Chief Executive Officer
Malaysian Palm Oil Council

Belvinder Kaur Sron is the Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), leading global strategies to promote and protect Malaysian palm oil. With over 30 years of senior management experience in marketing, communications, and policy advocacy, she has been instrumental in strengthening Malaysia’s position in key international markets and addressing geopolitical and regulatory challenges.

Notably, she led successful efforts to defeat Australia’s “Truth in Palm Oil Labelling Bill” and France’s “Nutella Tax,” both of which threatened the industry’s reputation and trade. She has also been a vocal advocate defending the industry against discriminatory measures such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), ensuring Malaysia’s voice is heard in global sustainability and trade discussions.

Beyond MPOC, Belvinder has served on the boards of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) and was appointed by the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) to serve on the Malaysia–India CEO Forum (MICEOF). She was appointed in 2025 to the Advisory Council on Nation Building by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). She is a member of the Incorporated Society of Planters (ISP) and has previously served as an Editorial Committee Member and Panel Reviewer for the ISP.

She holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde and has completed the Harvard Executive Programme. Through her leadership, Belvinder continues to champion sustainability, expand global market access, and ensure fair representation for Malaysia’s palm oil sector.

Chief Sustainability Officer, Wilmar International Limited
Chief Executive Officer, FFM Berhad

Jeremy Goon is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Wilmar International and the Chief Executive Officer at FFM Berhad. He has extensive knowledge and experience in edible oils processing operations, trading, brand management and marketing, having previously been the Head of European Operations for Kuok Oils & Grains, based in Germany and Netherlands, as well as the Group Head of Plantations at Wilmar.

Having held the Sustainability and CSR portfolio since 2007, Jeremy is responsible for driving the implementation of Wilmar’s No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation (NDPE) policy. He has successfully steered Wilmar towards being industry leaders, with Wilmar receiving various global recognitions for its progress in sustainability.

Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Management Science & Law from Keele University, United Kingdorm.
 

Cheif Executive Officer
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

JD is the Chief Executive Officer of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the world's leading organisation dedicated to ensuring the sustainable production of palm oil and associated products. He and his team lead efforts to balance economic growth, environmental stewardship, and social equity, working to make sustainably certified palm oil globally available.

JD also serves on the Board of ISEAL and is an independent non-executive director for Climate Governance Malaysia. In these roles, he provides strategic guidance on sustainability initiatives and supports efforts to enhance climate governance and responsible practices across private and public sectors.

Prior to these roles. JD was an official of the United Nations, serving most recently as Special Advisor for Strategic Planning and Innovation at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He led a team exploring the future of sustainable development with governments and communities around the world, including through UNDP's Accelerator Lab Network. JD also led the design and implementation of UNDP's Strategic Plans and a range of transformation, future, and innovation initiatived from UNDP's headquarters in New York.

He previously served as Co-Chair of the Global Future Council on Global Public Goods in the Fourth Industrial Revolution at the World Economic Forum, where he led efforts to shape the Forum's strategy for advancing global public goods, leveraging technology and sustainability to protect, enhance, and expand these resources for the benefit of humanity.

JD has served in a range of other roles in UNDP, advising governments and communities on issues including the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. urbanisation, inclusive and equitable growth strategies, environmental sustainability, and early recovery from crises and disasters. As part of UNDP's Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, JD also led UNDP's global tast team on urbanisation.

Born in Malaysia, JD has studied in Malaysia, Australia, and the United Kingdom and holds degrees in politics, economics, and international development. He started his career as a management consultant working on business strategy, feasibility analysis, privatisations and sector strategies.


joseph.dcruz@gmail.com / jdcruz@rspo.org

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
SUMWIN Group

A seasoned Technocrat with Senior Management and Leadership roles over 38 years, with experience in FMCG, Oils & Fats, Oleo-chemicals, Nutraceuticals & Biofuels.

Unnithan has Co-Founded DIBIZ (A cloud based Block Chain powered Collaborative Supply Chain Platform (www.dibizglobal.com)) for real time traceability and sustainability authentication of supply chains.

Unnithan is also the Founder & CEO of SUMWIN Group (www.sumwinglobal.com) headquartered in Singapore with operations in Malaysia and India. SUMWIN is invloved in creating novel products and proprietary technologies based on R&D commercialization and provides a 360 degree solution from "Concept to Market". In just 8 years since start up in August 2016, SUMWIN has come up with 6 Technologies that will have a huge impact on value addition to the Palm Oil Industry.

