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.

Tomás Manzano is the Chief Executive Officer of Copersucar, a role he has held since 2022. With extensive experience in agribusiness, bio-energy, logistics and international commodity markets, Tomás has been part of Copersucar’s leadership since 2012, contributing to the company’s strategic development and operational integration across the entire value chain. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Eco-Energy, a leading US platform for ethanol trading, logistics and natural gas, and as Chairman of Newcom, a renewable power trading company in Brazil. Tomás sits on the Boards of Alvean, Evolua and Logum. He is also is part of committees dedicated to strategy, risk management and human capital. Prior to joining Copersucar, he held leadership roles in the orange juice, telecommunications and pharmaceutical industries with responsibilities in finance, strategy, market intelligence and business development. Tomás holds a degree in Business Administration from Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (ESPM) and an MBA from the School of Economics, Business and Accounting at the University of São Paulo (FEAUSP).

Serge Varsano is Chairman of the Management Board of Sucden, he has actively steered the company for nearly four decades. In 1976 Serge joined Sucden – the company founded by his father Maurice in 1952 – as a trader. Working at various levels within the organization, Serge grew in his career and became the General Manager of the sugar trading division in 1980. In 1986, he assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer. He was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer and Chairman in 1988. Serge focussed on restructuring Sucden, diversifying the portfolio and bringing in multiple commodities, leading the company to its present size and scale. He continues to lead the organization and nurtures the next generation. Serge studied at the Business School of the University of Southern California, USA.

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. 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 is based in Geneva. Later, in 2019, he was appointed as Alvean’s Chief Commercial Officer. Mauro assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Alvean 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 degree in Finance and Economics.

Sean Diffley is Head of Sugar Platform at Louis Dreyfus Company. He joined the group in 2025, bringing his extensive experience in the sugar industry, from his work at Tropix Capital Management, an asset manager that specialized in soft commodities, of which he was the Founder and Managing Director. Prior to that, Sean was with ED&F Man Commodities, where he held several trading and management positions covering multiple product lines and geographies, including Head of Global Sugar Trading. He is also Chairman of the World Sugar Committee, at the ICE US Exchange. Sean is a graduate of the University of London and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

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.

Guilherme Nastari is a Director at DATAGRO. Since 2005, he has been engaged in several agro-industrial market advisory projects at the company, and worked with sugar, ethanol, alcohol, biodiesel, biogas, SAF, cane, citrus, beet, cattle, coffee, corn, soyabean, trading companies, banks, financial funds, millers, fuel distributors, input suppliers, governments and NGOs. Guilheme is a Board Member of the Global Agribusiness Forum, since 2013; Director at the Brazilian Sugar and Ethanol Exporters Association (AEXA), since 2009; and former Director of the Brazilian Rural Society (SRB). Prior to joining DATAGRO, he had trading desk assignments at Cargill in Geneva and Hong Kong, and a research assignment at the ISO in London. Guilherme is a regular columnist in various technical publications and speaker in conferences in Brazil, USA, UK, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Egypt and several other countries in LATAM, Asia and Africa. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from IBMEC (Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets), São Paulo, and an MSc in Agroenergy from Fundação Getulio Vargas, São Paulo. 

Helder Luiz Gosling is the Chief Commercial Officer and Logistics Director at São Martinho a position he has held since 2008. He was also responsible for the commercial and logistics functions at Boa Vista Mill, from February 2017 to April 2018, when it merged with São Martinho. Helder has more than 30 years of experience working in chemical, commodities and food (sugar, ethanol and coffee) companies, with emphasis on import, export and distribution in the domestic market. He has significant experience in logistics through his work in organizations such as Copersucar, Solvay, Ipiranga and ED&F Man. Helder did his graduation in Mechanical Production Engineering and post-graduation in Business Administration. In addition, he holds an Executive MBA degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (COPPEAD - UFRJ).

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.

Guillermo Medina is Chief Digital Officer at Pantaleon Sugar Holdings and leads Stomata Labs, an AI Center of Excellence focussed on turning agro-industrial data into measurable EBITDA gains. He drives end-to-end transformation across farming, harvesting, manufacturing and energy operations – building modern data architecture, deploying advanced analytics, and scaling machine-learning optimizers and GenAI copilots to frontline teams. Guillermo's work bridges strategy, finance and execution, spanning the selection of high-impact use cases, structuring partnerships and proving value through rapid pilots that harden into production. Guillermo speaks on pragmatic AI adoption, operational excellence and climate-resilient agriculture, emphasizing how AI converts volatility into decisions – better yields, lower cost and safer, more reliable plants. Previously, Guillermo was Chief Financial and Strategy Officer at Pantaleon Sugar Holdings. 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 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.

