Leadership

Sunny Verghese is Group CEO of Olam, and post the re-organisation of the Group announced on 20 January 2020, he holds charge as CEO of Olam Agri and the Remaining Businesses of Olam Group.

Sunny Verghese was with the Kewalram Chanrai Group (KC Group) for over two decades and in 1989 was mandated to start the Company with a view to building an agricultural-products business for the KC Group. Before joining the KC Group, he worked for Unilever in India.

From 2018 to 2021 Sunny Verghese was Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the global, CEO-led organisation dedicated to accelerating the transition to a sustainable world.

Mr Verghese previously chaired CitySpring Infrastructure Management Pte Ltd, a listed Business Trust in Singapore and was also a Commissioner of the Business and Sustainable Development Commission (BSDC). He has won several awards including ‘Outstanding Chief Executive’ at the Singapore Business Awards in 2007, ‘Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ for Singapore in 2008 and ‘Best CEO of the Year 2011’ at the Singapore Corporate Awards. He was also awarded the Public Service Medal by the Government of the Republic of Singapore in 2010.

Muthu joined Olam in July 1997 as Finance Manager of Olam Benin. Since then he has held a number of roles including Group Head of IT and Shared Services and Head of Corporate Affairs..

Muthu obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Madras University, India, and qualified as an Associate member of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India. He has also completed the Advanced Management Programme from Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania.

Jayant Parande leads the Finance & Treasury teams, as well as heading Trade and Structured Finance (TSF).

Jayant joined Olam in 1995, as CFO of Olam Nigeria. He was transferred to the Corporate Headquarters at Singapore in 1998 as Co-Head of Corporate Finance and took over his current treasury role in April 2001.

Prior to joining Olam, Jayant worked for an edible oils & consumer products company in Mumbai, India from 1991 to 1995 in the Corporate Finance and Treasury departments.

He is a graduate in Commerce & Economics from the University of Bombay, India and a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Ashok is the CEO of Olam Agri's Fibre, Agri-Industrials and Ag Services.

Ashok joined Olam in 1994 in Benin, West Africa, and went on to lead Olam’s expansion into Southeast Asia. He has been with the company for 28 years and has deep and varied experience across businesses and functions. He has held several different roles, including Country Head for Indonesia, Regional Controller for Southeast Asia, Global Head of Risk Management and Global Head of the Cotton, Edible Oils & Sugar businesses. In his current role, he heads the Cotton, Rubber, Wood Products, Funds and Risk Management Solutions businesses. Ashok is a Director on the Board of the International Cotton Association, a member of the Better Cotton Council and a member of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) Rubber Committee.

Saurabh Mehra is the Segment Head for Food & Feed Processing & Value-Added at Olam Agri. Under his leadership, our Wheat Milling & Pasta business is now amongst the top ten of its kind in the world, the market leader in all our countries of operation, and the largest wheat miller in Africa.

Saurabh joined Olam in 1999 and has held a variety of roles including Country Manager of Ghana, and Cocoa Beans Trader based out of our London office.  He moved to Nigeria in 2009 and oversaw the acquisition of our first wheat mill – Crown Flour Mill, subsequently becoming Managing Director.

Before joining Olam, Saurabh worked at Colgate Palmolive (India) for two years, where he developed his knowledge of front-line sales, managing sales in the states of Punjab and Himanchal.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering – Electronics & Communication – from Delhi College of Engineering, and an MBA in Marketing & Finance from the Management Development Institute, India.

Devashish Chaubey is Global Head of Rice, Speciality Grains and Seeds, a role he has held since 2014. He is responsible for developing and managing these businesses, and their regional teams globally.

He joined Olam, Côte d’Ivoire in 1994. He has held various roles including Country Head of Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali. He relocated to Singapore in 2000 as a global product head, moving to a regional head role in South and SE Asia in 2012, leading to his current role.

Devashish graduated in Economics with Honours from the University of Delhi. He also holds an MBA from the Xavier School of Management (XLRI) in India.

Gurpreet Dhaliwal is the Segment Head for Food & Feed Origination & Merchandising.

Gurpreet joined Olam in 2001 in Nigeria, where he handled Sesame, moving on to Rice Distribution in 2003. In 2005, he relocated to India, where he developed Commodity Financing for ICICI Bank, a leading private sector bank. He moved back to work with Olam in 2007, where he took on responsibility for Timber Marketing in Europe.

He graduated in Management from the Insitute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) India.

Azeez Syed is President and Regional Head of our cotton business and responsible for the trading and supply chain businesses in both North and South America. He has been involved in the cotton industry for over 21 years, and has a profound understanding of the industry, bringing experience from international bodies and associations.

He joined Olam in 1998, beginning his career in CIS, where he helped build the company’s leadership position in Central Asia and Mediterranean regions. He moved to Singapore in 2007 and has held various roles, setting up trading and marketing operations in China, and managing Olam’s US, Brazil and India Cotton operations.

Azeez has been an active member of the ICA (International Cotton Association) and was elected to the Board of Directors in October 2014. He is also a Director on the Board of American Cotton Shippers Association, having previously held the position of President between 2019 and 2021.

Prior to joining Olam, Azeez worked for five years with the Gillette group of companies in various sales and marketing roles, and with Grindwell Norton Ltd. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad, and a Master’s in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi.