© 2023 IAOM Mideast & Africa Conference & Expo
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SPEAKERS
OPENING CEREMONY
Opening Speech
Khatab Omar Al-Hazaa
IAOM MEA 2023 Conference Chairman
General Manager,
Al Taj Flour Mills (Egypt)
Ali Habaj
Ali Habaj holds an M.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Bristol, UK and a General Management Program for top executives from Harvard University, USA to add to his credentials. Having worked in Oman for over 23 years in management roles, he possesses rich experience of which he led Oman Flour Mills Co. SAOG (OFM) and Atyab Investments from 2000 to 2017. During Habaj’s tenure at OFM, the company’s workforce grew from 220 to 1,500 employees. It was under his leadership that Atyab Investments was created, an investment arm focused on value addition through downstream industries. This is evidenced by a notable achievement in revenue growth from 60 Mn USD in 2010 to 220 Mn USD in 2016. Atyab Investments built Oman’s largest industrial bakery and successfully turned around the country’s major poultry farms- broiler and layer facilities. In addition to this, Atyab Investments is setting up new milling and Grain silo facilities in the Industrial Port of Sohar. During the first half of this financial year, the group’s profits grew by 47% compared to the previous year and this robust growth will be seen in the second half as well. The company will continue with its 5-year vision of investing US $1 Billion in the food sector. He continues to be involved in the industry through different board positions and consultancy assignments for the flour milling industry. He is an active member of the Young President Organization (YPO), held the position of chairman for YPO Oman from 2015-2016 and is the elected Chairman for YPO MENA Gold Regional Chair 2022-2024
Opening Highlights
Ali Habaj
IAOM MEA Regional Director
(Sultanate of Oman)
Kamel Belkhiria
His remarkable career path exemplifies numerous years of dedication, hard work, and perseverance. He assumed the role of the MCSR mill’s leader in 1974.
Driven by a profound passion for this undertaking, he has continuously honed his skills and expertise, evolving from his early days as the manager of a small mill to his current position as the leader of a prominent agri-food conglomerate in Tunisia, specializing in the cereal, agricultural, and poultry sectors.
Since the beginning of his career, he has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excellence which has inspired the mission he has defined for the group: “To contribute to food self-sufficiency in Tunisia, with a total commitment to quality while upholding environmental stewardship”
His vision for the future is to be the leading agri-food company in the Tunisian market, creating value and extending their influence on an international scale.
IAOM MEA 2023 Regional Leader Awardee
Kamel Belkhiria
President,
Rose Blanche Group (Tunisia)
Peter Muni
Peter Muni started his milling career in 1975 with a four-year apprenticeship at Unga Limited, Kenya.
Upon attaining his City and Guilds of London Advanced Certificate in Flour Milling in 1979, he was appointed as a shift miller and worked in wheat and maize mills.
He rose through the ranks to become a Head Miller and Mill Manager after further training at Henry Simon(Stockport), UK in 1982 and at Buhler (Uzwil), Switzerland in 1985.
In 1987, Peter was sponsored by Unga Limited to Kansas State University (U.S.A.) as a full time student to study for a Bachelor’s degree in Milling Science and Management.
He returned to Unga Limited after graduating and held the positions of Production Manager, Branch Manager and Technical Manager during different years between 1990 and 1999.
In 2000, he joined Al Ghurair Group in Dubai. During different periods, he held positions of Plant Manager and Production Manager in the Maize mill, Pulses plant, Bulgur plant and was in the lead team for the design of an Oats processing plant.
In 2009, Peter joined Bakhresa Group in Tanzania and held the position of General Manager for New Projects. He would be partially involved or fully lead Projects in Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Rwanda.
Peter was awarded a Master’s degree in Project Management by the University of Liverpool (UK) in 2017. This was with an immense support (during the online studies) by the Bakhresa Group.
Peter left full time engagement at the Bakhresa Group in October 2021 and works as an independent consultant, based in Kenya.
It was while studying in the US that Peter heard about the IAOM and upon return to this region, he attended his first IAOM-MEA conference in Dubai in 1992.
He has continued to participate in many IAOM-MEA conferences in different countries and he even led the organizing of the 1998 IAOM-MEA conference in Nairobi.
Peter is also a member the IAOM-MEA Education Committee
IAOM MEA 2023 Miller of the Year
Peter Muni
Consultant,
Mills Consult (Kenya)
PANEL DISCUSSION: MANAGING RISK OF NOT ONLY WHEAT, BUT CURRENCY AND GEOPOLITICS
Indrek Aigro
Indrek Aigro has been involved with the international grain business since 2003. For the last 15 years he has been working for Copenhagen Merchants which has become one of the largest grain & oilseed brokers in the world. Indrek is currently responsible for the brokerage in Copenhagen Merchants and business development – which includes continuous expansion of the geographical scope of the business and digitalization of the old fashioned grain business – initiatives like CM Navigator.
Moderator
Indrek Aigro
Head of Grains,
Copenhagen Merchants (Denmark)
Oga Venkat
Oga started in the trading industry in 1986 in Geneva with Amoco before joining Cargill in 1989. He comes from a background in transportation and logistics. From 1990 till 1997 he worked on the Middle East and Africa desk in charge of various countries, before joining Tradigrain Geneva from 1997 till 2002 and then the Australian Wheat Board Geneva from 2002 till 2005 in similar positions. He rejoined the Cargill Africa and Middle East desk in 2005. Marketing and trading within the Middle East and African region has always been his passion. Since early 2020 he is heading the Middle East and Africa desk for the World Trading Group of Cargill Geneva. He has been a regular at the IAOM MEA conferences since 1993 in Beirut.
Manager – Middle East & Africa desk
Oga Venkat
Cargill International SA
(Switzerland)
Pieter Defoor
Pieter Defoor is Marketing Manager Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at Viterra, one of the world’s leading agriculture networks. An experienced marketer of agricultural commodities and products, Pieter drives Viterra’s market presence across the regions of North Africa, the East Mediterranean, and the Middle East.
Based at the company’s headquarters in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Pieter started his career at Viterra 12 years ago. He honed his skills on the grains marketing desk, initially focused on the Maghreb, and has since broadened his range across the MENA region.
Pieter specializes in developing comprehensive strategies for the distribution of grains, with a focus on wheat, corn, barley, and oilseeds. His expertise allows him to analyze and anticipate market trends, based on the intricate political developments that influence supply and demand across the grain industry.
His experience in regions known for political and economic fluctuations has given him a deep understanding of the nuances involved in mitigating risk. Dealing with both private importers and government agencies, his insights are invaluable to those navigating the complexities of this industry.
Marketing Manager Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Pieter Defoor
Viterra
(Netherlands)
Ahmed Hammouda
Ahmed holds a BS in Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems (DMIS) from George Mason University, Washington DC, 1999. After graduation, Ahmed started his shipping Career chartering containers and parcels from North America and the Far East to Egypt and the Middle East. Later being offered a position at Bunge, he moved to Geneva where he managed the East Med on the Dry cargoes, followed by the MENA oil desk in Hamburg. He joined Sodrugestvo, the Russian crusher in Kaliningrad, with an office in Geneva where he took a big part in developing the MENA region as Commercial Director . He started Astra in 2017
CEO
Ahmed Hammouda
Astra Group
(Egypt)
Eduard Zernin
Graduated from the Chicago Booth School of Business. Started his professional career in investment banking in 1993. He was actively involved in the Russian debt capital market (DCM) creation, then implemented a number of successful M&A transactions and turnaround projects.
In 2011, he headed the Board of Directors of BIO-TON Agri Corp., which under his leadership became the largest grain producer in the Volga Valley and the largest sunflower producer in all of Russia. The corporation cultivates more than 550,000 HA of arable land in the Volga Valley and Southern Russia and is among the top-10 largest Russian crop producers.
In 2019 he was elected Chairman of the Executive Board of the Russian Union of Grain Exporters (RUSGRAIN UNION), which unites the largest companies, both local and international, collectively exporting about 80% of grain from Russia.
Chairman
Eduard Zernin
Rusgrain Union
(Russia)
PANEL DISCUSSION: ERP & DIGITALIZATION - HOW MILLERS CAN BENEFIT?
Martin Ellegast
Martin Ellegast is the CEO of Advactory AG that specializes in the development of IoT devices and features for the milling industry. The Company is a leading service provider in the food industry, specializing in operational excellence. With a background in engineering and a passion for food and flour milling, Martin founded his company with the goal of revolutionizing the way food is produced, distributed, and consumed.
Moderator
Martin Ellegast
CEO,
Advactory AG (Switzerland)
Ibrahim Al-Hazaa
Experienced Executive Director at Al-Hazaa Investment Group, a regional organization with business activities in various sectors, including flour milling, feed milling, pasta and noodles production, plastic production, renewable energy and project management, and implementation, operating in four countries in the Middle East. Ibrahim has a demonstrated history of working in the Food Production Industry; reliable operations professional with a bachelor’s degree focused
on Mechatronics and Automation Engineering from the German Jordanian University in Jordan and Jade University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Gained vast experience through training implemented at Bühlers training centres in Switzerland & Germany, and an internship program at Robert Bosch GmbH in Germany, in addition to the long working experience with Al-Hazaa Investment Group in the Middle East.
Executive Director
Ibrahim Al-Hazaa
Al-Hazaa Investment Group (Jordan)
Abdulla Fatayer
Abdulla Fatayer is an experienced SAP Business One Consultant and Consulting Manager at Advanced Business Solutions. With a background in information technology and services, he possesses expertise in various areas, including cash flow, business planning, business analysis, internal and external audits, fixed assets, and budgeting. Abdulla has an extensive project portfolio, having worked with notable clients such as KBW Investment, Al Hazaa Group, and Princess Sumaya University for Technology, among others. In his role as Consultant Manager, he excels in ERP requirements analysis, project planning, and resource allocation. His career also includes serving as a Senior SAP Business One Functional Consultant and conducting SAP Business One training. Before transitioning to consultancy, Abdulla gained valuable experience as an Internal Auditor, Internal Financial Auditor, and Accountant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Jordan and possesses skills such as troubleshooting, ERP demos, working under pressure, accuracy, and management. Abdulla’s dedication and expertise make him a valuable asset in the field of SAP consultancy and business management
Consulting Manager
Abdulla Fatayer
ABS
(Jordan)
Javier Lozano Diaz
With a foundation in Industrial Engineering, specialising in mechanical, Javier Lozano Díaz started with Bühler AG in 2019. His path began in one of the key Bühler´s hubs, Bühler Prague. There, he contributed as both programmer and later as project manager in Automation. This experience preceded his current position as a Product Manager at Bühler’s Swiss headquarters. Encompassing global industrial software commissioning, project management, and leadership of Automation projects, today Javier Lozano Díaz is dedicated to shaping Bühler’s Automation & Digital solutions, collaborating with the development teams to ensure the delivery of pure customer-driven solutions.
Product Manager Automation & Digital Services
Javier Lozano Díaz
Bühler AG (Switzerland)
MARKET OUTLOOKS
Roland Guiragossian
Roland Guiragossian: Middle East & Algeria Manager for Intercereales (ex-France Export Cereales) since 2009. Previously worked in various Multinational Companies (Agfa, Coca-Cola, Danone) in Sales, Operations and Supply Chain Management positions. Holds a Postgraduate Degree in Business Administration, Management Institute (IAE) of Grenoble (France) & Post Graduate Degree in International Business (CECE-French Center for Foreign Trade)- Marseille (France). Based in Cairo (Egypt) Foundation and the Commodity Market Council.
French Market Outlook
Roland Guiragossian
Algeria & Middle East Manager, Intercereales (Egypt)
Ian Flagg
Ian Flagg is the Regional Vice President of USW Associates Rotterdam for Europe, Middle East, and North Africa based at the regional headquarters in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Before accepting his current position, Flagg was the Assistant Regional Director in Cairo, Egypt, the market analyst at the headquarters of Arlington, VA, and was deputy director of the West Coast, Portland, OR, where he was responsible for the liaison work between the grain trade and state wheat commissions. He chaired the foreign visits of trade delegations and met the needs of 16 overseas offices. Flagg joined US Wheat Associates in 2005. Prior to joining USW, Flagg has worked as a Research Assistant at North Dakota State University. Flagg holds and MS degree in agribusiness and applied economics from the same university.
US Market Outlook
Ian Flagg
Regional Vice President
U.S. Wheat Associates (Netherlands)
Olivier Bougamont
Olivier Bougamont joined Cargill in 2002, starting trading corn in France. He moved to Geneva in 2006 as wheat and barley black sea trader. After a few years in grain Olivier moved to the oilseed complex and ended up managing the European Crush book before taking over the European and black sea Grain book. In 2018, Olivier moved to the World Trading Group of Cargill as part of the wheat trading desk.
