Management Team

Lance Blanco, President & Chief Executive Officer

Lance Blanco joined us in July 2010, bringing 26 years of forest products industry experience to Hardwoods.  Prior to joining Hardwoods he held senior positions in sales, distribution, marketing, manufacturing and supply chain optimization with Weyerhaeuser and MacMillan Bloedel.  His tenure with Weyerhaeuser included leadership positions as Vice President of Enterprise Supply Chain Management, of Business Development, and of the Cedar Group.  Lance holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (Honours) degree from Simon Fraser University.

Daniel A. Besen, Vice President & Group Manager, California

Daniel Besen has been with us since 1984, when he joined our Northern California operations as a sales trainee. He has been Group Manager, Southern California since 1995. Between 1990 and 1994, he was the Group Manager, Pacific Northwest, and he was the Branch Manager in San Diego from 1988 to 1990. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree (Mathematics) from the State University of New York, New York.

Rob Brown, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Rob Brown joined Hardwoods and assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer in 2004. Rob holds designations as a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst, as well as a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia. Rob gained  public practice accounting experience at Deloitte in Vancouver, British Columbia, and corporate finance experience advising clients on acquisitions and related activities with Coopers & Lybrand in the United Kingdom. Rob brings significant experience in wholesale distribution, most recently serving for six years as Business Manager, Canadian Operations in Weyerhaeuser's building products distribution business.

Garry W. Warner, Vice President & Group Manager, Northwest

Garry Warner has been with us since 1978 when he joined our branch in Edmonton as a sales trainee. Garry has been Group Manager, British Columbia located in Langley since 2001. Between 1994 and 2001, Garry was Group Manager, Alberta, during which time we opened branches in Edmonton, Lethbridge and Red Deer as well as in Regina and Saskatoon. From 1989 to 1994, he was the Branch Manager, Winnipeg. Between 1978 and 1988, Garry held progressively senior sales positions within our Calgary and then Edmonton branches, prior to a promotion to sales manager in Winnipeg in 1988.