Roger Ashfield | Mercer Peace River
Roger Ashfield joined Mercer Peace River in February 2022 as its first-ever Managing Director. Roger oversees the mill, Woodlands, Peace River Transport and the joint venture operation with the Woodland Cree First Nation: Peace River Logging. We interviewed Roger to help the community get to know him.
Roger, welcome. Tell us, what brought you to Peace River?
I am very happy to be here and to be part of the Mercer Peace River team. Most recently, I was a director in the oil and gas sector in Fort McMurray and I have over 30 years of strategic leadership experience across multiple industries. I am passionate about leadership, and I look forward to using my skills in this new sector. I look forward to getting to know our community and leading MPR in our pursuit of excellence. I always strive to lead with courage, vision and compassion. Together with the MPR team, I am confident we can achieve any goal we set for ourselves.
What is your vision for MPR?
I have many goals for MPR, many of which are not public yet. Right now, we are working diligently on the Fibre Procurement Project. This project includes the construction of a new woodroom and launching our new entity Peace River Transport. The $75 million woodroom will be open in the late fall and will feature state-of-the-art equipment. This project will transition our off-site wood chipping onsite, which will greatly improve our environmental performance and efficiency in the mill.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in Ontario and moved to Alberta to seize the opportunities available here. I have an international MBA and Graduate Degree in Management from the Australian Institute of Business, and a Mechanical Engineering Technologist Degree in robotics and automation. I am a proud husband, father to four children and grandfather to five amazing grandchildren. I look forward to continuing my life story here in Peace River.
What are you most excited about doing in Peace River?
I’m excited to get to know the people of the Peace Region. One of the best parts of my work as a managing director is getting to meet and work with many people. I have started getting involved, and I am a new member of the Municipal Planning Commission. I would like the community to know I have an open-door policy. I love meeting community members!
By Jody Bekevich | Communications and Stakeholder Relations Coordinator | Mercer Peace River
Comments