Jamal Al Ghurair, Managing Director and Principal Shareholder of Al Khaleej Sugar (AKS), leads the largest and most energy efficient standalone sugar refinery in the world. Thanks to his vision and drive, Al Khaleej Sugar has expanded capacity from 2,400 tonnes per day in 1995 to over 7,000 tonnes per day, at present. The company’s success as a standalone refinery has surpassed all expectations due to his deep knowledge of the industry and close business relationships with tier one Brazilian suppliers, who have provided AKS with consistently high-quality raw sugar for several years. Al Khaleej Sugar currently contributes 3% of the world’s refined sugar production. Jamal is also the Chairman of Canal Sugar, an integrated agro-industrial project incorporating reclamation and cultivation of around 76,000 hectares. The integrated facility is the world’s largest sugar beet processing plant with an annual production capacity of 900,000 tonnes of premium white sugar. Jamal is also the Vice Chairman of Emirates Investment & Development PSC, a recognized UAE private shareholding firm with a comprehensive portfolio of investments. Concurrently, he manages his own group of companies.

Jacob Robbins is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Emeterra, a Singapore-headquartered enterprise focussed on the food and agri sectors. With its strong emphasis on foodtech and agtech, Emeterra partners with promising companies and globally acclaimed research institutions on disruptive technologies. Its collaborations for novel ingredients address key gaps in the consumer landscape. Emeterra produces a wide range of value-added food – including sugars and sweeteners – for regional and multinational customers. Jacob is a Senior Adviser to Olympus Capital Asia, and also sits on the Boards of foodtech companies such as Ripple Foods. Previously, Jacob spent 20 years in global executive positions with The Coca-Cola Company. In his last role there as Managing Director, overseeing the principal global agricultural commodity spend of the company and its bottlers, he led the world’s largest supply chain of sugar and starch sweeteners, covering over 120 countries. Prior to that, as part of TAS within the Tata Group, he led Tata Steel’s international trading operations for soft commodities. Jacob has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics as well as a degree in Management, complemented by programmes at Wharton and the Harvard Business School.

Diego Herrera is Chief Executive Officer of the Pantaleon Group, a family held corporation founded in 1849, with interests in sugar production, energy and commercial real estate. The group currently employs close to 18,000 people and operates in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Chile and USA. Diego leads Pantaleon into the future and its new realities, with a significant emphasis on innovation and embracing new technologies. Prior to Pantaleon, Diego was Managing Partner at Atlas Vivienda, a Mexican real estate development company, where he remains a Board Member. He has also worked for six years with BNP Paribas in New York. Diego has a Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree from the London Business School.

Isara Vongkusolkit is the Honorary Chairman of the Mitr Phol Group. 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. Completing a Bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, USA, Khun Isara has received several honorary degrees from prestigious universities in Thailand, including an Honorary Doctorate in Agribusiness from Khon Kaen University, an Honorary Doctorate in Post-Harvest and Processing Engineering from Rajamangala University of Technology and a Doctor of Philosophy of Agricultural Research & Development from Kasetsart University.

Jonathan Drake serves as the Technical Adviser for the Sugar division at Golden Agri-Resources. Throughout his career spanning over 35 years in the sugar trading industry, Jonathan has played a pivotal role in shaping and expanding the sugar business for leading companies such as Cargill and the RCMA Group. In 2012, he pioneered the establishment of the sugar trading product line for the RCMA Group, significantly contributing to its ascent as a prominent player in containerized flows of white sugar. This success culminated in the acquisition of the RCMA Group's sugar trading business by Golden Agri-Resources in 2019. Jonathan's contributions extend beyond business development – he also played a key role in founding The Dubai Sugar Conference and remains actively involved in its operations. Jonathan holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master's degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dr Claudiu Covrig is Founder and Lead Agriculture Analyst of CovrigAnalytics, an independent provider of market research, analysis, forecasts, supply & demand, trade flows and policy information for the sugar and ethanol markets. Claudiu’s expertise includes market research, trade flows, forecasts, international arbitrages, futures and swaps trading combined with academic work focussed on management, economics and renewable energy markets and systems. He often serves as a speaker or chairman at international conferences. With over 18 years’ experience, prior to founding CovrigAnalytics, Claudiu worked as a market research analyst and consultant with S&P Global Platts and Kingsman in Switzerland, and traded futures and swaps with Sucden in Geneva. He was also a research associate and university assistant professor in Switzerland and Romania. Claudiu has a PhD degree from Transilvania University of Brasov, with a focus on renewable and conventional energy markets and systems. In addition, he has a Master’s degree in Engineering Design and Management of Renewable Energy Sources and a diploma in Economic Engineering.

