
Jamal & Jacob: A long and rewarding collaboration
It’s a potent combination when Jamal Al Ghurair, the principal of Al Khaleej Sugar, the world’s largest standalone sugar refinery and Jacob Robbins of Emeterra, who used to be the world’s largest industrial buyer of sugar, put their heads together. Having co-hosted The Dubai Sugar Conference for several years now, they once again present this premier event, bringing their knowledge, experience, connections and resources together to create a powerful platform for the sugar industry – a platform where opportunity meets action.

Keynote Speaker
We are delighted to announce that Diego Herrera, Chief Executive Officer of the Pantaleon Group, will be the Keynote Speaker at The Dubai Sugar Conference 2025. He will speak on the of theme of the Conference, From Evolution to Revolution – The Road Ahead, and its implications for the sugar world.
Diego leads Pantaleon into the future and its new realities, with a significant emphasis on innovation and embracing new technologies. His thoughts on starting and harnessing a revolution in sugar, building on Pantaleon’s own experience and providing a direction for the wider industry, will be of immense interest to all of us and will set the tone for the Conference.
The Pantaleon Group celebrated 175 years of being in the business of sugar in 2024. A family held corporation founded in 1849, the group is an agro-industrial organization with interests in sugar, energy and real estate. It operates in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Chile and USA. Employing more than 18,000 people, Pantaleon has an annual production of close to 1.1 million tonnes of sugar as well as a range of by-products. The group is among the top 12 sugar producers in the world, and is strongly committed to sustainability and the responsible use of natural resources.
Prior to Pantaleon, Diego was Managing Partner at Atlas Vivienda, a Mexican real estate development company, where he remains a Board Member, and he also worked with BNP Paribas in New York. Diego has had a ringside view of the evolution of the sugar industry confronting change over the years.

The Global Sugar Industry Lifetime Achievement Award
It is our absolute honour and privilege to announce that Khun Isara Vongkusolkit, Honorary Chairman of the Mitr Phol Group, will be conferred The Global Sugar Industry Lifetime Achievement Award at The Dubai Sugar Conference 2025.
Khun Isara’s contribution to the Thai sugar industry has been immense. Under his leadership Mitr Phol consolidated its position as Thailand’s leading sugar producer and successfully built the group’s presence in China, Australia, Laos and Indonesia. Khun Isara became the President of the Mitr Phol Group in 1989. He was Chairman of the company from 2008 to 2020. He also served as Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce from 2013 to 2016.
Mitr Phol is the world’s fourth largest sugar producer and ASEAN’s largest green energy producer. It is ranked by S&P Global as the world’s leading sustainable company in the Food Products Industry.
A visionary who commands great respect in Thailand, Khun Isara is known for his initiatives to improve Thailand’s competitiveness as well as that of SMEs. Reducing inequality has been one of his major concerns. He has been a champion of sustainability and driven the green agenda of Mitr Phol, consistent with the vision of the group to be a world-class sugar and bio-based leader, leveraging innovative technology and people development to create value for a sustainable life for all.
This Award recognizes Khun Isara’s exceptional impact and contributions to the world of sugar.
Thank you, Sponsors!
The Dubai Sugar Conference has a unique ‘by invitation only’ format, which would not be possible without your generous backing and sponsorship of this not-for-profit event. Your role in making this Conference a reality cannot be over-emphasized. This event’s continued success over the years is an affirmation of your faith in the Conference, and your commitment to it.
All roads lead to Dubai
Dubai… always exciting, coolly inventive, classic mix of the old and new, with its inimitable warmth and hospitality. Food, shopping, adventure, entertainment, desert, ocean, sky… what would you like today? Explore the city and its many joys, discover something new every time! Enjoy Dubai.
We look forward to welcoming you at The Dubai Sugar Conference 2025. Here’s to sharing valuable knowledge and insights, and igniting that spark!
Should you wish to be an integral part of it, please contact our Conference Manager Grazia Morelli for value-added sponsorship opportunities.
E-mail: grazia.morelli@thedubaisugarconference.com
Mobile Calls: +966 56 334 7473
WhatsApp (Messages): +971 50 287 8493
Office: +971 4 292 7109
Sponsors
Speakers

