECTION OF SUSTAINABILITY & AI
October 22-24, 2025
2025 Panel Discussions
Adhesives
Bao Do
Bakelite
Dr. Bao Do is R&D Director for Bakelite Synthetics—Americas region. He has overall accountability for the research, development, and deployment of resin technologies across the Building & Construction and Performance Materials segments. Specifically in the wood adhesives space, he leads research efforts where resin development and application testing deliver technical solutions with clear value proposition for the customer. Dr. Do has 23 years of industry experience (all in R&D) with a proven record for new product development and innovation. He has held leadership roles in nearly half of his professional tenure. Dr. Do holds chemistry degrees from Georgia Tech (B.S.) and Emory University (PhD).
Venla Hemmilä, PhD
Material & Technology Engineer—Adhesives
IKEA
Venla Hemmilä has been with IKEA for over 11 years. She started as a project leader and later transitioned to the role of Material and Technology Engineer. As the material owner for adhesives and glues used in wooden furniture, she is responsible for establishing quality standards and shaping the future direction of these materials, all while aligning with the IKEA sustainability goals.
Venla has a PhD in wood science and technology, specializing in formaldehyde emissions and bio-based adhesives. Her in-depth knowledge of the topic significantly contributes to IKEA’s efforts in developing adhesives that enhance the durability of its furniture while supporting the company’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
Bob Lawton
VP Technology & Innovation
Hexion
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Jeff MacDonald
Chief Executive Officer
EcoSynthetix
In addition to his role as Chief Executive Officer at EcoSynthetix, Jeff MacDonald also serves on the company's Board of Directors. EcoSynthetix, a Toronto Stock Exchange-listed company, offers a range of sustainable engineered biopolymers that are used to manufacture wood composite panels, as well as personal care paper, tissue and packaging products, enabling safer solutions, performance improvements, economic benefits and carbon footprint reduction.
Before joining EcoSynthetix, Jeff had over 15 years of executive leadership experience in various roles, including operations, business development, and marketing. He spent the majority of his career as part of the executive team at Husky Technologies, a leading manufacturer of equipment and services for the plastics industry, with more than $1 billion in annual sales. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Western Ontario. Jeff is an avid adventurer and aspiring photographer.
Pierluigi Zambelli
Sadepan
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Engineered Wood Products
Charlie Forslund
Procurement Principal- Material Innovation
Steelcase
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Bruno Gorrini, PhD
R&D Manager Wood Division
Arauco
Dr. Bruno Gorrini is R&D Manager at Bioforest, the research division of Arauco Group in Chile, where he leads innovation in sustainable wood adhesives and panel technologies. With over 30 years of experience in the wood products industry, he has specialized in developing bio-based adhesive systems using renewable materials such as pine tannins and nanocellulose. His work has bridged the gap between laboratory research and industrial application, achieving full-scale production trials of ultra-low-emission, formaldehyde-free panels that meet international standards.
Gorrini has published and presented on hybrid resin systems and the challenges of industrial adoption of green adhesives. His focus is on creating cost-effective, high-performance solutions that align with the principles of circular economy and reduce the environmental footprint of wood-based panels.
Prof. Dr. Raoul Klingner
Institute Director
Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research
After his studies in wood science, Raoul Klingner started research in 1999 at the EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) and ETH Zurich in Switzerland in fields of bionic in biomorph ceramics as well as thermodynamics of hornets' nests. He did his doctorate at the chair of structural physics at ETH Zurich.
By the end of 2005 Klingner started working for the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Munich, first as scientific associate in the division for Strategy and Internal Research Programs. In 2010 he became the department head for International Business Development, which develops and supervises strategic cooperation purposes with excellent international research partners. Furthermore, it coordinates the international network of Fraunhofer Foreign entities.
In April 2016, Raoul Klingner was appointed head of the Research department. There he was, in direct reporting line to the Fraunhofer president, responsible for research planning of all Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany, the development and coordination of strategic national research lines in applied research as well as the coordination of the collaboration with universities, academies and the awarding authorities.
Since the 2017 winter semester, Klingner has taught “Research and Innovation Management” at the TU Braunschweig. At the end of 2019 he was appointed honorary professor ibidem. On October 1, 2024, Raoul Klingner took over as Acting Director of the Fraunhofer WKI.
Matyas Kosa
West Fraser
Dr. Matyas Kosa is the Bioproducts Lead at West Fraser Mills Ltd., working under the Director of Quality and Technology Services supporting all West Fraser mills on new product and process R&D and implementation. Currently, focusing on innovations in the fields of low-emission resins, waxes and biocomposites in the highly competitive market of engineered wood panels, while also supporting residuals valorization through technoeconomic assessment of various biorefinery concepts.
Wolfgang Stahl, PhD
Group Technical Manager
Laminex
Dr. Wolfgang Stahl, Technical Manager (R&DP) at Laminex Australia, a role he has held since 2006. He is an accomplished expert in process optimization for wood panel manufacturing, with professional experience spanning Europe, the Asia Pacific region, and Australia. His technical expertise includes the development and implementation of advanced technologies, particularly in MDF and particleboard production.
Stahl holds a Bachelor’s degree in Wood Technology from the University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim, Germany, and a Master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering. His doctoral research focused on statistical process modeling to analyze blending factors influencing MDF quality.
Before joining Laminex, Stahl was the process development manager for MDF, particleboard, and OSB at Indbest Sonae in Meppen, Germany (2005–2006), and previously served as a production manager at an MDF plant operated by Glunz AG, also in Meppen.
From 1997 to 2003, he worked as a production and technical manager for Wesfi in Western Australia, leading innovations in resin applications and line performance. Prior to that, he held the role of Asia Pacific development manager at ICI Polyurethanes (1995–1997), where he was instrumental in implementing PMDI (polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) technology in wood panel plants across the region. He began his career as a process engineer at Glunz, where he worked on MDF and particleboard manufacturing processes in both Germany and Scotland (1993–1995).
His deep expertise includes formaldehyde resin chemistry—ranging from feasibility studies for resin plant implementations to formulation-specific optimization—and extends to the application of machine learning and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for production line modeling and real-time process control.