Kim Haakstad

Kim Haakstad was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) effective January 2025, succeeding Linda Coady. Haakstad brings more than two decades of experience in executive leadership roles across government, industry, and stakeholder relations, positioning her to lead COFI as the leading voice for British Columbia's forest sector, representing companies vital to B.C.'s economy, producing lumber, pulp and paper, and bioenergy while championing sustainable forest management and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Haakstad holds a BA in Political Science from Simon Fraser University and a graduate diploma in business management from Athabasca University. She launched her political career as a constituency assistant for then MLA Christy Clark in the mid-1990s, later serving as Ministerial Assistant in the Ministries of Education and Family and Children before being appointed Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations for the Premier's Office in 2011. Most recently she worked as Manager of Local and Aboriginal Content Strategy for Spectra Energy's Western Canadian business, where her work ensured Indigenous communities could more fully participate in projects occurring in their Traditional Territory.

Career history

• President and CEO, BC Council of Forest Industries (2025–present)
• Vice President, External Relations, Terramera (2021–2024), collaborating with all levels of government, industry associations, and stakeholders
• Senior Vice President and leadership roles at Global Public Affairs (2017–2021)
• Manager, Local and Aboriginal Content Strategy, Spectra Energy (2013–2016)
• Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, BC Premier's Office (2011)

Haakstad was recognized on BIV's BC 500 list in 2026 for her leadership in advocating for a competitive, sustainable, and inclusive forest sector that supports jobs, communities, and climate solutions across B.C. She currently serves on the Board of the Digital Supercluster and chairs the Board for the Mom2Mom Child Poverty Initiative, demonstrating her commitment to both innovation and community well-being. As a current member of the Board of the BC-based DIGITAL Global Innovation Cluster, Kim brings expertise in technology strategies that will be integral to a globally competitive and locally sustainable forest products manufacturing sector in BC.

What Haakstad could bring to COFI: Drawing on her extensive background navigating complex government processes and building cross-sector partnerships, along with her recent technology-focused roles in agri-tech and innovation clusters, Haakstad is positioned to modernize the forest industry through policy advocacy, strengthen Indigenous reconciliation initiatives, and integrate digital innovation into traditional forestry practices during a period of significant sector challenges and transformation.