Professor Annie Koh is Professor Emeritus of Finance (Practice) at Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University (SMU). She is a renowned conference speaker, panel moderator and commentator. She chaired the Asian Bond Fund 2 supervisory committee for the Monetary Authority of Singapore from 2005 - 2023 and is currently a board member of Singapore Food Agency. Professor Koh is currently an independent director of AMTD IDEA Group, Mewah International Limited, Prudential Assurance Company Singapore Pte Ltd and Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd. She serves as board member on non-profit organisationsWorld Wide Fund for Nature (Singapore) and EtonHouse Community Fund. Additionally, she has been appointed as an Advisory Council member of the Center for Sustainable Finance & Private Wealth, and an Advisor for YouthTechSG. Previous boards served on as Independent Director include Prime US REIT from 2019 – 2025, GovTech, Singapore’s CPF, K1 Ventures boards, and was a member of Singapore’s Customs Advisory Council from 2019 - 2025, the World Economic Forum Global Future Council from 2019 – 2022, and the HR Industry Transformation Advisory Panel from 2018 – March 2023. Professor Koh also advises selected single-family offices and privately owned enterprises such as Flexxon Pte Ltd., HMI Group and TOP International, and startup company Pyxis Maritime Pte Ltd. She has been an investment committee member of iGlobe Partners since July 2010. Previously held leadership positions at SMU before January 2021 include Vice President for Business Development; V3 Group Professor of Family Entrepreneurship; Academic Director of Business Families Institute and International Trading Institute; Associate Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Business; and Dean, Office of Executive and Professional Education. Professor Koh received her Ph.D. degree in International Finance as a Fulbright scholar from Stern School of Business, New York University in 1988. Her research interests are in Family Office and Family Business, Investor Behaviour, Alternative Investments and Enterprise Risk Management. She co-authored Financial Management: Theory and Practice, 2nd edition (2021), and Financing Internationalisation – Growth Strategies for Successful Companies (2004), co-editor of Asian Family Business: Succession, Governance and Innovation (2020), and author of a number of Asian family business cases and survey reports. In recognition of her contribution to education and the public sector, she was awarded the bronze and silver Singapore Public Administration medal in 2010 and 2016 respectively, the Adult Education Prism Award in 2017 and the Tripartite Alliance Award in 2023.

Tejinder Singh Saraon is the Managing Director & CEO of ofi’s Cocoa platform. He currently serves on the Corporate Leadership Team of ofi, is a board member of the World Cocoa Foundation and has previously served on the Board of the Cocoa Association of Asia. He has over 27 years of experience in cocoa and is very passionate about creating long term business partnerships and use of technology for enhancing human potential. Prior to becoming the CEO, he was the COO of ofi’s Cocoa platform and has worked extensively in Africa, Asia and Europe in the last few decades. Born out of Olam, ofi is a food and beverage ingredients and solutions provider with a deep-rooted presence in its global sourcing countries. Its Cocoa platform is one of the leading originators of cocoa beans and suppliers of cocoa butters, cocoa powders and cocoa liquors to over 2,000 customers globally. It supports their innovation and product development programs through its portfolio of cocoa brands led by deZaan, which is complemented by ofi’s wider ingredient portfolio of nuts, spices, coffee, and dairy. Building on two decades of experience in supporting farmers and cocoa-growing communities around the world, Cocoa Compass, ofi’s cocoa sustainability ambition, has set concrete goals to work with its customers and partners to tackle key challenges facing the supply chain by 2030.

Kashan Rashid leads Cargill’s Food business across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand (Food SEA-ANZ). Based in Singapore, he oversees the strategy and performance across a diverse and dynamic set of markets, working with customers to create value through innovation and Cargill’s broad food ingredients portfolio. Cargill’s Food business provides manufacturers, foodservice customers, retailers and consumers with protein products and a range of ingredients and solutions, supported by origination, production and innovation capabilities that serve customers globally.In SEA-ANZ, Cargill offers cocoa, chocolate, oils, specialty fats, starches, sweeteners and texturizers, supported by operations across seven countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Australia. By combining an integrated value chain, market and consumer insights, innovation expertise and quality manufacturing capabilities, the business helps customers respond to evolving consumer preferences and market dynamics across food applications such as bakery, confectionery and beverages. Kashan brings deep experience in business leadership, strategy, finance, and mergers and acquisitions. Within Cargill, he has held senior leadership roles across regions, including Vice President and Managing Director for the Food Solutions business in Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and Divisional Chief Financial Officer for Cargill Food Solutions in Asia Pacific. He is known for his strong track record of building high-performing teams, creating strategic clarity and delivering results in complex, multicultural business environments. Kashan holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from University College London and completed his Chartered Accountancy qualifications with ICAS.