Mauro S J Angelo is the Chief Executive Officer of Alvean. He started his career at The Boston Consulting Group and later moved to commodity markets at UBS (formerly Link Investimentos). In 2006, Mauro joined Copersucar in São Paulo as Sugar and Ethanol Trader. In early 2012, he became the Head of Raw Sugar Trading at Copersucar and continued in this position when Copersucar and Cargill formed Alvean in 2014. Since then, he has been based in Geneva. Mauro became Chief Commercial Officer at Alvean in 2019 and assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer in 2023. He also serves as Council Member at The Sugar Association of London (SAL) and is a Member of the World Sugar Committee at ICE Futures US. Mauro holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Finance and Economics.

Enrico Biancheri is the Global Head of Sugar Platform for Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC). Enrico started his career in sugar trading in 2003 at LDC in Brazil as a trader of sugar and ethanol. In 2009, with LDC’s spinoff of Biosev, the second largest sugarcane company in Brazil, he became the Commercial Manager of Biosev, looking after the hedging, marketing and logistics of sugar and ethanol. In 2011, he was appointed Chief Commercial Officer of Biosev overseeing the cane origination division as well as the marketing and risk management for sugar, ethanol and electricity produced by the company. In 2013, he was appointed a Board Member of UNICA, a position he held until 2016. That same year, Enrico moved back to LDC as the Head of Sugar Trading. He holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and a Master of Science degree in Finance.

Bernardo Gama Rodrigues is the Head of Sugar at Raízen Energia, leading both international and domestic markets. With over three decades of experience in the commodities trading industry, Bernardo previously held significant roles, including Global Head of Softs Trading at COFCO Americas Resources and pivotal positions at ED&F Man Sugar and Marcellino Martins & E Johnston. He has managed extensive teams and trading desks, spearheading strategies across sugar and markets. Bernardo holds a degree in Business Administration from Faculdades Integradas Candido Mendes, Brazil.

Jose Eduardo Toledo is Global Head of Sugar Trading at COFCO International. Prior to sugar, he was engaged in fundamental research on the soybean complex at ABIOVE. Eduardo began his career in sugar at Copersucar in 2003, moving to Noble Group in 2008. At Noble, he initially worked on originating sugar in Brazil. In 2012, Eduardo moved to the Stamford office in USA to assist in the coordination of the global physical book. Noble’s agricultural division was acquired by COFCO in 2014, and since 2018, he has been responsible for the sugar trading division for both physical sugar and proprietary trading. Eduardo holds a degree in International Relations from PUC-SP and an MBA from the University of São Paulo.

Dimitri Varsano is Co-Global Head of Sugar Trading at Sucden. He began his career in 2017 as a trader in Sucden Americas following sugar flows in the Latin America region. A year later, he joined Sucden Paris to implement physical and hedging strategies for the global raw sugar book, contributing to its expansion in the past five years. As of January 2024, Dimitri assumed the role of Co-Global Head of Sucden’s sugar trading activities. Alongside his role in sugar, since 2020, Dimitri is a member of the executive committee of Sucden Ventures, the entity dedicated to investing in innovative early-stage growth companies in the food and agricultural sector. He is a graduate of Babson College, Boston.

Tracey Allen is Senior Commodities Strategist at J P Morgan in London. An agricultural economist, Tracey develops the firm’s fundamental and price outlooks across agricultural markets, in addition to her cross-commodity publications. She has worked in an analytical and advisory capacity across global agribusiness from paddock to plate, along with institutional investors and policy makers, and is regularly cited in financial markets press. Prior to joining the global research team of J P Morgan, Tracey was a member of Rabobank’s Research & Advisory team in London and Sydney. She spent much of her early career in the field of climate change and water economics, and her family’s farming background in eastern Australia drives her passion for the agricultural sector.

