Meet our experts

Alex Kurniawan joined the company in 2017 and currently leads our consumer products division in Indonesia. Products under his care include household names such as Filma, Kunci Mas, Pristine, and Groovy. Alex has grown the business, increased market share and improved overall profitability. He plans further expansions, strengthen brand equity in the company’s products and establish a robust distribution network with a rigorous channel focus.

Alex has 20 years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector with companies such as Mead Johnson, Reckitt Benckiser, Loreal, and PepsiCo. Before joining GAR, Alex was a Marketing Director in PT Kino Indonesia.

He has a master’s degree in Management from Prasetiya Mulya Business School, Indonesia.

“Besides providing products of the highest quality, what we’re trying to do is give consumers the most value – products that they need, supplied conveniently. It might sound like a tall order, but I believe where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

In her role as the R&D Category Sub Division Head at GAR, Isti Christianti leads end-to-end product development and improvement across various categories, including cooking oil, margarine, shortening, and specialty fat.

Isti’s passion for innovation is evident in her dedication to delivering effective solutions for all customers. She has played a pivotal role in developing data-based matrices to expedite daily R&D project management and ensuring GAR’s margarine, shortening, and specialty fat products are trans-fat free. She has also successfully introduced new and relaunched margarine and fat products targeted at the industrial, horeca (hotel, restaurant, and catering), and retail market.

With more than three decades of expertise in food product innovation and technology, her professional journey includes roles at several F&B enterprises. This includes R&D Unilever Food Solutions & Spread Manager at Unilever Indonesia and R&D Manager at Knorr Indonesia, where she led initiatives in product and packaging development, managed product categories for both B2B and B2C markets, and oversaw production performance and efficiency.

Isti graduated with a Bachelor degree in Food Science & Technology from IPB University in 1992.

“In the food industry, I need to consider a range of factors, including resources, operational capabilities, pricing, customer demands, and market differentiation. Finding a perfect balance between these factors is what makes my work in this field so interesting and rewarding.

Innovation isn’t only about creating novelty; it’s about continually tweaking to offer something different from what already exists while staying in tune with what consumers really want.”

Fransisca Tedjo heads GAR’s National Quality Food Safety department. She oversees all aspects of food safety and quality, including improvement projects to enhance quality processes, and ensures all our products meet industry food safety standards.

She has over 20 years of experience in the quality assurance & food safety field. Prior to joining GAR, she worked with PT Danone Dairy Indonesia, a dairy business unit of Danone Group, and PT Netania Kasih Karunia, a milk powder producer. Her extensive experience in quality management and food safety across multinational companies brought her to GAR.

Since joining the company in 2010, Fransisca has brought GAR’s quality control across all refinery units to a higher level. She believes in data-based decision making, enabling her to establish a robust risk management strategy. Her present focus involves transforming our refinery operations into a fully integrated, digitalised system, and positioning our company at the forefront of Industry 4.0 innovation.

Fransisca graduated with a Bachelor degree in Food Science & Technology from Widya Mandala University in 1998 and holds a Master in Management from Universitas Pelita Harapan in 2018.

“I believe that food quality assurance and safety is paramount – not only it does it reflect our commitment to excellence, food safety practices also ensure the well-being of people worldwide. After all, food is something each and every one of us consumes every day.

My goal is to tap on technology to improve GAR’s quality control and food safety further, and empower people to be able to enjoy their food with peace of mind.”

A trained veterinarian, Irene brings more than 30 years’ experience in the animal feed and nutrition sector to her role as Feed Business Unit Manager for GAR in Iberia.

Irene joined GAR’s Madrid office in 2017, and has played a key role in evolving the company’s animal nutrition offering, most recently launching the GoNutri line of feed supplements for ruminants and monogastric animals in Europe. With experience ranging from sales and product development to quality and sustainability, she is closely attuned to the commercial and operational needs of farmers and feed manufacturers.

Irene qualified in Veterinary Science at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and holds a Master’s degree in Animal Nutrition from Spain’s national association of bovine medicine ANEMBE. She has extensive experience in commercial roles at animal health and nutrition companies including Schering-Plough Animal Health (now MSD Animal Health) and global soft commodity provider ED&F Man.

“Our experience in animal nutrition has allowed GAR to create specialised supplements that help to meet the complex and changing demands of the feed sector, with functional solutions to improve productivity, fertility and animal health.

“GoNutri’s range of palm-derived products help to address major challenges facing the feed sector, from reducing antibiotic use to tackling emissions – all while keeping sustainability top of mind.”

Björn Stignor oversees the shipping and logistics of GAR’s products globally.

Björn started his career in 1993 as an officer on ships, sailing on chemical tankers until he became a captain in 2001. He then took up a commercial role in Brostrom followed by Stena. In 2011, he moved to Singapore as the head of Stena Weco, and started the joint venture freight and shipping company between GAR and Stena Weco in 2012.

He currently heads three major logistic companies as a combination of joint ventures and/or fully owned companies by groups: GAR, Stena Bulk (a major ship owner controlling about 130 tankers), and Bay Crest (a professional commercial manager with a strong presence in both Japan and Singapore).

He has extensive experience with chemical tankers, and the shipping of bulk commodities, which is important in navigating the complexities associated with transporting palm oil around the world safely.

Bjorn is a certified Master Mariner and graduated from Sweden with a degree in chemical science.

“At GAR, my responsibility is to ensure we export our palm oil products in a safe and timely manner. The company has invested a lot in making our logistics more efficient, something I have been heavily involved in. My focus now is on the carbon footprint of shipping. Having spent a long time in this industry, I have seen the evolution of palm oil shipments – from small, old, low quality ships to the current modern fleet.

The difference between a 20-year-old vessel and a new one can mean a 25-35 percent improvement of fuel consumption. By lowering the age of vessels we use, and increasing the shipping size we benefit from economies of scale and we also lower the carbon footprint for each tonne of palm oil we move.”

Eva Ramli has been with GAR since 2013 and oversees our margarine and shortening sales business in Indonesia, along with her team of 40.

With more than 20 years of experience in the food trading scene, Eva’s expertise extends from export and import marketing to food sales. Her passion for the food industry and a keen eye for business dynamics have cemented her position as a seasoned professional in this ever-evolving industry.

She has established a solid reputation in food marketing and trading, backed by a track record of successful strategic initiatives. Her ability to adjust to market trends and seize emerging opportunities has led to impressive accomplishments – such as attaining the highest margarine and shortening trading volume in GAR’s history during 2022 and pioneering the launch of GAR’s industrial bulk business in the East Indonesia region.

Prior to GAR, Eva held managerial roles in several food and beverage trading enterprises, including her tenure at McCain International Inc, where she single-handedly oversaw the sales management of their Indonesian business.

Eva graduated from Trisakti University in 1997, majoring in Economy Management.

“I find it particularly rewarding to work in the dynamic food industry, especially amidst challenges like the pandemic, as it centres around fulfilling one of the most fundamental human needs – food.

At present, I’m focused on cultivating connections with customers, enhancing our innovative solutions, and fostering loyalty among our customers and consumers.”

Gopul leads the Group Treasury and Trade Structured Finance business at Golden Agri Resources.

Gopul has more than 20 years of experience in financing and financial services, with particular expertise in international treasury and finance, and business development in trade structured finance business. Prior to joining Golden Agri Resources Ltd (GAR) in 2014, Gopul spent 10 years at Cargill’s proprietary trade structured funding, treasury, emerging markets trading, and risk management group. There, he managed Cargill’s trade and structured finance (TSF) business in Asia Pacific and India treasury and financial services business.

Gopul graduated with a Master Degree in Business Administration from the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business, and has a Bachelor Degree in Commerce from the University of Bombay. He is also a Fellow Member of the Chartered Accountants of India, and Fellow Member of CPA Australia.

At GAR, Gopul deploys best-in-class treasury solutions including structured finance, money and capital market, risk management, and funding to enhance company competitiveness and profitability. He created the company’s proprietary trade structured finance business unit with market coverage of Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He also manages relationships with lenders, financial institutions, rating agencies, customers, futures exchange and brokers, regulators, business units and board of directors.

