The Panel Chair

Professor Risto Seppälä is a senior forest researcher at the Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA). He served as IUFRO President in the period 2001-2005. During this period, he played a key role in strengthening IUFRO’s involvement in international policy processes, and guided the process of IUFRO joining the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. In this context, he has been one the main advocates of the establishment of the CPF Global Forest Expert Panels initiative.

Mr. Seppälä was the Founding Leader of the Forest Sector Project of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in 1980-1982 and served the 1990s in the IIASA's Governing Council. He led the Establishment Project of the European Forest Institute (EFI) in 1991-1992 and was later a member of EFI's Scientific Advisory Board.