Prior to starting his own venture, he was heading CAROTINO a Palm Oil downstream business as Executive Director for 22 years.

Unnithan has also led the Malaysian Biodiesel Association (MBA) since it inception and has been the President of MBA since 2010.

Unnithan has an excellent Engineering background and is a Gold Medallist at the MBA program from the National University of Singapore and an Advanced Management Program graduate from the Harvard Business School.

He has been decorated with the following recognitions:

1. Distinguished Alumnus of ICT (India's Premier Chemical Technology Institute)
2. Fellow of The Institution of Chemical Engineers, UK (FIChemE)
3. Fellow of the Malaysian Institute of Management (FMIM)
4. GOld Medal at the MBA Program from National University of Singapore
5. Has been a member of MPOB's PAC (2010-2016)
6. Member of MPOC's Technical & Marketing Promotion Sub-committee for Americas
7. He has 5 Patents in the field of Oils & Fats with a few more that are Patent Pending
8. Awarded The Distinguished Toastmaster Title in 2017
9. Lifetime Achievement Award by MOSTA (Malaysian Oil Scientists & Technologies Association) in 2024

He is a sought out speaker and has delivered talks at over 200 conferences around the world during his career.

 

Head of Vegoils & Biofuels Research
Ceras Analytics

Director of Operations and Broker
HB International and Oleoline Group

Samuel Chevigny is the Director of Operations and Broker at HB International and Oleoline Group, with over 16 years of experience in the global oleochemical industry (glycerine, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and feedstocks). He is involved in transactions exceeding 700KT per year across the HBI Group. His expertise is in international sourcing, market intelligence, and strategic brokerage.

He is widely recognized for building global networks and driving growth through analytical, transparent, and relationship-driven execution. He is also the Chairman & a Speaker at the Oleoline Oleochemical Conferences. Outside of the office, he is a happy father of three dynamic children.

Chairman IRGA Sdn Bhd & Advisor to RSPO

A veteran of the agro-commodity industry with over 60 years professional experience in the executive management of business operations within the plantation tree crop commodity sector. 

Having served for 35 years, he retired as Director and Head of Plantations of Franco-Belgian multi-national, SOCFIN COMPANY BHD in 1995.

He was the start-up Chief Executive of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) and served this umbrella entity tasked with the function of balancing the needs and interests of the various sectors for synergy and development of the Malaysian plantation sector, from 1999 to 2005.

He was involved in the formation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2003 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable palm products through credible global certification standards & engagement of all stakeholders. Appointed as the Chairman of the first RSPO meeting in 2003, elected as a Vice-President during 2004/2005 term and currently the Advisor to RSPO.

Over the years he has held responsible positions in the agro-commodity sector and continues to serve the industry as non-executive director and commissioner, and also in an advisory and consultancy capacity to various business ventures and trade associations, at both regional and international level.

He was educated at King's College South Australia and a graduate of University of Adelaide in Agricultural Economics & Technology and has been honoured with the Fellowship awards of the Incorporated Society of Planters (FISP), the Malaysian Oil Scientists' & Technologists’ Association (FMOSTA), the British Institute of Management( FBIM), The Malaysian Institute of Management (FMIM) and the Honorary Membership of RSPO.

• Mapak Edible Oils (Pvt.) Ltd. (Edible Oil Refinery)
• Mapak Qasim Bulkers (Pvt.) Ltd. (Bulk Storage Terminal)
• FWQ Enterprises (Pvt.) Ltd. (LCT) (Dedicated Jetty)

• Dalda Foods Limited (Leading Brand Ghee / Cooking Oil)
• Bulk Management (Pakistan) Pvt. Ltd. (Leading exporters of Rice)
• Pakistan Malaysia Business Council

Head of Foreign Affairs Division
Indonesian Palm Oil Association

Dr. Fadhil Hasan is the Head of Foreign Affairs Division of Indonesian Palm Oil Association / GAPKI. Previously he was the Executive Director of GAPKI from 2009 to 2017. Currently, Dr. Fadhil Hasan is an Advisor of PT Inti Indosawit Subur (Asian Agri Group).
 
Dr. Fadhil Hasan held various positions previously among other as Director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) and Director of Standardization and Smallholder Development of Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) and Member of National Committee for Economy and Industry (KEIN). Dr. Fadhil Hasan graduated from Bogor Agricultural University, and earned Master of Science from Iowa State University, USA and Ph.D from University of Kentucky, USA majoring in Agricultural Economics.

