Request Expert

Expert is a Senior Management professional focused on nurturing businesses, while ensuring profitable growth. In the past 25 years, he has honed his skills in Agri business, running efficient Supply Chains, Strategic Purchasing, Country P&L Management, Commodities Trading, Origination, Food and food processing, and Out-grower farming, all in the context of Sub Saharan Africa and India. Apart from business roles, the undersigned has also led his previous organization in sustainable agriculture, product certification and supply chain traceability.

His experience rests heavily on setting up new businesses from their infancy to large scale, and building the systems, processes and manpower to support both short term needs and long-term goals. He wishes to work with high growth companies / organizations that are willing to take risks, explore new ways, are socially responsible and believe in sustainability.
Apart from P&L delivery, also keenly interested in product certification, sustainable agri business and supply chain traceability.

Regional leadership, driving organization growth and profitability:
• Turned around Olam Zimbabwe from the brink of closure in 2013. Steadied existing revenue streams, started three businesses and delivered four straight profitable years.
• Commodity trading and Managing P&L– Customer & supplier focus, continuously seeking ways to grow profitably, deciding hedging strategies and managing risks.
• Collaborating with 30,000 farmers, improving team & processing capabilities and traded more than 25,000 MT of commodities (mostly cotton, rice and sesame) annually
• Established Rice sales business in Olam Zimbabwe – wholesale, followed by retail

Strategic thinking:
• Part of the team spearheading the GMO journey in Africa
• Offshoring Hybrid seeds production to Africa
• Led the ‘Better Cotton Initiative’, or BCI, journey for Olam Cotton globally. BCI is a product certification platform based on sustainable agriculture and supply chain traceability. Later elected and served as a Board Member of BCI for multiple years.
• Digitalized key processes in agronomy and payments to improve speed and accuracy.

Collaborating and influencing:
• Created JV opportunities for long term profitability of Olam Zimbabwe. All related documents submitted, awaiting final approval.
• With assistance of SNV Netherlands, using internet as a tool and encouraged by the village chiefs, a rural development model was established where select Mozambique district offices were upgraded into Farmer information and commercial centers.

Leading people and developing organizational capability:
• Lead the Zimbabwe team under a politically difficult and an economically testing time due to hyperinflation
• Hire and seamlessly match the new ‘Marketing and Sales’ Rice/imports team with the old ‘Origination and Farming’ team in Olam Zimbabwe to achieve the desired results.

• As the Business Head, observe and understand in the context of every country
o How value is created
o Whose support is critical – internal and external
o What are the key risks
o What skills / steps are required to secure the value
Identify unique / emerging business opportunities, be commercially sharp, mitigate risks and conclude deals. More than USD 25 Million worth of pre-finance deals concluded, beyond normal ‘business as usual’ activities.
• Manage, protect and promote the organization’s reputation in the country among various stakeholders and different media formats.
• Anticipate government policy changes and continuously align organization with the new reality. Country policies will change continuously. It is important to change the business model to stay relevant and profitable.
• Key stakeholders managed – There are internal and three types of external stakeholders which needs to be managed continuously
o Government related – Mega parastatals, The Central Bank, Various Ministry offices, Sector Regulators and key opinion leaders.
o Commercial banks – MNC’s and Local
o Industry associations, competition and business partners
• Create a learning organization where employees are encouraged to do higher studies, ensure zero accidents in manufacturing, be socially sensitive and ensure processes which are sustainable. Build individuals, team and organization for the long term.

Key Strengths:
Leadership roles across multiple countries
Knowledge of field, crops, seeds and farmers
Create JV opportunities. Integration with main business.
Stakeholder management at multiple levels
Awareness of IR issues and Employee affairs
Understanding of Legal and Corporate Governance
Knowledge of Commodities, Agribusiness, and Origination.
Culturally sensitive and comfortable with diversity
Manufacturing / Shop-floor management
Supply Chain Management
Usage of Six Sigma Black Belt tools
Knowledge of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility