Hong began his career at Temple-Inland where he served as a resource utilization specialist and business analyst. In these roles, he provided economic and research analysis services, which were utilized by senior executives to make strategic decisions involving a broad range of issues, opportunities and challenges, including asset securitization, acquisitions and resource management as well as business optimization. Prior to joining TIR in 2003, Hong served as senior investment analyst with Global Forest Partners where he performed global timber acquisition analyses, created a variety of decision support models, and directed the firm’s currency risk management analysis. He is recognized in the timberland investment arena for his measured and comprehensive analysis of the trends and events that drive investment performance and influence the long-term risk and return profile of the timberland asset class. He writes extensively on these and related issues and is frequently consulted by market participants and analysts, including the news media, for his unique and well-informed perspectives. Hong is a graduate of Northwestern University where he received a BS in biology. He also earned an MS in environmental management at Duke University and an MBA at Columbia University. He received his Ph.D. in forest economics at North Carolina State University.