Fay Fay Choo is the Asia Director for Cocoa Sustainable Sourcing for Mars, Incorporated. She has 29 years of supply chain and strategic sourcing. experience in the food industry and in the past twelve years has been directly responsible for sustainable cocoa development in Asia, where Mars has an extensive program covering plant science research, technology transfer and certification with tens of thousands of farmers in Indonesia and Philippines

Anthony Myers is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of www.cocoaradar.com, an independent intelligence platform covering the global cocoa and chocolate sector. With over 10 years of experience as a commodities journalist, he specialises in the intersection of markets, sustainability, and regulation. Through CocoaRadar, Myers provides high-signal analysis for decision-makers across the cocoa value chain — from traders and manufacturers to policymakers and sustainability leaders. His work focuses on decoding market volatility, tracking regulatory developments such as deforestation legislation, and challenging industry narratives with investigative, insight-driven reporting. He is a frequent moderator and speaker at major industry events, including the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting, Chocoa, NCA SOTIC and the European Cocoa Association Forum, where he brings a sharp, independent perspective to the sector’s most pressing issues.

Dr. Wisdom Kofi Dogbey is Managing Director of Cocoa Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited (CMC), where he leads the marketing, trading and delivery of Ghana’s cocoa to international markets. He is an accomplished finance and business executive with about two decades of experience in financial planning and analysis, capital markets, corporate finance, funding and investment strategy, strategic planning and executive management. Before joining CMC, he held senior roles in major international financial institutions, gaining experience in corporate planning, financial management, process improvement and complex strategic initiatives. Since assuming leadership of CMC, Dr. Dogbey has focused on strengthening the company’s commercial performance and positioning it for a changing global cocoa market. His priorities include expanding Ghana’s cocoa markets beyond traditional destinations, deepening international customer engagement, improving operational efficiency and supporting greater domestic value addition. He has also contributed to Ghana’s cocoa-sector reforms, applying his finance and capital markets experience to the development of a more resilient framework for cocoa procurement and marketing. Dr. Dogbey advocates traceability, sustainability and farmer confidence as essential to the long-term competitiveness of Ghana’s cocoa industry. His leadership combines Ghana’s reputation for premium-quality cocoa with stronger commercial execution and broader access to global markets.

Paul Felix Tioputra (Felix) is the Cocoa Product Director for Cargill in Asia-Pacific, based in Indonesia, where Felix leads the strategic and commercial direction of one of the region’s most critical cocoa platforms for Cargill. With over 10 years of experience at Cargill, Felix has built a strong track record across multiple roles spanning corn and cocoa business development, product P&L management, and regional commercial leadership. This diverse experience has provided Felix with deep expertise across both origin and destination markets, enabling a holistic perspective on global cocoa flows, value chain dynamics, and evolving customer needs. In today’s environment of structural supply constraints and heightened market volatility, Felix has played a key role in steering Cargill’s APAC cocoa business through a period of significant transformation and turnaround. This includes leading the shift toward stronger commercial excellence, advancing portfolio optimization strategies, and driving disciplined customer segmentation and prioritization within a capacity-constrained environment. Beyond commercial execution, Felix is a strong advocate for the strategic evolution of Asia-Pacific within the global cocoa ecosystem. Felix actively promotes the region’s potential to emerge as a critical hub for processing, innovation, and value creation—particularly as global supply dynamics continue to shift.

Dr BUCKI is a forester and engineer by training. He has served the European Commission for 20 years, first in the services in charge of environment and climate, then across Asia since 2016. He took part in the negotiations that led to the Paris Agreement then focussed on addressing the economic drivers of deforestation, and switching incentives towards sustainable production and trade of deforestation-free commodities, while promoting positive outcomes for communities, ecosystems and resilience. Lately he has helped Thailand to develop and roll out digital solutions to do so while minimising the burden on farmers and industries, bridging compliance with broader market pull (Gis, carbon or biodiv. positive, haze free, etc).

Fuzz Kitto brings 15 years of deep experience in the chocolate sector. He serves as Co-Director of both the Chocolate Scorecard and Be Slavery Free, an NGO that takes a "name and fame" approach — spotlighting areas that need improvement while celebrating companies leading the way. His work spans the full triple materiality spectrum: People, Planet, and Primates ( whose habitats face growing threats from cocoa cultivation in several regions). Fuzz operates with refreshing intellectual honesty as a thought leader — sharing what he knows, directing people to those who know what he doesn't, and collaborating with others to innovate solutions to what nobody has figured out yet. Having worked across 63 countries, he is equal parts storyteller, story collector, and self-described spreader of rumours of hope.