“My focus is to channel my passion, knowledge, and team into developing strategic business advantage, talent, goodwill, and stakeholders that add value, mitigate risk, collaborate, and thrive sustainably. Passion, integrity, humility, confidence, and courage are the cornerstones of every activity we undertake in a dynamic landscape in which we have to adapt, grow, and thrive together constantly.”

Götz Martin has been with GAR since 2015, leading the company’s sustainability initiatives on the ground. His team focuses on areas such as 1) Forest and Peat conservation, rehabilitation and management, 2) Community Engagement with a focus on participative action and economic empowerment, 3) Responsible Sourcing with a focus on supplier engagement and supply chain transformation.

He has 12 years of experience in forest/land use and sustainability-related topics and has spent 11 years in South East Asia. As a leading subject matter expert in his field, Götz sits on various committees: High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA) Executive Committee, High Conservation Value Resource Network (HCVRN) Management Committee, RSPO Peatland Working Group, and the RSPO Biodiversity and High Conservation Value (BHCV) Working Group.

In his previous role at McKinsey & Company, Götz was one of the key authors of the McKinsey Global Greenhouse Gas Abatement Cost Curve, as well as the Indonesian Greenhouse Gas Abatement Cost Curve – the first document published by an Indonesian Government agency (DNPI) which recognized the role of peatlands as a source of carbon emissions. He was also the lead author of the East Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan Low Carbon Economic Growth Strategy.

Götz has a PhD and Master Degree in Forestry Science, and a Bachelor Degree in Environmental Management, all from the Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany.

“Growing up in a small village in Germany, nature in general and forests, in particular, have always been my favourite place to be. Realising soon during studies on what a downhill trajectory Earth was on, I pursued a career in sustainability. Governments and leading private sectors can turn the wheel and transform the way we all live, while still allowing emerging countries to pursue a growth path to lift millions of their people from poverty.”

Lim Shu Ling has worked with GAR since 2015. She oversees the preparation and publication of the company’s annual Sustainability Report. She also handles GAR’s ESG disclosures and reporting on various international platforms including DJSI, FTSE4Good, CDP, Sustainalytics, SPOTT and others. She works closely with Investor Relations and Finance in briefing financial stakeholders on GAR’s ESG performance.

Shu Ling began her career as a journalist and has worked with various media organisations including the BBC’s Business News Division. She has also gained expertise in Indonesian and external stakeholder relations from her work on a UNDP project in Indonesia. Shu Ling has a Master Degree in Asian Politics from the School of Asian and African Studies (University of London).

“ESG reporting is not only about dry figures and data; increasingly and in the post COVID-19 world, ESG performance and reporting on that performance will be what distinguishes companies who will win out and stay in business in the long term from those who don’t.”

Haskarlianus Pasang has been with GAR since 2012 and specialises in translating sustainability policies and standards into practical actions in our operations. His current areas of focus include sustainable certification of food, feed and fuel feedstocks, biodiversity and ecosystem services, waste management, and circular economy.

He has 13 years of experience in the area of sustainability and is currently Co-Chair of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) Technical Committee in South East Asia.

In his previous role as Country Manager of US company AES AgriVerde, Haskar introduced renewable energy and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) through methane capture and composting for the palm oil industry in Indonesia.

Haskar has a PhD and Master in Environmental Engineering from the University of Melbourne, Australia, Graduate Business Administration Programme at the Darden Business School, University of Virginia, USA, and a Bachelor Degree in Conservation and Management of Natural Resources, IPB University, Indonesia. He recently completed the Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies Programme at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, UK.

“Sustainability is a journey. It is a journey to create a responsible business while maintaining a delicate balance between economic, social, and environmental priorities to achieve long-term, sustainable development. The only way to get there is to work together with our people, our customers, our suppliers, and the industry.”

Ian Suwarganda manages the company’s international advocacy efforts to ensure access to markets for commerce and investment. He formalises a policy agenda, develops positions, and implements strategies to address relevant policy threats and opportunities, as well as legislation and regulations influencing the organisation. In his role, he engages with stakeholders from policymakers to non-profit representatives about responsibly produced palm oil.

He has over eight years of experience in sustainability topics. Prior to joining GAR in 2014, he was with IDH The Sustainable Trade Initiative as a programme manager in the pulp and paper sector. He worked closely with producers, industry associations, NGOs and relevant government agencies, developing and co-investing with them in sustainable forest management projects in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Ian represents GAR at High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA), International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System (ISCC), and District Collaborative Forum to Achieve Sustainable Development in Indonesia.

Ian has a Master Degree in Business Administration from INSEAD.

“In my current role, I am advocating with the European Union for European buyers and member states to invest in the sustainable livelihoods of small-scale farmers and their local communities in Indonesia’s rural areas. To fight climate change, protect forests while alleviating poverty, stakeholders have yet to implement solutions for rural farmers and communities, at scale.”

Jaap joined GAR in 2019 with a remit to redefine the company’s oleochemical strategy for Europe and LATAM. Today, Jaap is responsible for the oleochemical business in the EU, LATAM and the U.S.A. as the Product Line Manager for Oleochemicals.

Jaap started his career as a Commercial Management Trainee in agricultural commodities at Cargill, graduating to a trading role where he managed crude bean oil products in North Western Europe. In 2017, Jaap moved to Bunge as a Vegetable Oils Trader, where he managed crude and refined oils and opened new export markets including the UK and South Africa.

He holds a BA in Business Administration from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and an MA in Maritime Economics & Logistics from Erasmus University Rotterdam.

“Agribusiness connects geopolitics, economic development, food security and sustainability with financial markets and commercial concerns. It’s a dynamic sector with opportunities to tackle complex problems.

“From Europe, GAR combines the infrastructure of a corporation with the flexibility of a startup, which allows us to be agile and responsive to evolving customer needs. I’m proud to have built a team that is making closer connections with customers to understand their priorities, allowing us to develop new channels and networks to deliver customised products and services.”

Juan joined GAR in 2017 as a Senior Trader and a founding member of the company’s Iberian operations. He helped to establish GAR’s palm oil imports into Spain and has developed the office from an outpost of four people to a hub for the region with over 20 employees operating across the food, feed, industry and energy sectors.

Today, Juan leads operations and growth strategy for the company’s palm, oleochemicals and sugar offerings in the Spanish market as Regional Manager for GAR in Iberia.

Juan started his career as a lawyer, graduating from the Universidad Villanueva de Madrid before moving into trading in 2009, inspired by his work with agri-commodities clients. He has spent almost 15 years in the industry, supplying alcohols for oleochemicals and biodiesel customers at Spanish trading house ALGETESA before spending six years at ED&F Man, a global soft commodity provider, where he focused on expanding import and distribution operations and increasing profitability for the palm and molasses trade in Spain.

He mixes attention to detail with an eye for the bigger picture, with a focus on building long-standing relationships that can deliver products and services tailored to evolving customer needs.

“What we do at GAR goes beyond moving commodities from A to B; we’re building partnerships that help businesses to realise value in a fast-moving world.

“In Europe and globally, growing regulation and changing consumer demands are placing more pressure on our customers. My role is to understand these needs so we can find solutions and create differentiated products that deliver on specific requirements for sustainability, quality and cost.”

Jean-Pierre Caliman heads SMARTRI, the upstream research and development arm of GAR focused on improving agronomic practices.

With 38 years of experience in oil palm cultivation, Jean-Pierre’s expertise extends from soil fertility to the mineral nutrition of oil palms. He is involved in studies related to the agro-physiology of oil palms, aimed at building a mechanistic model of how oil palms function – from light capture and photosynthesis to the allocation of the carbohydrates and the yield.

He started his career in West Africa, Ivory Coast in 1983 with CIRAD, a research organisation set up by the French government dedicated to tropical agriculture, as a research agronomist on oil palm. From 1991 onwards, Jean-Pierre was posted by CIRAD to several places in Indonesia, starting at the IOPRI (the National Research Centre in Indonesia). He was finally posted to PT SMART in 1996 as a scientific advisor and expert in oil palm fertiliser management, to build collaboration between CIRAD and the private sector.