Jeff Bauml is Managing Director of J Bauml & Co. Starting his career at Philipp Brothers in 1971 as an intern, Jeff ultimately became a Senior Vice President specializing in tropical commodities (coffee, sugar and cocoa), while at the same time having management responsibilities for Latin America operations. After leaving the firm in 1989, he developed a new service concept for the Sugar Trade – one stop brokerage for futures, physicals and freight. Jeff has been an arbiter for the World Sugar Committee of ICE, and was appointed to serve on a US Federal Court panel involving sugar. He has also founded not-for-profit organizations which provide support and aid to ‘at risk’ communities throughout the United States.

Eder Vieito is the Chief Executive Officer of Green Pool Commodity Specialists, an independent analytics and consulting company covering the global sugar and biofuels markets. In addition to the strategic, managerial and administrative aspects of the role, Eder contributes to Green Pool’s statistical research and analysis across sugar and ethanol. He also engages directly with regional and international market participants to monitor market developments. Eder’s career began at Copersucar, one of the world’s leading sugar and ethanol producers. Initially working in the Strategic Planning division, he later headed the company’s Market Intelligence department, responsible for global sugar and ethanol crop and market analysis. In late 2015, he relocated to Brisbane, Australia to lead the biofuels and ethanol arm of Green Pool’s range of analysis, before taking up the role of Chief Executive Officer in early 2024. Eder holds a degree in Economics from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and a postgraduate qualification from Fundação Dom Cabral, also in São Paulo.

Jeremy Austin, General Director of Sucden do Brasil, has been in charge of the company since its inception in 1994. He started working with Sucres et Denrees in October 1985, covering the Brazil market and in 1988, was part of the whole privatization process. Jeremy moved from Paris to Brazil in 2003 to be more closely involved with the sugar industry. He was a Board Member of the FBA, from 2000 to 2005, and Tereos International, from 2010 to 2016. He is also a member of AEXA. Born and educated in UK, Jeremy studied Mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1985 graduated from Oxford University with a Master of Arts and Fluency in French.

Ricardo Busato Carvalho is Commercial Director at bp bioenergy. With around 25 years of experience in executive positions in the sugar and bioenergy sector, Ricardo has held positions of increasing responsibility, gained expertise in global markets and led the commercial function. In his current role at bp bioenergy, he is in charge of the trading & logistics and agricultural business areas with responsibilities that span market intelligence, sugar, ethanol, CBios, bioelectricity and biomass, as well as the management of sugarcane suppliers and partners. Ricardo is a graduate in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Paraná, he has a degree in Agribusiness Management from the Agronomic Institute of Paraná and an MBA in Business Administration from Dom Cabral Foundation.

Kona Haque is Group Head of Research at ED&F Man, responsible for the company’s commodity and macroeconomic research team (including Volcafe Coffee). She joined from Macquarie Bank where she was responsible for agriculture and soft commodities research for seven years. Prior to that, Kona spent four years as Senior Commodities Editor / Economist at the Economist Group. She has also worked for a shipping consultancy as Director of Bulk Commodities and spent four years at Metal Bulletin Research, specializing in base metals. Her other experiences include working as an economist for a grains market information provider and with the United Nations in Rome, Italy. Kona has an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BSc in Agricultural Economics from Reading University.

Jan Lambregts is the Head of RaboResearch Global Economics & Markets at Rabobank. He oversees a worldwide team of analysts and strategists who cover macro, FX, rates, credit, agri-commodities and energy markets for key clients. Before his move to London in 2009 to head up the global team, Jan lived and worked in Singapore and Hong Kong for seven years, covering macro, FX and rates strategy for Rabobank’s clients, with particular focus on Japan and China. A cum laude graduate of Tilburg University in the Netherlands, Jan holds a Master’s degree in Micro / Macro Economics, with further specializations in finance and international trade.

Marc Bonter is a Senior Trader for Cargill Risk Management. Over his 10 plus years at Cargill, he has primarily traded metals, energy and soft commodities. Before joining Cargill, Marc worked as a Proprietary Trader for JP Morgan, as a Commodity Analyst for Goldman Sachs and as Copper Analyst at CRU, all in London. Now part of the Trade Strategy and Analytics team, Marc leverages his experience advising customers on markets and volatility. Marc is an alumnus of Imperial College, London.

Claire Fajardy is Derivatives Director at Cargill Risk Management. Claire joined the team in 2020 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland, where she helps customers across the commodities space manage their price risk. Prior to Cargill, she worked at Engelhart Commodities Trading Partner for over five years. Claire started as a Junior Marketer in Singapore selling bulk feed Grains and Oilseeds to customers in Northeast and Southeast Asia before moving to Stamford, Connecticut, in 2018, where she was a Junior Trader on the Oilseeds desk. Claire has studied Public Administration at Sciences Po Lille and Strategy and International Business at Essec Business School.