Anand Mahurkar is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Findability Sciences, a company which aims to equip enterprises with ‘The Ability to Find Information’. Headquartered in Boston, Findability Sciences progressed technologically in the AI and Data solutions space, adding Cognitive Computing and Machine Learning technologies to its repertoire. In 2017, he led the company to form a JV with Softbank and a Series A funding by the bank. Anand’s technological prowess and understanding of AI and Data earned him places on the IBM Watson Ecosystem Partner Advisory Board, Forbes Technology Council and the Fast Company Executive Board. In 2021, Financial Times recognized Findability Sciences as one of the fastest-growing companies in USA and INC Magazine recognized the company as being among the fastest-growing American private companies in 2020. Findability Sciences was also recognized in the AI & Data category of Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards. Anand is a Charter Member of TiE – Boston, where he mentors budding entrepreneurs. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

Alex Battù is a Global Licensing Manager at Sulzer Chemtech, based in Winterthur, Switzerland. Alex is involved in leading licensing negotiations and strategies for biopolymers and biomonomers technologies derived from renewable feedstocks. He is adept at collaborating with executives and cross-functional teams to drive business development initiatives and achieve strategic goals. Before joining Sulzer, Alex held various roles at Beta Renewables, including Proposal Manager and Process Engineer, where he was involved in preparing techno-economic proposals and supporting sales for the world’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants. Alex is passionate about driving innovation and growth in sustainable technologies, making a real impact on a more sustainable society. He holds an MSChE in Chemical Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino, with a focus on sustainable technologies.

Nereo Rodriguez is Sales Manager Biopolymer Technology Licenses at Sulzer. He is responsible for the sales and licensing of biopolymer technologies with a focus on polylactic acid (PLA) from sugar sources – both 1st and 2nd generation – and other renewable feedstocks, mostly in the western hemisphere. Nereo joined Sulzer Chemtech’s polymer business team in 2021 as Senior Sales Manager for foam extrusion lines with global coverage. Prior to this, since 2012, he worked with a number of technology providers in sales and application engineering roles for the oil and chemical industries around the world. Nereo has a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, and an MBA.

Walid Fawaz is a Director at Cargill Risk Management, based in Geneva, where he leads risk management solutions for sugar and other commodities across EMEA. In this role, Walid is responsible for developing and implementing tailored hedging strategies that help producers, refiners and traders manage price volatility and protect margins. He works closely with clients to integrate SWAPs and other OTC instruments into comprehensive risk frameworks aligned with their commercial objectives. He brings a decade of experience in commodity markets, combining deep market insight with a client-focussed approach. Prior to his current role at Cargill, Walid worked in trade finance, OTC sales and strategy consulting. Passionate about collaborative problem-solving, Walid is committed to helping the sugar industry navigate evolving trade flows and regulatory landscapes while building sustainable, long-term partnerships. He holds an MBA from HEC Paris.

Marc-Antoine Ferreira is Digital Sales Support Lead at Cargill Risk Management. In this global role, his responsibilities include building and maintaining customer relations with strategic accounts and prospects across Latin America, North America, EMEA and APAC regions. He is responsible for delivering digital offerings, providing in-depth technical advice, product demonstrations and training to customers. Prior to Cargill, Marc-Antoine was at Thomson Reuters for over 14 years. He has a Master's degree in Business Management and Administration from IAE France – Écoles Universitaires de Management.

Ioana Slavici is Senior Derivatives Trader and Softs Portfolio Manager at Cargill Risk Management, focussed on trading and risk management across global sugar markets. Her role centres on risk positioning, portfolio management and volatility analysis, with an emphasis on how market structure and uncertainty shape price behaviour. With over 15 years of experience in commodity trading and risk management, Ioana has worked across multiple commodity cycles, bringing a market-driven perspective to navigating volatile price environments. Prior to joining Cargill, she worked at RWE Supply & Trading in Geneva, gaining experience in market risk, portfolio analysis and structuring across energy and commodity markets. She combines quantitative expertise with hands-on trading experience to analyze market signals and risk dynamics in soft commodity markets. Ioana holds a Master’s degree in Financial Engineering and Risk Management from HEC Lausanne.

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).

Niraj Shirgaokar is President of the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), the premier organization of sugar and ethanol manufacturers in India. He was previously the President of ISMA in 2020-21. Niraj is also the Managing Director of The Ugar Sugar Works Limited, the parent body of the Shirgaokar Group of Companies (SB Group) which has interests in sugar, power, ethanol, Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), foundries and IT.  He has been a key delegate and contributor to various sugar and biofuel panels, including expert studies involving sugar policy, bio-energy development, sustainability transitions and ethanol expansion. He co-founded and promoted iResearch Services in 2008, which is one of India’s leading B2B marketing agencies focussing on research-led Insights and Thought Leadership studies. Previously, Niraj served as the President of South Indian Sugar Mills Association (SISMA), which covers the interests of all private sugar mills in South India. After working in multinational companies for 15 years, Niraj joined the family business in 2005. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Mumbai University.

