Dr. Michael (Mike) Burnard was born in the USA where he worked in the forest sector for more than a decade. In 2013, Mike moved to Slovenia to complete his PhD. Now, Mike is the deputy director of the InnoRenew CoE, a research organisation creating solutions for sustainable construction with renewable materials. His research interests are focused on enhancing human health and using wood in the built environment as well as advancing sustainability through intelligent use of renewable resources, particularly in buildings. Mike also works in many other areas including business management, innovation, data science, and ICT. During his professional career in the US, Mike was a board member (6 years) and President (1 year) of the Portland Wholesale Lumber Association. He is now President InnovaWood, an international network of wood education and research organisations. Mike is an associate professor at the University of Primorska in Slovenia where he teaches and mentors students in sustainability, data science, ethics, and human health in the built environment.