Anup Kumar is Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sucden India. In this role, since 2019, he has been instrumental in making Sucden the merchant of choice for sugar mills, industrials and public distribution networks across India. Sucden India connects its varied portfolio of suppliers to global and domestic buyers, and aims to be an efficient supply chain participant, focussing on controlled exposures and financial returns. It delivers these objectives through a motivated high-performance team. Prior to joining Sucden, Anup spent over two decades with Olam International Singapore in different roles, the last of which was as the Head of their white sugar trading team. A voracious reader and an eager traveller, Anup is a Chemical Engineer from IIT Benares and an alumnus of IIM Calcutta.

Gautam Goel is the President of Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) and Managing Director of Dhampur Bio Organics (DBO). Before Dhampur Bio Organics demerged from Dhampur Sugar Mills in April 2021, Gautam was the Managing Director of Dhampur Sugar Mills. He has over 30 years’ experience in the sugar manufacturing business and has been directly responsible for various pioneering initiatives and achievements of the Dhampur Group. Under his leadership, it became one of the largest biomass-based renewable energy producers in India. He was instrumental in implementing India’s first refined sugar manufacturing process, as well as advanced cogeneration plants for renewable energy production. DBO owns and operates three sugar manufacturing units in Uttar Pradesh with a combined capacity of about 30,000 TPD as well as distillery capacity of over 300 KLPD, and generates about 90 MW of renewable power. DBO manufactures a variety of sugars, including raw and refined sugar, and has a special focus on producing high quality pharma grade sugar. Gautam was the President of the Indian Sugar Mills Association in 2012, and also served as the Chairman of Indian Sugar Exim Corporation (ISEC) the same year.

Ravi Gupta is Director on the Board of Shree Renuka Sugars, a prominent global entity specializing in sugar and ethanol production. With a career spanning more than three decades in the agricultural commodities industry, Ravi has held pivotal roles, including that of Managing Director at Noble Agri (now a part of COFCO International) in India, Chief Executve Officer of Australian Wheat Board in India, President of Bajaj Hindusthan and Vice President at Louis Dreyfus in India. A respected figure in the global sugar industry, he plays a key role in shaping the ethanol policy in India. Ravi also serves as Co-Chairman of the committee on WTO, Trade & Investment at the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Member of the Task Force of the Sugar and Ethanol Committee of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Vice Chairman of All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA). Additionally, he is an Executive Member of the Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) and an Executive Committee Member of the West Indian Sugar Mills Association (WISMA).

Deepak Ballani is the Director General of the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA). Deepak has over 25 years of diverse experience in public policy, government affairs and organizational management. He drives growth and innovation within the sector, especially as the industry navigates evolving policies on ethanol and bio-energy aimed at reducing import dependence and achieving energy security for India. Before joining ISMA, Deepak was the Director General of the All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA), where he led significant advancements in policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement and operational efficiency. His career includes notable positions with organizations such as PwC India, UNIDO and the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), where he focussed on projects related to energy efficiency, technology transfer and international business development. Deepak holds a postgraduate degree in International Trade Management.

Sandeep Kadam is Chairman of the EXIM Committee of the All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA). His primary role is that of Managing Director, in charge of trading of sugar and other soft commodities for South Asia – India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan – at ED&F Man. Sandeep joined ED&F Man as an Analyst in 2012. After a successful stint in research, he was asked to take on trading and management responsibilities for ED&F Man India. Sandeep started his research career in 2010 with Noble Agri (now COFCO Agri) covering sugarcane, cotton, coffee and major field crops for India, Australia and North Africa. He continues to leverage his extensive experience and expertise to drive strategic growth initiatives. Sandeep holds a postgraduate degree in Agri Business Management.

