Women in Timber: Chidi Adilih-Osim

In our new series of articles for Women in Timber, we highlight the career paths of women across the timber industry.

Each interviewee will share their experiences, pivotal moments and achievements, and insights into their roles, and celebrating the valuable contribution women continue to make within this sector.

In this article, we speak to Chidi Adilih-Osim, the Group Sales Manager of publication titles, Timber Trades Journal (TTJ) and Wood Based Panels International (WBPI).

Name: Chidi Adilih-Osim

Title: Group Sales Manager – TTJ & WBPI Publication Titles

Company: Global Data PLC – TTJ & WBPI Publication Titles.

How long have you been in the industry? 8 years

How you found your way into it? I worked in sales and marketing in media for 16 years including working for The Sunday Times Newspaper until a sales and marketing role to work and manage the commercial operations for TTJ and WBPI titles in construction was presented for me in 2017. I jumped at the opportunity and never looked back.

What was your first role and impressions? I really enjoyed working for the timber trade as a sales executive and then worked my way to Group sales & marketing manager. The original role had all the elements that I had initially learnt over the years as a sales professional. I was able to pitch marketing solutions to my timber clients, also go for company site visits, network and build client relationships face to face at numerous timber industry events.

What was your pivotal moment? I helped curate the first TTJ Women in Timber article for the Timber Trade Journal during our 150th Anniversary in 2023. The article response was incredible and showed that I have a place in the industry to help promote women in timber. TDUK then invited me to be part of WIT committee which I’m so honored to be part of and helped launch our first ever Women in Timber event in Leeds this year.

If you were giving your younger self advice, what would you say? Keep on believing in yourself and in your ability. People will see and appreciate your efforts in time.

Who were your role models – both in and out of the industry? I really love Karen Sussex from TDUK, Genevieve Standaert from Vandecasteele, Tabitha Binding and Camilla Fish from SCA within the trade, outside I have musical heroines like Gwen Stefani, Beyonce and JLo.

What’s the best bit about being a woman in the industry? How encouraging and supportive everyone is to see women in the industry thrive and become successful.

Have you faced any challenges, and if so, how did you overcome them? I experienced an unfortunate encounter with a not so friendly entertainer once at an industry event who targeted me with a bad joke, however the audience didn’t respond well and I was able to speak to the person directly after his set and explain how his joke was perceived to be in bad taste.

I felt proud of myself for tackling the issue head on and was super grateful for the solid support that I had received from all my industry colleagues.

Looking ahead to the future, what’s next for you, your company, and the industry? I’m excited for the future and I wish to grow our TTJ portfolio of marketing solutions for the timber industry. We have launched our new webinar platform for TTJ & WBPI titles, and we are currently growing our audience for TTJ Awards 2026.

I will also be looking to do meet and greets at industry tradeshows for women in timber in 2026, help launch our 2nd WIT event in October 2026 and continue to support growing our community highlighting women in timber causes.

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