JAMAL AL GHURAIR
Managing Director
Al Khaleej Sugar

JACOB ROBBINS
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Emeterra

DIEGO HERRERA
Chief Executive Officer
Pantaleon Group

ISARA VONGKUSOLKIT
Honorary Chairman
Mitr Phol Group

JONATHAN DRAKE
Technical Adviser, Sugar
Golden Agri-Resources

DR CLAUDIU COVRIG
Founder & Lead Agriculture Analyst
CovrigAnalytics

MAURO S J ANGELO
Chief Executive Officer
Alvean

ENRICO BIANCHERI
Head of the Sugar Platform
Louis Dreyfus Company

BERNARDO GAMA RODRIGUES
Head of Sugar
Raízen Energia

JOSE EDUARDO TOLEDO
Global Head of Sugar Trading
COFCO International

DIMITRI VARSANO
Co-Global Head of Sugar Trading
Sucden

TRACEY ALLEN
Senior Commodities Strategist
JP Morgan

JEFF BAUML
Managing Director
J Bauml & Co

EDER VIEITO
Chief Executive Officer
Green Pool Commodity Speacialists

JEREMY AUSTIN
General Director
Sucden do Brasil

VINCENT BAKX
Commercial Director – Sugar Ethanol & Bioenergy
Viterra

RICARDO BUSATO CARVALHO
Commercial Director
bp bioenergy

GUILHERME SCHAEFER FRANCISCO CORREIA
Commercial Director
Louis Dreyfus Company

KONA HAQUE
Group Head of Research
ED&F Man

JAN LAMBREGTS
Head of RaboResearch Global Economics & Markets
Rabobank

MARC BONTER
Senior Trader
Cargill Risk Management

CLAIRE FAJARDY
Derivatives Director
Cargill Risk Management

NEREO RODRIGUEZ
Sales Manager Biopolymer Technology Licenses
Sulzer

SORIN ALBEANU
Head of Commercial
Covantis

ANUP KUMAR
Managing Director
Sucden India

NIRAJ SHIRGAOKAR
Vice President
Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA)

RAVI GUPTA
Director
Shree Renuka Sugars

DEEPAK BALLANI
Director General
Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA)

SANDEEP KADAM
Chairman, EXIM Committee
All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA)

HARSHWARDHAN PATIL
President
National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories

ASHWINI SRIVASTAVA
Joint Secretary – Sugar, Department of Food & Public Distribution
Government of India

ANNIE DENNY
Director General
World Sugar Research Organisation

JOSÉ ORIVE
Executive Director
International Sugar Organization (ISO)

DR DEEPAK DUGAR
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Visolis

MARIO STEINMETZ
Chief Executive Officer
Bionexus

ALEX BATTÙ
Global Licensing Manager
Sulzer Chemtech

SAMIR SOMAIYA
Chairman & Managing Director
Godavari Biorefineries

JASPREET BINDRA
Founder
AI & Beyond and Tech Whisperer

GUILLERMO MEDINA
Chief Digital & Analytics Officer
Pantaleon Sugar Holdings

CHARLOTTE KINGSMAN
Founder
ECRUU Commodities Media Monitoring

KANNIKA VONGKUSOLKIT
Vice President – Trading Business & Risk Management
Mitr Phol Sugar

YATIN WADHWANA
Director
Gradient Commercial

WIM DE WAEGENEER
Director Sugar Sourcing Europe
Barry Callebaut Group

JULIAN PRICE
Executive Director
ACP / LDC Sugarcane Industries Group

ANA STUDEN
Head of Business Development
STUDEN Global

CAROLINE HARFUCH
Structured Derivatives Manager
Olam Agri

MICHAEL LEVITZ
Trading Manager
Sucden Americas

EMELY SALAZAR
Director Commercial
Grupo CASSA

PETER DE KLERK
Senior Economist
International Sugar Organization

JOHN ADAMS
Director of Sugar Research
GlobalData

MARION HOFF
Sales Director Europe
Tereos

JOSIEN HERMANS
Chief Commercial Officer
Cosun Beet Company

ILIJA STUDEN
President & Chief Executive Officer
STUDEN Global

ROBIN SHAW
Sugar Analyst
Marex

ANDY DUFF
Head, Food & Agribusiness Research – South America
Rabobank

ALESSANDRO GARDEMANN
Chief Executive Officer
Geo bio gas&carbon

ANUP JAGWANI
Head, Global Agribusiness & Forestry
International Finance Corporation (IFC)

DR SANJAY AWASTHI
Chief Executive
ISGEC Heavy Engineering

STEPHEN GELDART
Head of Analysis
CZ

ALFREDO NICASTRO
Senior Vice President – Global Head of Carbon Markets
StoneX

DANIELLE MORLEY
Chief Executive Officer
Bonsucro

CARLOS DE MATHIAS MARTINS JUNIOR
Chief Executive Officer
BlockC