Founder & CEO
Global Protein AG

Emily French has been a part of the world’s agriculture revolution for nearly 30 years as a trader, analyst and investment banker. In 2009, she left the banking sector and started her own firm (what is now Global Ag Protein) and resides in Washington, DC; or wherever her laptop is. Her daily and weekly analytical market reports are direct, clear, concise and opinionated: anchored in experience, money at risk and decades of sleepless nights. Clients include non-U.S. commercial importers and end users, investment banks, hedge funds, U.S. producer associations and global commodity exchanges with a sole focus on the soy complex and grains analysis. Ms. French is a noted global speaker as she draws on her extensive fundamental work and story-telling ability to deliver compelling presentations on the global agricultural landscape and its future.

China CNF Business Director – Oils & Oilseeds
CASC Greater China Grains, Oilseeds and Oils
Cargill Investments (China) Ltd

Ryan Chen works in Cargill Investment (China) Co., Ltd. Mr. Chen has 17 years trading and research experience in vegetable oil and oilseeds sector. He graduated in Finance and Investment, Master of Arts and started his career with Louis Dreyfus Company as an vegetable oil analyst/trader. Prior to joining Cargill, Mr. Chen also worked in Julong Group, Chinatex Corporation and Macquarie Group, and stationed in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and China.

Managing Director
Glenauk Economics
 
Dr Julian McGill is the Managing Director of Glenauk Economics. Glenauk is an advisory firm focusing on the economics of crops, agricultural commodities and their value chains.
 
Based in Kuala Lumpur, his research focuses on oilseeds, palm oil and the lauric oils as well as their many downstream derivatives in food, speciality fats, oleochemicals, feed and biofuel.
 
Dr McGill also has a longstanding interest in yield intensification in tropical oil crops. He is on the advisory board of the Sustainable Coconut Partnership and a member of the Incorporated Society of Planters.
 
Prior to founding Glenauk Economics, he started his career with LMC International where he established the Kuala Lumpur office.
 
Dr McGill holds an M.A. (Honours) in Economics from the University of Edinburgh and completed his PhD at the University of Oxford

Head of Derivatives Product Development
Bursa Malaysia

Ryan Long is the Head of Derivaties Product Development at Bursa Malaysia. He is responsible for expanding and improving derivaties product offerings of the Exchange.

Ryan brings more than 25 years of experience in the derivatives market. Over the years, he had assumed different roles within the industry in Malaysia and Singapore, which include physical/OTC market broking and trading, institutional futures dealing, commodity risk management, as well as proprietary trading prior to joining Bursa Malaysia.

He is currently a member of the Price Review Committee of the Malaysian Rubber Exchange (MRE).

Chief Executive Officer
Paper Trader Platform Pte Ltd

Paul Bloemendal, a distinguished Enterprise Risk Management & Strategic Reframing Specialist, spearheads transformative initiatives through his companies, the Paper Trader Platform Pte Ltd and PRETB Pte Ltd in Singapore and Bloemendal Consults BV in the Netherlands.
 
With a rich background as a seasoned commodity trader, he has successfully overseen agricultural sourcing, shipping, and trading desks at renowned entities such as Cargill, Noble Group (now COFCO Agri), Ruchi Soya (now Patanjali Foods), and various risk management service providers like, particularly excelling in the realm of edible oils.
 
Paul's influence extends beyond the trading floor, as evidenced by his role as an expert witness for arbitration and court cases globally.
 
He has often shared his expertise as a sought-after speaker at events like the Globoil conferences and in collaboration with BMD/MPOC.
 
Moreover, his strategic insights benefit industry giants, as he serves as a valued external consultant for firms such as McKinsey Inc and Pepsi Co.
 
His focus on agricultural markets, edible oils, and chemicals globally underscores his commitment to providing innovative solutions in strategic sourcing and risk management.
 
Beyond consultancy, Paul is a dynamic entrepreneur, investor, and pre-seed start-up mentor.
Notably, his most active venture, the Paper Trader Platform, stands as a cutting-edge fintech tool revolutionizing the commodity trade by seamlessly integrating price discover, trade execution, (counterparty) risk management and control systems for physical commodities.
 
Paper Trader is currently thriving in Asia, South(ern) Africa and is poised for further expansion into the Palm oil and Lauric oil markets in the coming months via partners in the Philippines, China, India and Vietnam. As it’s CEO it is reflecting Paul's ongoing commitment to pioneering advancements in the industry.