Tobias Garritt is Founder & CEO of Junglegold Bali, a pioneering company reimagining cocoa and chocolate. Since 2010 Junglegold has been working directly with local communities to produce sustainable chocolate and is the leading bean-to-bar producer in Indonesia. An early advocate of plant-based chocolate and evolving cocoa formulations, he believes innovation in ingredients, sugar levels and product design is an important pathway toward both sustainability and better consumer experiences. Tobias advocates for marketing as a catalyst to elevate the narrative of sustainable cocoa, engaging consumers in the brand’s ethos of quality and transparency. With an acute understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the cocoa sector, Tobias’ approach to marketing is not just about selling a product, but about telling a story that connects consumers with the origins of their food while responding to changing expectations around ethics, health and flavour. Tobias will share insights that stem from over a decade of hands-on experience, a deep connection to the land, and a forward-thinking mindset, driving meaningful dialogue on how chocolate experiences are evolving and what it takes to build the next generation of resilient chocolate products.

Kelly Cheah is a Singapore-based pastry chef with experience at DB Bistro Moderne, Joël Robuchon, Tarte by Cheryl Koh, Le Pristine and Grand Hyatt Singapore. With a strong foundation in French pastry and fine dining, she combines classical techniques with a modern and creative approach, with a focus on quality ingredients, precision and thoughtful presentation.

Leah is Vice President of Carbon Markets at StoneX in Dubai. She is responsible for leading our business development and origination efforts in the APAC and EMEA regions. She primarily focuses on compliance carbon markets, such as the EU ETS and CORSIA, as well as evolving regulations, such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Prior to this role, she spent eight years in Singapore, six of which were dedicated to sales and origination activities in carbon markets. Most recently, she worked with Macquarie’s Global Carbon Team, focusing on the EU ETS, the Australian carbon market, and the voluntary carbon market. Before that, she managed South Pole's business development team for Asia. Leah has also contributed to Article 6.2 pilot transactions. She has significant experience advising clients on carbon procurement and hedging strategies.

William Gaultier is a globally recognized advisor to Global 500 boards and UHNW individuals, operating at the high-stakes intersection of Agentic AI, cybersecurity, and operational reputation. A seasoned founder and operator, William has built and led four companies and held VP-level roles at Sephora and Lazada, where he managed $200M+ P&Ls and generated over $2B in cumulative revenue. As a Partner at Enfactum, William specializes in neutralizing the AI "Actionability Gap". He pioneered the HP Garage 2.0 innovation hub in APAC, curating a vibrant ecosystem of AI startups and global partners like Intel and Nvidia to drive edge-AI commercialization. His hands-on entrepreneurial background is balanced by deep regulatory expertise; he has advised US and APAC governments on cross-border compliance and directed Sephora’s 8-country response to a major data breach. Today, William equips leadership teams to treat modern risk as existential. By applying Enfactum’s 5-Step AI Growth Assessment, he helps boards design resilience into their people and processes, ensuring that reputation moves as fast as code while maintaining strict human-in-the-loop governance.

With over a decade of hands-on experience in artificial intelligence and 24 years in the technology sector, Natalia Poliakova has driven enterprise technology adoption across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas during her time at Intel. Based in Singapore, she now works as a fractional operator and advisor, supporting a portfolio of technology start-ups with market entry strategy and coaching corporate professionals through career transitions in the AI era. She is also the founder of Unscript IKIGAI™, a life orientation platform centred on human resilience and damage tolerance in an increasingly automated world. As an AI practitioner, Natalia has a contrarian view of the current revolution. While the industry focuses on what AI can do, she considers the impact of AI on the people using it. She argues that, for the vast majority of users, AI is currently driving cognitive offloading rather than augmentation, acting as an amplifier of performative productivity while replacing critical thinking. Her work challenges leaders to look beyond the hype surrounding automation and ask whether their organisations are developing metacognitive capability or merely outsourcing their intelligence. Outside of work, Natalia is an endurance cyclist who has ridden over 2,300 km across Southeast Asia, raising SG$18,000 for underprivileged children in Cambodia. There is no better way to appreciate the cocoa industry and its supply chain than to fight the crosswinds on a climb and hope for a piece of chocolate at the top. She joins this panel not as a cocoa specialist, but as someone who has spent over a decade observing the collision of technological promises and operational reality - and is willing to speak out about it.

Brandon Tay is a distinguished veteran and prominent leader within the global cocoa sector, currently serving as Chief Executive Officer of Guan Chong Berhad (GCB Cocoa). Widely regarded for his expertise and industry insight, Brandon has overseen GCB’s evolution into Asia’s largest cocoa processor and the world’s fourth-largest cocoa trader. Under his leadership, the company has demonstrated a robust commitment to sustainability, implementing energy-efficient practices, comprehensive waste minimization, and rigorous standards for traceable and sustainable cocoa sourcing.

Mr. Tey is a distinguished industry leader with more than 38 years of experience in the global cocoa ingredients sector, with deep expertise spanning commercial strategy, operations, processing and business growth. Since 1988, he has built a career defined by entrepreneurial vision, strong market insight and a long-standing commitment to advancing the cocoa processing industry Early in his career, he played an instrumental role in the establishment of a cocoa processing plant in Malaysia, contributing meaningfully to the growth of Malaysia’s cocoa manufacturing capabilities. Over the decades, he has developed extensive knowledge of cocoa processing and market dynamics, earning recognition for his ability to combine technical understanding with strategic leadership and sound commercial judgment. In 2000, he founded JB Cocoa Group and has since led its development into an established cocoa ingredients producer serving customers across international markets. Under his leadership, the Group has built a reputation for quality, reliability and operational excellence, supported by long-term partnerships across the cocoa and food manufacturing value chain. With his deep industry experience, passion for the cocoa sector and forward-looking leadership, he continues to play an important role in strengthening JB Cocoa Group’s standing in the global cocoa industry.

Gricha Safarian, former Managing Director of Puratos Grand-Place Indochina and current stakeholder, has over 30 years of experience in the B2B chocolate industry. He is one of the founders of OCG Cacao Group and the founder of Grand-Place Chocolate, headquartered in Belgium. Since 2008, Gricha and his team have played a key role in introducing and developing cocoa plantations in Vietnam through several sustainable cocoa sourcing programs. One of his most recent achievements is the creation of the Cacao-Trace program and standard, which includes innovative incentive systems for farmers, as well as the development of a full “pod-to-bar” model. This model gives fermentation a strategic role in the overall chocolate-making process. The fully vertically integrated model has now moved beyond the pilot phase in Vietnam and is currently being adopted to 8 cocoa countries by the Puratos Group, where Gricha serves as Cocoa Sourcing Strategic Advisor. Gricha is also the Founder and Managing Director of The Cocoa Project, a bean-to-bar chocolate company that expands his ecosystem by delivering a complete chocolate experience to consumers. Gricha graduated from Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) with a Master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations. He has attended several executive programs on sustainable strategy and supply chain management at Harvard Business School and is a LEAD alumnus of Stanford Graduate School of Business, holding a Certificate in Corporate Innovation. Slogan of choice: “Easy is boring.”

Mei Ing Cheok brings a decade of experience leading corporate engagement at Save the Children, supported by 16 years in finance, marketing, and CSR. She focuses on building practical, long term collaborations with agribusinesses to strengthen supply chains and improve outcomes for farming families, particularly children. Working at the intersection of business and development, Mei Ing supports companies in integrating responsible sourcing practices that enhance community resilience, livelihoods, and child wellbeing. She prioritises evidence based, realistic solutions that align social impact with business needs. Mei Ing plays a key role in mobilising corporate partners and securing the support needed for projects that bring together farmer groups, governments, NGOs, and other local actors. She helps ensure that company commitments fuel initiatives grounded in local realities and designed for long term sustainability. Mei Ing is also deeply committed to empowering women and youth farmers, recognising their critical influence on household wellbeing, climate adaptation, and children’s futures. She advocates for programmes that expand training, resources, and leadership opportunities, helping underrepresented groups strengthen their livelihoods. Her approach centres on steady, practical partnerships that create meaningful improvements in the everyday lives of farming families and contribute to more responsible global supply chains.

Chris de Lavigne is a Partner based in Deloitte’s Singapore office covering Strategy and M&A with a focus on the agriculture sector, running from the upstream to the downstream, and has been involved in all major tropical crops. He has been based in southeast Asia for more than 20 years, working closely with Governments, Financials Institutions, and Corporates to solve their most pressing issues.

Eric Bergman started his career at JSG Commodities in 2012 after working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and at Morgan Stanley for a brief period of time. Eric is now the head of the cocoa and coffee department at JSG Commodities and is responsible for all fundamental research as well as the execution of all futures and options in the cocoa market. At the cocoa department, Eric serves a wide array of clients within the industry to support all their needs pertaining to the analysis of the cocoa market as well as their needs pertaining to hedging and speculating. Eric currently resides in the United States in Connecticut with his wife Amy, his daughter Rose, and his son Charles.

Max Goettler is Head of Trading at JB Cocoa, based in Zurich, Switzerland, where he oversees trading and sustainability operations across the company's global cocoa supply chain. He brings over a decade of experience spanning origin sourcing, trading, procurement, and business development within the cocoa and chocolate industry. His career began as a commercial trainee at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in Germany and Switzerland, followed by trading roles at Cocoanect BV in the Netherlands and Ecuador. He joined JB Cocoa as Business Development Manager in Côte d'Ivoire, working directly with West African cocoa origins, before being promoted to Head of Trading. He later broadened his experience further as Procurement Manager at Lindt & Spruengli, gaining exposure to the downstream, consumer-facing side of the chocolate industry, before returning to JB Cocoa as Head of Trading. He holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford.

Matthijs de Meer is the European Cocoa Association’s Director EU Affairs & Sustainability. Within the ECA, Matthijs’ work is focused on the various pieces of EU sustainability legislation including the EU Deforestation Regulation, Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and Forced Labour Regulation, as well as matters relating to the EU’s trade policy. Matthijs informs and advises the ECA membership on these files and represent the membership vis-à-vis the European Institutions, national governments, and other external stakeholders. Prior to working at the ECA, Matthijs worked in the European Parliament on International Trade including EU-Africa trade relations. Matthijs holds a Master’s degree in European Law and Constitutional & Administrative Law from Leiden University.

Hansika, a Principal Analyst, brings over 10 years of expertise in consumer insights, brand management, marketing and advertising. She has worked with diverse food & beverage brands, leveraging her passion for understanding behaviour and environments to reshape strategies. She holds a degree in Media Communication and an MBA.

Originally from Austin, Texas, the 28-year-old Jake Berber’s foray into Prefer can easily be surmised by his goal of combating the world’s #1 problem of our lifetime, climate change. Garnering attention for both its environmental impact and potential to reshape the coffee supply chain, his day-to-day role at Prefer involves him donning multiple hats from handling business development leads as well as hands-on work in marketing, legal, and more. From its nascent stages of a 2-man team to now, a 15-person start-up, Jake describes running a company as demanding but satisfying, especially since creating coffee and cocoa alternatives from fermentation was and still is, uncharted territory. As Prefer gains momentum, Jake envisions expanding their portfolio to address other climate-sensitive crops, and for their coffees to include other flavours. Through Prefer, he wants to continue to bridge his passion for science, sustainability, and startups, contributing to a future where innovation shapes a more resilient and eco-friendly global food system. Outside of his entrepreneurial pursuits, Jake recounts his experience as a moonshiner dabbling in mead-making at home in Texas proudly and enjoys the occasional game of paddle tennis.

Megan Willis is an environmental sustainability and social impact expert with more than 20 years’ experience leading sustainable sourcing within global agri-food value chains, with a particular focus on rural livelihoods. In her current capacity as Founder and Director of Willis Lee Adivsory, she advises multinational corporations, private equity and venture capital firms, start-ups and NGOs on sustainability policy and strategies that mitigate risk, generate impact and create value. In her prior in-house roles, she was the Global Head of Sustainable Sourcing (Livelihoods) for Unilever and APAC Sustainability Director and cocoa lead for Cargill. She spent the early part of her career leading food security programming under USAID, with various global postings in APAC and sub-Saharan Africa. Megan holds her MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

John Kelly is the Sustainability Director, Customer Solutions at Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high quality chocolate and cocoa products. In this role, he works closely with customers and partners to advance sustainability strategies and build more resilient and transparent cocoa supply chains. John also serves as the Managing Director of the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, the non-profit organization established by Barry Callebaut in 2015 to improve the livelihoods of smallholder cocoa farmers through sustainable and entrepreneurial farming practices, alongside community development programs. Over the course of his 25-year career, John has held leadership roles across research and development, marketing, and sustainability, with much of his experience focused on the chocolate industry and adjacent snacking categories. He has worked across both the global CPG and B2B sectors in consumer and customer-facing roles. John brings a global perspective and a pragmatic, partnership-oriented approach to sustainability. He believes that integrating commercial and sustainability strategies is essential to driving scalable and lasting change across the cocoa sector. Born and raised in Cork, Ireland, John studied Food Science and Business Administration. He has worked across Germany and the United States and today lives in Switzerland with his wife and their two sons.

Hans Christian Fleischer is Chief Commercial Officer at Farmforce, where he leads global sales, marketing, and commercial strategy for the company's first-mile traceability SaaS platform, serving agricultural supply chains across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. He brings over 20 years of experience in telecoms and technology across Europe and Asia, including 18 years at Telenor, where he held Vice President roles spanning Sales, Marketing, and Business Development. At Farmforce, Hans Christian built and manages the company's global sales team, shaping it into a high-performing organization spanning multiple continents. He oversees lead generation and go-to-market execution and has built long-term relationships with top-tier customers across the industry. As commercial and legal lead, he has been instrumental in structuring and closing strategic partnerships and contracts that underpin the company's growth. Under his commercial leadership, Farmforce has delivered double-digit organic revenue growth for five consecutive years. He has also played a central role in major enterprise partnerships, including Farmforce's multi-year collaboration with Cargill and Barry Callebaut to digitize across cocoa cooperatives in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Based in Oslo, Hans Christian combines commercial rigor with a focus on scaling technology solutions that improve transparency, sustainability, and livelihoods at the first mile of the food supply chain.

Mishari Muqbil is a technology strategist, consultant, farmer, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, agriculture, and the cacao value chain. Based in Thailand, he helps organizations identify where emerging technologies can create meaningful operational value and where they risk becoming costly distractions. His professional experience spans AI adoption, data strategy, open-source governance, InnerSource, platform development, and organizational transformation. He has worked with technology companies, international consulting firms, government organizations, and industry groups, helping teams modernize systems, improve collaboration, and develop the capabilities needed to use new technologies responsibly and effectively. Mishari also brings direct experience managing agricultural operations in southern Thailand. This gives him a practical understanding of the realities farmers face, including changing weather conditions, fluctuating yields, input costs, labour constraints, incomplete data, and the need to make decisions under uncertainty. His perspective on agricultural technology is grounded not only in what is technically possible, but also in whether a solution is affordable, usable, reliable, and relevant in the field. Alongside his agricultural and advisory work, Mishari is developing a craft chocolate business in Thailand. This gives him insight into product development, quality, branding, customer education, distribution, and the relationship between agricultural production and market demand. His experience across technology, farming, and chocolate enables him to examine AI from multiple points in the value chain, with a particular interest in practical applications that improve decisions, strengthen human capabilities, and produce measurable value.

Alain Freymond is the President of Global Cocoa at Barry Callebaut Group, based in Zurich, Switzerland. He has been with Barry Callebaut for over 20 years and has held critical executive functions in Global Cocoa, including sourcing, risk management, sales, operations and supply chain in Switzerland and North America. Alain's leadership is marked by a strong focus on operational excellence and sustainable supply chains. He is known for his strategic vision and ability to drive transformation across global teams. Alain holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from ETH Zürich.

Darren O’Brien is the Chief Cocoa Officer and the Chief Corporate & Government Affairs (CGA) Officer of Mondelēz International, a global snacking leader with 2025 net revenues of approximately $38.5 billion driven by iconic brands such as Oreo, Ritz, LU, Clif Bar and Tate's Bake Shop biscuits and baked snacks, as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate. Darren has held numerous senior leadership roles in Mondelēz International since 2008 across multiple geographies, including President of Australia, New Zealand and Japan; President of the Cheese and Grocery business in Asia Pacific, and President for Meals Europe and Philadelphia globally, based in Zurich. Darren has extensive experience in the Food and Beverage industry, with previous roles at CCA Snackfoods, Mars Petcare, Diageo and Fonterra. He has a strong track record in growth turnaround, mergers and acquisitions, including the acquisition and merger of Bonlac Foods, Peters, Brownes and Norco Milk into the Fonterra Group; Kraft Foods’ acquisition and integration of Cadbury; and Mondelēz International’s acquisition of Gourmet Food. Darren holds an Executive MBA from Singapore Management University, a Master of Enterprise (Leadership and Management) from Melbourne University, and a Bachelor of Business from University of Technology Sydney. He is based in Chicago and is Chair of the Australian Food and Grocery Council Board.

Selene Scotton is the Group Cocoa Sustainability Manager at Puratos, responsible for the cocoa sustainability strategy and programs, she works across Asia, Africa and Latin America together with the regional teams on the ground. Based in Vietnam where she has been working with Puratos since 2018, she brings diverse knowledge having previously overseen the regional Cacao-Trace programs in APAC encompassing sourcing and sustainability. Her dedication to sustainable food systems was ignited during her time with the US Peace Corps where she worked closely with smallholder farmers in the Republic of Benin. Her commitment to continuous learning and innovation drives her to push the boundaries of what is achievable through initiatives like Cacao-Trace. She holds an MBA from ESADE Business School in Spain and a BA in International Relations and French from San Francisco State University.

Louise Mabulo is a chef, farmer, and entrepreneur. She is the Founder of The Cacao Project, which cultivates resilient and Climate-smart livelihoods, positioning farmers for sustainable success in San Fernando, Camarines Sur, Philippines. Her work has supported over 200 farmers to plant over 300,000 trees, reforesting 741 acres of land-- creating regenerative agroforests and empowering local communities to set up their own enterprises. Louise is a National Geographic Explorer, a featured honouree for Forbes Asia’s list ‘30 Under 30’, Named as one of BBC’s 100 Most Inspiring and Influential Women of the Year, a Young Champion of the Earth under the United Nations Environment Programme, a UN Foundation SDG Vanguard Award, Young Activists Summit Laureate, an honouree of Tatler’s ‘Generation T’, and one of the World’s 50 Next Game-changing Producers listed by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awarding Body. Louise is an Ambassador of the World Resources Institute’s Food and Land Use Coalition, a member of the Climate Overshoot Commission under Paris Peace Forum, a member of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration Advisory Committee, and is an official TED Speaker. She is a television presenter for the Channel News Asia documentary series, “Tech to Save the World”, where she explores technological innovation and Artificial Intelligence-driven Climate Solutions to some of the leading challenges of our time. She also hosts the cooking show ‘Simply Sarap’, promoting cultural diplomacy under the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines. She is also the host of #GenGeo Conversations under the National Geographic Society, and NatGeo Presents: Earth Day Stories: Diet vs. Planet Documentary series. Louise strives toward empowering farmers and advancing climate action & environmental stewardship through her work.

Mr. Michel ARRION, is the Executive Director of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, since January 2019. A lawyer by training, he has been an EU civil servant for thirty years, serving as Ambassador of the European Union in various African countries such as Nigeria, Rwanda, Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire.

Michael Clark is the Vice President for Global Commodity Price Risk Management (CPRM) at Mondelēz International, a global snacking leader with 2025 net revenues of approximately $38.5 billion driven by iconic brands such as Oreo, Ritz, LU, Clif Bar and Tate's Bake Shop biscuits and baked snacks, as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate. Michael Clark is a 25-year Trading, Procurement and Risk Management Expert beginning his career in the energy industry where he was responsible for trading Natural Gas for industry leaders such as Enron. After its collapse, Michael moved into managing Credit Derivatives, Global Macro and CTA strategies for a number of Global Hedge Funds. In 2012, he moved into the world of consumer goods setting up Energy and Packaging Hedging at Unilever before assuming the roles of Head of Procurement for Unilever’s Ice Cream business direct material spend and Global Head of Unilever’s Risk Management - thus began his love affair with cocoa with visits to West Africa and factories in the US, Europe and Asia. Most recently, Michael has spent 2 years as Mondelēz International’s Global Head of Commodity Price Risk Management reporting into the group CFO where he is responsible for the financial delivery of all direct materials. Within that, cocoa and its respective price volatility is significant in terms of spend and with the attention it requires. Outside of work, his wife and two young children are the chocolate industry’s biggest fans and, when not snacking and watching a movie, Michael and his family can be found outside on a ski slope, swimming in a lake or enjoying any kind of sport or musical activity in Switzerland where they now call home.

Paul Arendsen is Senior Director, Cocoa Sourcing and Trading at Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products. Based in Zurich, he is responsible for the company’s global cocoa bean sourcing and trading activities, overseeing procurement strategies, market risk management, certified and specialty cocoa sourcing, and commercial trading operations across key producing regions. With more than 35 years of experience in global agricultural commodities, Paul is widely recognised for his expertise in cocoa and coffee markets, supply chain transformation, risk management, sustainability, and international trade. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership and trading roles across Europe and Asia, managing sourcing operations, commercial strategy, logistics, and stakeholder engagement across complex global value chains. From 2022 to 2025, Paul served as Head of Cocoa Sourcing APAC for Barry Callebaut in Singapore, where he led regional sourcing strategies and played a key role in transforming supply chain operations, advancing sustainability initiatives, supporting major customer programs, and guiding strategic cocoa procurement across the Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining Barry Callebaut, Paul held leadership positions with Delfi Cocoa and Andira Netherlands, building extensive experience in commodity trading, procurement, commercial management, and international market development. His career began in the coffee sector, where he spent over 15 years trading and sourcing green coffee across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. A respected voice within the commodities industry, Paul previously served as Chairman of the Dutch Coffee Trade Association (KKN) and has acted as an arbitrator for the Federation of Cocoa Commerce (FCC). He is a frequent contributor to discussions on cocoa market dynamics, supply chain resilience, sustainability, risk management, and the evolving landscape of global agricultural commodities. Paul holds a degree in Economics from HTS Leeuwarden in the Netherlands and is fluent in Dutch, English, and German, with a good command of French.

Sarah Dekkiche is Director of Policy and Partnerships at the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), a leading multi-stakeholder foundation whose mission is to advance the elimination of child labour and forced labour in the cocoa sector. In this role, Sarah is among others responsible for leading ICI’s stakeholder relations and the development of partnerships with members, partners, donors and policy makers. Specialised in business and human rights, Sarah has over fifteen years of experience working with businesses, the European Union and international institutions as well as civil society organisations. She holds a French-German double diploma from the Institutd’Etudes Politiques de Lille (France) and the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität of Münster (Germany), as well as an Executive MBA from the Vlerick Business School in Brussels (Belgium).

Yeting Liu is a senior innovation and R&D leader with more than two decades of global experience spanning cocoa, chocolate, and food ingredients across Asia Pacific, Europe, and China. He is currently Vice President, Global Cacao Coating Centre of Excellence and R&D AMEA at the Barry Callebaut Group, where he leads the global centre of excellence capabilities for cacao coating as well as regional R&D across the AMEA region, driving innovation initiatives and technical development across diverse markets. He is widely recognized for his ability to bridge science, commercial strategy, and customer co-creation, with a strong track record of leading multicultural teams and driving innovation across complex, global food systems. Prior to his current role, Yeting served as Vice President, Compound CoE & Business Development at Barry Callebaut, driving growth and application innovation for compound chocolate solutions. He also held the role of Vice President, R&D APAC, overseeing regional R&D teams across Japan, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, and India, strengthening innovation pipelines and technical capabilities across diverse markets. Earlier in his tenure with Barry Callebaut, he led global corporate accounts R&D based in Belgium, supporting major multinational customers and co-developing innovation programs at a global scale. Before rejoining Barry Callebaut, Yeting was Vice President, R&D China at Starbucks, where he led innovation across beverages, ready-to-drink products, food, equipment, and packaging, while also overseeing regulatory affairs and food safety functions. He was a member of the China Leadership Team and played a key role in shaping the company’s innovation ecosystem in the market. Earlier in his career, he spent over a decade with Wilmar International in various R&D and commercial roles across Singapore, Malaysia, and Europe, building deep expertise in product development, technical sales, and global customer engagement. He also previously served as Panel Chair for the Healthier Ingredients Subsidy Scheme with the Health Promotion Board, contributing to national-level efforts to advance healthier food innovation. Yeting holds a PhD in Food Science and Technology and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) in Food Science and Technology from the National University of Singapore. He also completed a Visiting Research Scholar appointment at the University of Queensland’s School of Land, Crop and Food Science.

Manfred is a final year PhD candidate in the Department of Food Science and Technology, National University of Singapore. Under the guidance of A/P Liu Shaoquan, his current PhD research focuses on the use of carob pulp as a cocoa substitute, with an emphasis on enhancing its flavour via fermentation and enzymology. In 2022, he received his B.Sc. (Hons) from the National University of Singapore. His research findings have been patented and been published across three Q1 food science journals. His work has been featured on the cover of Journal of Food Science Vol. 90 Issue 7 – The flagship journal of the Institute of Food Technologists. Manfred has also presented his findings and received awards in multiple research symposia across Singapore, Japan, Germany and Italy. Aside from academic research, Manfred brings a wealth of technical expertise in food product development. These encompass cereal snacks, confectionery, beverages and ready-to-eat meal product formats. In addition, Manfred is trained in the valorisation of food processing side-stream for new product innovation. He has also served as a mentor to student product development projects.

Thomas Colonna is the Head of the EFI Asia Regional Office. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he represents the European Forest Institute (EFI) in the region and oversees EFI’s projects in Asia and the Pacific. Thomas has 20 years of experience supporting forest governance, inclusive forest products and agricultural supply chains and certification in Asia, Africa and Latin America. At EFI, he served as the Senior Value Chains and Smallholders Expert and the Senior FLEGT Policy Advisor for China and Regional Asia. Before EFI, Thomas managed the global conflict resolution program of the Forest Stewardship Council.

Natchaya Sukkaew is the APAC Product Delivery Manager at Koltiva, a leading agricultural technology company dedicated to building transparent and sustainable supply chains across the globe. Based in the Asia-Pacific region, she leads the delivery of Koltiva's digital solutions that help businesses trace, verify, and improve the social and environmental performance of their agricultural supply chains including cocoa, coffee, and palm oil.

Eduardo Burg, founder of COA&Co, is a globally experienced FMCG leader and two-time food startup founder with 20 years of experience across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He has led brands at every stage-from global roles at Danone and PepsiCo to launching award-winning ventures. As founder of Coa & Co, he's reimagining chocolate's healthful origins. In 2024, he launched in Singapore the first high-protein chocolate brand from Asia and the world's first chocolate fortified with fermentation. Coa&Co has quickly earned retail traction and won the FoodTech Worldcup by FoodHack. They have recently expanded to Australia. Previously, Eduardo was Managing Director of Danone Vietnam, where he built the local BU from scratch and grew market share 7x in under two years. He's known for combining strategic clarity with executional rigor across marketing, innovation, and go-to-market.