His engagement to the development of ecological intensification of oil palm cultivation has been recognised in Science magazine, which is edited by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of two highest ranking scientific magazines in the world.

He has contributed to the creation of ICOPE, the International Conference on Oil Palm and the Environment, and has been the Chairman of ICOPE since 2010.

Jean-Pierre has a PhD in Soil Sciences from the University of Burgundy, France. His thesis was on soil physical fertility in oil palm plantations. He also has a DEA diploma in Agronomy (equivalent to Master Degree) from the Montpellier High School for Agronomy in France, with a specialisation in tree crops.

“I believe agriculture and environment are highly compatible and should be integrated, and among all the agricultural crops, oil palm has one of the highest ecological potentials. I am passionate about discovering new technologies and approaches that support the ecological intensification of oil palm cultivation, through enhancing ecosystem services within plantations. This work could help ensure a steady supply of vegetable oil to the people, while protecting the environment.”

Khoo Kok Yeow leads our IT and digital teams in GAR, managing around 230 employees. Since joining the company in 2017, Kok Yeow has re-organised the teams, allowing deep domain expertise to be nurtured internally. Kok Yeow is currently operating IT in two tracks – one focuses on traditional IT, and the second focuses on innovative digital agenda: cloud, remote sensing, internet of things, machine learning, artificial intelligence, etc.

He also heads the Corporate Functions Shared Services, driving cost efficiency, operational excellence and a continuous improvement mindset in his team. Building on the motto of ‘repeatable, predictable and measurable operations’, his focus here is on value-added services such as machine learning and artificial intelligence-based analytics.

Prior to GAR, Kok Yeow was with Accenture for 23 years. Over the last 20 years, he has been involved in a large number of transformation engagements, as well as other strategic consulting initiatives, predominantly with resources industry clients. Kok Yeow also has extensive Finance and Accounting, HR and IT shared services operations and governance experience, having architected, designed, transitioned and operated shared services (for these functions) at various large multi-nationals.

“In challenging times, I hold dear this quote from Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone with the Wind – ‘Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect’. So no matter the trial, we must face it without fear, and work hard to adapt and change for the better.”

Andrew Perkins leads GAR’s global customer and destination shipping programmes for tropical oils. He is responsible for building long-term partnerships and providing supply chain solutions that meet global customer requirements.

Andrew works closely with customers to understand their requirements. GAR, with a fully integrated supply chain, is well-placed to handle the development of these demands. He plans to differentiate and expand the business by focusing on the company’s sustainability credentials and strategic development of future products.

Andrew has more than 26 years of experience dealing with global commodity markets. He started his career in Cargill on a graduate recruitment scheme in 1995. For the first 13 years, Andrew worked in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands before moving to Singapore in 2000. He specialised in trading and risk management in Cargill, predominantly in tropical oils and subsequently the global energy markets. Andrew joined Morgan Stanley in 2008, where he built their agricultural trading and derivatives desk in Asia. He later led their global trading team and became a member of the global commodity management committee during his tenure at the Wall Street bank.

Andrew graduated with first-class honours in Rural and Environmental Economics (Bachelor of Science degree) from the University of Newcastle in 1995.

“Understand what your customers value. Never lower your price. Always increase your value!”

Richard Fung leads GAR’s Investor Relations department, and is responsible for driving engagement with our analysts, investors, and shareholders. He works closely with senior management to provide timely and accurate information to investors, and reflecting stakeholder feedback to the board of directors – elements critical in achieving value for the company.

He has been with the company since 2008, and has more than 20 years of experience in Finance, particularly in the area of corporate finance.

Before joining GAR, Richard held leadership positions at Sampoerna Telecom, AcrossAsia Multimedia, and UBS Warburg. He has been involved in various capital market transactions including M&A, IPO, equity and bond issuance, and bank financing.

Richard has a Master Degree and PhD in Business Administration from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

“My focus is on providing investors with the best possible insight into the strategy, operations and performance of GAR. My passion is to make investors aware of the many benefits palm oil has to offer, not in the least that it can be produced in a sustainable manner.”

Tony Liwang leads our Plant Production and Biotechnology division, which looks into the biotechnology of oil palm, and carries out research activities to improve planting material and seed stock.

He has been with GAR for over 21 years, holding various research and development roles within the company. He was previously the Head of our SMART Research Institute.

Tony has more than 30 years of experience in agriculture-based technologies. He was part of the founding committee of ICOPE, the International Conference on Oil Palm and the Environment, serving as its first chairman in 2009.

Tony received his PhD from the Bogor Agricultural Institute, Indonesia. He also has Master and Bachelor Degrees in Agricultural Technology from Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands.

“Many people have a perception that farming and agriculture, being more to do with nature, has no relation to technology. However, that is not that case. As a company we are highly driven by research and technology. In fact, biotechnology for oil palm has seen rapid development, especially in the last five years in which we have identified its whole genetic map.”

Imran Nasrullah is Golden Agri-Resources’ Managing Director for Business Development in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

A fluent Bahasa Indonesia speaker with nine years of on-the-ground experience in Indonesia, including three years as CEO and President of Louis Dreyfus, Imran has a deep understanding of the country’s palm sector, backed up by extensive experience connecting Indonesia with markets across Asia. His current focus is on unlocking opportunities for growth in diverse and dynamic markets through strategic partnerships and new sector opportunities in the agriculture and food sectors.

Imran spent more than 20 years with Cargill, most recently as Group Director of Cargill Agricultural Supply Chain Asia Pacific and CEO of Cargill Pakistan. In Pakistan, Imran led the trading and industrial teams and ran the government and public relations for the organisation. In addition to supplying palm oil and oilseeds to the market, he oversaw the development of new logistics, animal feeds and downstream businesses in this dynamic, growing territory.

Imran is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and holds an MBA from Imperial College London. He has held positions with the Partnership for Indonesia Sustainable Agriculture (PISAgro), contributing to the palm oil and coffee working groups, the Grow Asia Forum, the World Economic Forum’s Asia chapter and the Responsible Business Forum. He is a long-term advocate for gender diversity within the industry, having led the gender empowerment in agriculture initiative for Indonesia during his time at the Grow Asia Business Council.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to serving the needs of a region as varied as the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. I’m focused on making connections that serve the specific requirements of partners in this region, leveraging GAR’s scale and expertise to make a positive impact. Whether sharing agribusiness best practices to accelerate efficiency and innovation or helping to advance food safety and security for partners, I believe GAR has a valuable role in the region while harnessing growth opportunities.”

For almost a decade, Maarten has played an integral part in GAR’s European operations, overseeing significant growth and diversification of GAR’s business in Europe, Latin America (LatAm) and the USA. Starting with a team of only two people in 2015, Maarten has guided the transformation of the business from a commodity supplier into a dynamic, multinational team of more than 80 specialists offering a fully-integrated distribution platform covering the food, feed, industry and energy sectors.

He got his start in the vegetable oils trade at Nidera Handelscompagnie BV (now part of COFCO) in Rotterdam in 2005 before moving to Southeast Asia, where he specialised in tropical oils across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Prior to joining GAR, he was a senior trader for the Louis Dreyfus Company in Geneva, specialising in the palm & lauric oil trade for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Maarten graduated with a BSc in International Technology Management from the Hanze University of Groningen, the Netherlands, in 2003 and holds a MSc in Management and Entrepreneurship from Napier University Scotland.

“Our business at GAR Europe is built on long term relationships that prioritise understanding and addressing our customers’ needs to offer consistent, reliable and sustainable offerings across a range of sectors.”

“GAR has given me the trust and support to develop these new opportunities and expand into uncharted territory. I’m proud of what our dedicated and committed team has achieved so far, and as we continue to expand operations in LATAM and the USA, with new products and service offerings in the oleochemical and sugar spaces, it’s my goal to continue championing quality above all else for our customers and partners.”