Harshwardhan Patil is the President of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories, New Delhi, representing 259 cooperative sugar mills and nine state sugar federations of India. He is also the Chairman of Indian Sugar Exim Corporation. Harshwardhan is the Founder Chairman of Nira Bhima Cooperative Sugar Factory, Chairman of Karmyogi Shankarravji Patil Cooperative Sugar Factory and Chairman of Dudhganga Utpadak Sangh Maryadit, all in Pune, Maharashtra. He has held several portfolios in the government, and was the Minister of State, Agriculture, Fruit Production and Water Conservation, Maharashtra, in 1995 and 1999. Harshwardhan has served as Chairman, National Committee of Agriculture Marketing Reforms Initiatives, Government of India, which was formed to bring reforms in the agriculture sector. With his vast experience and knowledge in the agricultural and cooperative sectors, Harshwardhan’s expertise in providing the right inputs and framing strategies for the design and implementation of reforms in these sectors is widely acknowledged.

Annie Denny is Director General of the World Sugar Research Organization (WSRO). Annie has worked in nutrition roles for over 20 years, spanning the food industry, food retail, charity roles and media work. She is a passionate believer in communicating science to individuals in understandable language. At WSRO, Annie’s motto is “Research isn’t finished until it’s communicated”. Annie joined WSRO as Director General in 2020. She leads a team of nutrition scientists who research the latest evidence on sugars and health, keeping WSRO’s members up to speed with international scientific and health policy developments on sugars and health. Annie trained in Nutrition at Newcastle University in the UK and holds a Master’s in International Nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

José Orive has been the Executive Director of the International Sugar Organization (ISO) since 2014. Based in London, José directs the activities of the ISO, a UN commodities organization with 87 member countries, providing professional services, market analysis and perspectives for all stakeholders in the sugar chain. The scope of this role extends to anything produced from cane or beet, including biofuels, cogeneration of energy, bio-plastics and by-products. Prior to this, for nearly two decades, he was the Executive Director of the Central American Sugar Association (AICA), representing the sugar sector of Central America in international forums, trade negotiations and before governments. Prior to his tenure at AICA, José was a Partner in the legal firm of Arias & Muñoz at the Guatemala office.

Mario Steinmetz is the Chief Executive Officer of Bionexus, a division of the Pantaleon Group, a leading agro-industrial organization dedicated to the processing of sugarcane for the production of sugar, molasses, alcohols and energy. Pantaleon operates in several countries including Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Chile and USA, and is recognized as a leader in sugar production in Central America. Prior to this, Mario was Executive Director of Biorigin, a Brazilian company and part of Zilor, specializing in food ingredients and animal nutrition. Under his leadership, Biorigin expanded its international presence, including the acquisition of the North American company, PTX Food Corporation. This acquisition was part of its strategy to enhance its offerings in the global market, focussing on innovative solutions based on yeasts. Beginning his career in the agro-industrial and biotechnology sectors, Mario has always been committed to innovation and sustainability, driving advancements in both the agro-industrial and biotechnology fields. He has a degree in Business Administration (CEAG) from FGV – Fundação Getulio Vargas, preceded by a degree in Food Engineering from Universidade Estadual de Campinas.

Samir Somaiya is the Chairman and Managing Director of Godavari Biorefineries and President of Somaiya Vidyavihar. He is the current President of Indian Merchants Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Previously, he was the President of the Indian Sugar Mills Association in 2009, and the Chairman – Western Region – of the Indian Chemical Council from 2006 to 2008. With sales of over US$ 240 million, Godavari Biorefineries is engaged in the manufacture of sugar, ethanol, renewable energy, chemicals, biogas and compost, all from agricultural resources. More than 70% of the company’s inputs are from renewable resources. The company works extensively with 20,000 small farmers in over 200 villages to help improve productivity, yields and standard of living. Samir holds an MBA and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University as well as a Master’s degree and a BSc degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, where he is a visiting instructor. He is a recipient of the American Institute of Chemists Award (1990) and of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Award for Scholastic Achievement (1989). Samir was made Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy in 2022.

Jaspreet Bindra is the Founder and Managing Director of Tech Whisperer UK, which does advisory and consulting work on digital transformation and digital technologies, such as AI, Blockchain and the Future of Work. He is the author of the best-selling book ‘The Tech Whisperer: On Digital Transformation and the Technologies that Enable it', and writes a fortnightly column on technology and business for Mint. Jaspreet was recognized as the inaugural ‘Digitalist of the Year’ by Mint and SAP in 2017; he is a Global Moderator / Educator for Harvard Business School, Educator for Duke, Expert at Singularity University, Visiting Faculty at Ashoka University and was a Scholar-in-Residence at the Indian School of Business. He started his career with the Tata Group, as part of TAS, and later was the Group Chief Digital Officer at the Mahindra Group, a US$ 20 billion conglomerate, and a Regional Director at Microsoft India. Jaspreet is a Chemical Engineer with an MBA in International Business, followed by a Master’s in AI, Ethics and Society from Cambridge University.

Guillermo Medina assumed the role of Chief Digital and Analytics Officer at Pantaleon Sugar Holdings, in August 2024. His focus will be on integrating AI technologies to optimize operations and unlock new growth opportunities in the agro-industrial sector. Previously, Guillermo was Chief Financial and Strategy Officer at Pantaleon Sugar Holdings, where he managed assets worth approximately US$ 1.8 billion, steering the company’s financial strategy across USA, Chile, Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Prior to that, he was Co-Chief Investment Officer at Applied Resources, Chief Investment Officer at Spectrum and Chief Disruption Officer at TPG Quest. Guillermo embraces the role of disruptor, driving transformation and aligning growth with world-class operational practices. An active venture investor, he is passionate about propelling innovation and leveraging technology, particularly in AI, to optimize shareholder value. Guillermo has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Engineering from Queen’s University, Canada and a Master’s degree in Applied Economics and Business from Mays Business School – Texas A&M University, followed by an executive programme in Corporate Level Strategy from Harvard Business School.

Kannika Vongkusolkit is Vice President – Trading Business and Risk Management in the International Marketing department at Mitr Phol Sugar, Thailand. She joined the company in 2009 as a researcher in the Futures Market department. Kannika later moved to the International Marketing team, handling export sales to major traders as well as overseas industrial buyers. After gaining experience in various departments within the company, including Finance and Corporate Sustainability divisions, she moved back to the International Marketing team in 2022 to head the Raw Sugar Trading and Futures Trading team. Having worked closely with cane farmers, she believes that building relationships with them is the key to sustainable cane supply which in turn leads to sustainable growth in the business. Kannika started her career as an analyst for a local market research company specializing in consumer products. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (English Programme) from Thammasat University in Thailand and a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Bath, UK.

Michael Levitz is Trading Manager at Sucden Americas, responsible for the physical trading in the Americas excluding Brazil. Michael started his career in sugar in 1982 as a physical broker in London. He joined ED&F Man in 1996 working in the London, New York and Miami offices until 2018, focussing primarily on the sourcing of sugar from Latin America. After working for a couple of years at Glencore, he joined the Sucden Group in 2020. Michael holds a BS and an MBA from The Ohio State University.

Andy Duff is Head of Food and Agribusiness Research – South America, at Rabobank. Based in São Paulo, Brazil, he is responsible for the bank’s analysis of international and national sugar markets and for research relating to specific transactions involving sugar. Before joining Rabobank in January 2001, Andy worked as a specialist in sugar for LMC International. Andy has a BA (Honours) degree in Applied Biology from Cambridge University and a Master’s in Agricultural Economics from Reading University.

Alessandro Gardemann is Chief Executive Officer of Geo bio gas&carbon. Alessandro founded Geo in 2008 with a team of entrepreneurs, who were driven by the advancement of biodigestion technology, particularly in Europe, and the potential of biogas in the green and renewable energy production chain in Brazil, along with the resultant reduction in carbon emissions. Since then, Geo has combined the efficient gas generation concept with the potential of Brazilian agribusiness, establishing Brazil's first industrial-scale biogas plant in the sugar-energy sector. The company is committed to solutions from the use of renewable carbon, including the production of biogas and advanced biofuels, and the generation of clean electrical energy. Geo uses biogenic carbon as high-quality raw material for high-value-added products, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and biomethanol. Alessandro co-founded the Brazilian Association of Biogas (ABiogás) in 2013. He was ABiogás’s Vice Chairman from 2013 to 2018 and Chairman from 2019 to 2023, and remains a Member of its Board. Alessandro has been an Endeavor Entrepreneur since 2015. Previously, he worked in finance, covering areas such as mergers and acquisitions, and public equity markets. He has a degree in Business Administration from Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo da Fundação Getulio Vargas (EAESP FGV). Currently, he is in the process of completing the Integrated USP, UNICAMP & UNESP Doctoral Programme in Bioenergy.

