Erin Olson laces up her hockey skates for Team Weyerhaeuser in her free time. But in her day job in Montana as a Wood Products IT business relationship manager, you'll find her in the middle of complex human and technological networks that help keep our work running smoothly.
When Erin Olson took a summer job at Plum Creek the Monday after her high school graduation, she had no idea she was embarking on a career — even though she had deep family connections to the industry.
“I wanted to be an athletic trainer,” she says. “I did that all through high school and thought I'd follow that path one way or another. Then I got coffee one morning on a break at the mill, and everything changed.”
That was the morning Erin volunteered to fill in for some coverage gaps with people on vacation, and it led her down a road into human resources, accounting and ultimately her current home with IT. She’s now a Wood Products IT business relationship manager (BRM) based out of our Montana operations — building teams, connecting with stakeholders and, as she puts it, “making sure all the right people are at the table and in the conversation.”
Whether it’s lining up support for big projects, helping start up a new operation or collaborating across teams, you’ll always find Erin in the middle of the complex human and technological networks that keep work running smoothly. While primarily focusing on Distribution and raw materials, Erin also supports other product lines, working strategically with our four other BRMs. Success in her projects and her propensity to lean in and challenge the status quo earned Erin a 2025 Wood Products Award for Excellence in Technical Support.
“BRMs don’t have customers; we have partners,” she says. “We win together, we lose together.”
MEET ERIN
Your title is business relationship manager. Tell us what you do.
It’s about making sure there’s good alignment between business and IT teams, whether we’re working on road mapping, tactical work, project work or just general issues.
Recently, I’ve been pulled into some of the big programs, including Propel and Aspire. I’ve also helped Distribution with its growth plans, including the opening of our sites in San Antonio; Spokane, Washington; Billings, Montana; and a site we’re building from the ground up in Nashville, Tennessee.
What led you to choose this job?
It chose me! My college summer job was pulling on the green chain at our Kalispell plywood mill, which was owned by Plum Creek at the time. After that, I transferred over to Kalispell lumber. One day I’m getting coffee during my morning break in the main office and overheard a panicked plant manager trying to figure out how he’s going to cover multiple people on vacation.
I said I could probably help. I ended up covering for someone in human resources and another in accounts payable. I started learning systems. I got involved in safety. About a year later, the vice president of Wood Products for Plum Creek called and said, “We've got this IT job opening.” I don't remember if I even knew how to spell IT then, but I said yes. That led to a 19-year career in IT between Plum Creek and Weyerhaeuser.
Tell us what your day is like.
Never the same. Color coding in Outlook is my saving grace! Currently, I’m wrapping up time clock and tablet support related to Aspire. Then I have construction calls for the new Distribution sites, both supporting the build in Nashville and wrapping up Billings and Spokane. And I participate in IT calls for our new TimberStrand® plant we’re building in Monticello, Arkansas, to support both systems and infrastructure.
Most recently, I was appointed the Wood Products IT A.I. Champion, so I'm also learning about the A.I. space so I can better support our Wood Products operations and their technology innovations.
What is your favorite part of the job?
I love the chaos of it. I genuinely love going to work each day.
One thing that’s kind of cool and unique is it's a family affair. My grandpa retired from Columbia Falls plywood. My dad was a production superintendent for multiple Plum Creek mills and later a plant manager for Cascade Hardwood and Collins Pine. Both my brothers worked at MDF and Kalispell lumber and one of them currently is a logger who delivers logs to Weyerhaeuser. My husband Greg has also worked for Weyerhaeuser for the past seven years, first at MDF and currently supporting the build of the Monticello TimberStrand plant.
Tell us something about your job that might surprise people.
It’s hard to explain what a BRM does. We’re often perceived or joked about as managing relationships and buying people coffee. But it's so much more than that. It's strategic, working with a lot of VPs and directors, making sure we have a plan. Providing a conduit and voice into IT to that level of leadership is a big part of my role.
Also, there are five BRMs across Wood Products and Timberlands, and we have 142 years of experience between us.
What advice would you give people who want a job like yours?
Get to know the people you work with and for. Learn the business. Get out and walk a day in operations’ shoes — or finance or audit! Be curious and ask questions. If given a chance to do something, say yes, whether it’s to tour a plant, sit in on an operations call or have dinner with someone outside your business. Our employees are our greatest teachers.
And advocate for yourself. Communicate your career goals to your leadership. Don't wait around to be given an opportunity. Raise your hand while in the coffee line!
What do you like about your team?
I get to be on many teams. My direct team of Wood Products and Timberlands BRMs have deep knowledge of the businesses and the people who lead those operations. They're great resources for me to lean on, learn from and foster cross-business strategy, which helps break down silos. I also get the opportunity to be on many project teams.
Tell us about your other interests. What do you like to do when you're not at work?
My whole family loves and plays hockey: myself, my husband, our 8-year-old daughter, Paige, our 7-year-old son, Jordy, all play. Plus, I’m a born and raised Montanan so I love all things outdoors! We also love being around people. We've yet to run into a chore that takes precedence over an opportunity to hang out with friends and family. Which is probably why our house is always messy!