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.

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.

Guilherme Gamba is the Commercial Manager at Sucden Brasil, based in São Paulo. Before moving to São Paulo, he worked with the company for 14 years, in Geneva and Paris. Guilherme joined Sucden as a Global Ethanol Trader in Geneva and later moved to Paris, where he served as a Senior Futures and Derivatives Trader on the sugar desk, with additional responsibilities on the cocoa desk. He began his career at Cargill as a graduate trainee in São Paulo before being expatriated to Geneva. Guilherme is highly data-driven, combining a rigorous bottom-up fundamental analysis with a top-down view of macroeconomics and flow dynamics to optimize timing and position sizing. He holds a degree in International Relations from USP (Universidade de São Paulo) and an MSc in Quantitative Finance from Université Paris-Dauphine.

Luca Meierhofer is the Global Head of Sugar Cash Trading at Louis Dreyfus Company. He joined the company in 2017, and is based in Geneva. Luca started his career with Cargill in 1996, covering all the different aspects of the sugar trading business, from hedging to origination and destination marketing. Sixteen years later, he joined Bunge as the Head of Raw Sugar where he developed the business for over five years, while taking over the risk management responsibility as well. Luca holds a degree in Economics and Finance from HEC Geneva, Switzerland.

John Adams is the Director of Sugar Research at GlobalData. John was part of LMC International which was acquired by GlobalData in 2022. He manages the full range of GlobalData’s sugar research on their Agribusiness IC platform. These include monthly reports on the world and EU sugar markets, cost of production benchmarking and an annual study on the long run outlook for the world sugar market. John has over 25 years of experience researching the world's sugar and sweetener markets. In his current role at GlobalData, his particular focus has been on the global sugar fundamentals (supply / demand and trade flows), cost and technical performance benchmarking of sugar industries around the world, price forecasting and the EU sugar market. With an academic background in Economics and Statistics, John started his career at LMC International before moving on to ED&F Man where he contributed towards setting up the research desk.

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.

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.

Jaspreet Bindra is the Founder of AI & Beyond and Tech Whisperer, which does advisory and education on AI, digital transformation, 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 and multiple other publications. 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 degree in AI, Ethics and Society from Cambridge University. 

Anuj Magazine is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of AI&Beyond, a leading voice in AI literacy, cybersecurity and tech innovation. He is a tech innovator with 16 US patents. Leading a portfolio career focussed on AI and cybersecurity, Anuj has held leadership roles across organizations ranging from the Fortune 1 company Walmart to several Fortune 500 companies, such as Citrix, McAfee and Quark. He serves as an AI adviser to Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), an organization committed to India’s Olympic success, and to startups in the fields of cybersecurity and fitness / wellbeing. Anuj is a published author. His first book "What's Your Human Edge?" highlights timeless human skills for the AI era, while the more recently published "Winning With AI: Your Guide to AI Literacy" is a practical guide to AI literacy for work and life. 

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 maanagement 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.

Dr Lars Gorissen is the Chief Executive Officer of Nordzucker and a recognized leader in the global sugar industry, bringing extensive expertise in strategy, agriculture, governance and leadership. He assumed this role in 2018, his responsibilities include overseeing group strategy across agriculture, cane sugar, communications & public affairs, human resources, legal & governance and sustainability. Prior to this, Lars served as Speaker of the Executive Board from March to August 2018. He was a Member of the Executive Board and Chief Agricultural Officer from 2014 to 2018. He previously headed Agriculture and Raw Material Procurement and the Legal Department, and held roles in the Supervisory Board. Prior to this, Lars worked for several years at Siemens, in the legal function. Deeply committed to driving Nordzucker's strategic development, Lars focusses on expanding the cane sugar business and integrating sustainability initiatives.  

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 more than 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.

Olivier Leducq is the Chief Executive Officer of the Tereos Group, a position he assumed in September 2023.  He joined Tereos in 2015 as Head of Tereos France, in 2019, he was responsible for all sugar and renewables activities in Europe and was appointed Group Head of Trade, Sales & Marketing in 2022. Prior to joining Tereos, Olivier spent most of his career in the metallurgical industry, where he held financial, commercial and industrial responsibilities. At the Constellium Group – previously Pechiney and Alcan – he was Financial Controller for the metals business, before heading up sales for aluminium sheet products in the food and drinks cans sector. He also managed several of the Alcan Group’s operational industrial units and led operational excellence initiatives. Olivier is a graduate of HEC Paris.