Ric Sinclair
Board Chair, Audit and Risk Committee Member
BSc (Forestry), MBA
Ric Sinclair was appointed as Chair on 1 October 2025 having previously served as a Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee since 1 January 2023.
Ric grew up in a forestry family and went on to study forest science at the Australian National University and an MBA at the University of British Columbia.
He initially worked in forest operations, but soon found his passion in communications, marketing and strategy. For over 13 years, he was managing director of Forest and Wood Products Australia Limited, the sector’s R&D and marketing organisation, where he delivered world leading initiatives such as WoodSolutions and The Ultimate Renewable™.
Ric was previously director of the Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault, Louise Multicultural Centre and the Gottstein Education Trust. He is currently managing director of CarbonAbility Pty Ltd, which provides advice on the development and implementation of carbon offsetting strategies for large corporations.
Ric is currently the Independent Chair of the Forestry Centre of Excellence (FCoE) Board commencing the role on 24 May 2025.
Hayley Neumann
Board member, Audit and Risk Committee Chair
BComm, CPA
Ms Hayley Neumann was born in Mount Gambier and, after spending part of her childhood outside the region and state, returned to complete a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of South Australia.
A Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), Hayley has worked as an accountant in the Limestone Coast since 2005. She joined Sinclair Wilson in 2017 and became a Principal in 2022.
Ms Neumann is an active member of the business community, having served as President of the Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce for more than three years and contributed to various committees across the region.
Grant Pelton
Board member, Audit and Risk Committee member
Mr Grant Pelton was appointed as a Director of ForestrySA on 9 August 2019 and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.
Mr Pelton has worked in the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) since January 2004 and has two decades of experience in multiple roles including Fire & Emergency Management, Special Projects, Visitor Services, Asset Management, Compliance, Marine Parks, Crown Lands, Pastoral Land Management Protected Area Policy, and the coordination of DEW’s Volunteer Support Programs.
Mr Pelton is a member of the DEW’s Executive, and has represented DEW on the State Emergency Management Committee, the State Bushfire Coordination Committee and the State Recovery Committee. Grant has also chaired the DEW’s Work Health and Safety, Diversity & Inclusion and Capital Investment Committees.
Mr Pelton is currently the Director, Strategic Programs in the Office of the Chief Executive and is responsible for the delivery of a range of strategic priorities the State Government has allocated to DEW, in addition to leading the Department’s emergency management and crisis management functions. Mr Pelton has a Bachelor of Science, Zoology and Botany, and a Graduate Diploma, Ecology and Management, from the University of Adelaide.
Tammy Auld
Board member, Audit and Risk Committee member
BForSci, BScience, MBA, GAICD
Tammy Auld is an experienced Non-Executive Director and executive leader with more than 25 years' experience in forest management, strategic leadership, governance and commercial management across Australia's forestry, natural resources and regional industries. She is also a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.
Tammy has been a part of the forestry community in South Australia since she moved to Mount Gambier in 2000 as a Graduate Forester. She has held several roles across industry, building a reputation for providing thoughtful governance, strategic insight and collaborative leadership.
As an independent consultant, she is recognised for her ability to balance long-term strategic thinking with practical implementation.
She has previously served as Chair of the South Australian Forest Products Association, Co-Chair of the South Australian Forest Industry Advisory Council and Chair of the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation – Mount Gambier Centre.
Outside of Forestry, she is a Director of the family cattle farming enterprise and active member of the broader Limestone Coast community.
