70 | Feature: Women In Timber
JAN ANTONOVICS COMMERCIAL MANAGER TFT WOODEXPERTS LTD When I joined Woodexperts in 2008, I couldn’t imagine it would lead to the most exciting chapter of my life, with incredible experiences.
My career in the DIY/merchant sector – where I ran national accounts sales, to companies such as B&Q and Travis Perkins, with products including ladders and tools – had ended after 20 years, and so I jumped at the opportunity to work in a different sector, almost by chance.
I had always done training: new starters, products and presentations on understanding what I was selling. Now at Woodexperts, I’m involved in recruiting delegates for our qualifications in Wood Science: and, having passed the examination myself, I realise how important it is to gain a much broader knowledge of our “wonder material” – wood. I also did inspections – climbing ladders on sites where the timber was called into question – and I’ve been fortunate to travel the world in the past 17 years, visiting places such as Hong Kong, Grenada and the Maldives – no kidding!
My work also involves our Certification Mark: the Woodexperts “Diamond Mark” Scheme, which certifies the quality of products such as BS1088 marine plywood or BS5534 tiling battens, produced abroad. A few years ago, doing an audit in Riga, I walked across the frozen River Daugava, iced to a depth of 1.5m, and later visited plywood mills in Indonesia, where relaxing on a Bali beach marked the end of the working day. I’ve two mantras, which I repeat, whenever appropriate.
“It’s never the fault of the wood…” - because this incredible material gets used in so many areas and yet so few people understand it.
And: “Timber is the oldest building material known to Man. We’ll never run out of it: and you’ll always have a job, working in the wood industry”. ■
LAURA QUALTERS MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MANAGER TIMBER DEVELOPMENT UK I joined Timber Development UK (TDUK) as membership development manager in 2023 with almost 20 years’ experience in timber. My career in timber started when I joined John Brash in 2004, a business that imported and manufactured a range of products including roofing batten, and specialised in landscaping products such as timber decking. Starting in a role that combined both technical and customer facing responsibilities, I soon realised that timber was more than just a building material – it provides a sustainable, versatile and long-lasting solution when used correctly. In 2016 Marley acquired John Brash, which provided opportunities to expand my expertise. I focused on timber decking and went out to meet customers, working closely in the specification market, providing technical support through CPDs. I worked on many high profile projects, which I’m so proud of.
My passion for timber decking led to me joining the board of the Timber Decking and Cladding Association in 2018. Recently, I was honoured to be appointed as their director of strategy, communications, and membership development. Alongside my position at TDUK this role allows me to further advocate quality timber use and promotion of best practices. TDUK has provided me with opportunities to learn more about wood and the varied and innovative timber products available. I visit inspiring businesses and meet some incredible people across our sector. One thing that stands out to me is the need for greater representation and visibility of women and whilst I have seen an improvement, there is still much work to be done.
By creating a strong network of women in
timber, we are not only supporting each other but also strengthening the industry. I am honoured to be asked to contribute to TTJ’s Women in Timber article and proud to be part of this empowering initiative moving forward. ■
TTJ | July/August 2025 |
www.ttjonline.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85