Anup Jagwani is Head of Global Agribusiness & Forestry at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). IFC is a member of the World Bank Group, and is the largest global development institution focussed on the private sector in emerging markets. Owned by 186 member countries and consistently rated AAA/Aaa, IFC aims to achieve its mission of promoting development by providing debt and equity to the private sector, through a range of benchmark and bespoke products. Anup has extensive experience in agribusiness and climate having spent over two decades in these sectors. He is responsible for the framing and implementation of IFC’s engagement in the agri space, and in his previous climate role he helped shape IFC’s Climate Change Action Plan, climate finance and Paris Alignment. Anup has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and an MBA from both the Asian Institute of Management and The Wharton School.

Dr Sanjay Awasthi is Chief Executive of ISGEC Heavy Engineering, the world's largest supplier of sugar plants and machinery. Over the past three decades, Sanjay has held several key positions in the sugar industry. At ISGEC, he has planned, designed and executed over 150 sugar plants, distilleries and sugar refineries in India as well as in several countries around the world. On the domestic front, Sanjay is President of The Sugar Technologists’ Association of India (STAI), while internationally, he is Chairman of the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ISSCT). In this role, he is associated with various other international organizations, such as the Philippines Sugar Technologists’ Association (Philsutech) and Sugar Industry Technologists (SIT). Sanjay is a Member of the Sugar Development Fund Sub-Committee of the Government of India, Member of the Sugar Advisory Board, Member of the National Sugar Institute, Member of the Sugar Standard Committee, a member of the CII Green Sugar Advisory Group and a member of the Panel of Referees for International Sugar Journal, London (ISJ) and Sugartech Journal. He has published more than 200 research papers in the domain of sugar technology. Sanjay has a postgraduate degree in Sugar Technology from the National Sugar Institute, India, and a Master’s in Production Management. He is a gold medallist from the National Sugar Institute, where he completed a Fellowship in Bio CNG production, and has an Honorary Doctorate from the World Human Rights Protection Commission

Stephen Geldart is Head of Analysis at CZ. Since joining CZ in 2008, Stephen has been leading the analysis team which provides leading-edge insights into the products CZ handles across the agriproduct, food, ingredients packaging and energy sectors. The team underpins CZ’s strategic consultancy work, supports the physical trading & corporate finance businesses and feeds into risk management services for major commodity producers, processors and end-users – all of which are delivered via CZ’s online platform. Before joining CZ, Stephen began his career in the oil refining industry. He holds an MSci in Chemistry from Imperial College London.

Alfredo Nicastro is Senior Vice President – Global Head of Carbon Markets at StoneX. In this capacity, he provides leadership to the climate solutions division, focussing on helping clients access carbon markets and achieve their climate mitigation goals. Prior to joining StoneX, Alfredo served as Senior Vice President of Operations at MGM Innova Group, a pioneer of the carbon markets and one of the large developers of offsets under compliance and voluntary markets, leading project origination, development and climate financing throughout the world. Previously, he was Executive Vice President at CH2M Hill, where he led the environmental, energy and industrial systems business in Latin America. Alfredo is a senior climate and environmental professional with expertise and proven record in the development and monetization of climate mitigation projects. He holds a Civil Engineering degree from the School of Engineering of Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia, Brazil, and postgraduate qualifications from the University of Michigan, USA.

Danielle Morley is the Chief Executive Officer of Bonsucro, an international membership organisation which is the leading global organization for sustainability in sugarcane. Danielle has worked in sustainability for 25 years, across a range of sectors, including palm oil, water, climate and human rights. Prior to her appointment at Bonsucro in 2018, Danielle was European Director of Outreach and Engagement at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and Executive Director of the Freshwater Action Network at WaterAid. She also sits on the Board of ISEAL, the global membership organization for credible sustainability standards. Danielle is a qualified English lawyer and holds an MSc in Environmental Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Law.

Carlos de Mathias Martins Junior is the Chief Executive Officer of BlockC. The company was founded by Carlos in 2019, providing a platform that offers decarbonization solutions to corporations. He has been an active investor in carbon credits and renewable energy for over 20 years. Carlos is also the Founding Partner of Eqao and Ecopart, which are Brazilian companies focussed on the development and financing of renewable energy and emissions reduction projects. Since early 2000, Eqao has advised corporate clients in matters related to climate change and carbon credits, while Ecopart has invested in renewable energy companies spanning wind to biogas, biomass to energy. More recently, Carlos was appointed Chairman of the Board of ACX Brazil, a leading environmental asset trading platform. Carlos holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of São Paulo and an MBA from Columbia Business School.