Australian Market Outlook
Olivier Bougamont
Senior Wheat and Barley trader
Cargill International SA (Switzerland)
Indrek Aigro
Indrek Aigro has been involved with the international grain business since 2003. For the last 15 years he has been working for Copenhagen Merchants which has become one of the largest grain & oilseed brokers in the world. Indrek is currently responsible for the brokerage in Copenhagen Merchants and business development – which includes continuous expansion of the geographical scope of the business and digitalization of the old fashioned grain business – initiatives like CM Navigator.
Black Sea Market Outlook
Indrek Aigro
Head of Grains,
Copenhagen Merchants (Denmark)
ADDING VALUE TO FLOUR - A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY!
Peter Lloyd
Principally a technical miller, but also experienced in quality control and training, Lloyd currently looks after a wide array of technical promotions throughout the Middle East and North African Region, and across the world for USW.
Lloyd joined USW in 1991 as director general of the USW funded Egyptian Milling School. Following this, he became the chief analytical miller with the Tri-State and USW funded Wheat Marketing Center in Portland, Oregon. From 1998 – 2002 he served as director of the USW Miller Outreach Program in Casablanca, Morocco where he played a critical role in establishing the IFIM continuing education and fee-for-service analysis programs, putting the school on the path to financial self-sufficiency. While in this capacity, he also developed the Wheat Blender spreadsheet, an effective promotional toolkit used to better position US wheats North Africa, traditionally a French wheat market, and in other markets as well.
Following a sabbatical year in Dubai with Al Ghurair Foods, Lloyd returned to USW in the newly established Tunis office, where he served till closure of that office in 2009. Returning to Morocco in 2009 Peter has headed up the Technical Outreach Program serving USW offices around the world in providing technical assistance to USW offices.
Lloyd has extensive experience in milling and related research fields. He has designed, commissioned, run and managed flour milling operations and has a sound background in the wheat business, research and development and quality control areas of flour milling. Lloyd has also served in the capacity of milling instructor to the Northern Crops Institute (NCI), Fargo, ND and the CENAI/Certrem Institute in Brazil as well as the Milling Schools established by USW and the training centers of Ocrim, Italy and Buhler, China. Lloyd has served as a consultant to the California Wheat Commission, UNIDO, DANIDA and the APDF/World Bank.
Session Chairperson
Peter Lloyd
Regional Technical Director – Middle East and North Africa Region
US Wheat Associates Inc. (Morocco)
Lutz Popper
Lutz Popper read food technology at the Berlin University of Technology, followed by research and instruction activities at the Institute of Food Technology. In his Ph.D. thesis he treated the extraction and application of anti-microbial enzymes. Since December 1993, Popper is with Mühlenchemie and SternEnzym, now as scientific director. He is an external lecturer for food technology at the Kiel University of Technology since 1997, at the University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, since 2013 and at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (BHT), since 2015 and has contributed 200 articles, posters, lectures, patents and three books to the field of food science.
Managing Flour Performance and Grist Costs with Enzymes
Dr. Lutz Popper
Scientific Director,
Muhlenchemie GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
Mariam Al-Hazaa
Mariam Al-Hazaa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Communications from the German Jordanian University in Jordan, she is a Business Development Manager at Al-Hazaa Investment Group, responsible for identifying new business opportunities and developing relationships with potential clients. Mariam has a wealth of experience in the milling industry, her work at Al-Hazaa Investment Group which operates several integrated operations has enhanced her passion for flour milling and other derived products.
Integrated Milling Operations
Mariam Al-Hazaa
Business Development Manager,
Al-Hazaa Investment Group (Jordan)
Andreas Hummel
Andreas Hummel experienced flour miller in th 5th generation. Graduated from Swiss Milling School in 2008. Global experience in flour milling design and operation. Co Founder of Termico GmbH and Wingmen Group.
Heat Treatment for pest control in Flour Mills
Andreas Hummel
Director,
Termico (Germany)
Sunil Maheshwari
Sunil Maheshwari has been in the milling industry for over 37 years. He joined Siemer Milling Company, Teutopolis, IL USA in 2002; he is part of the Leadership Group, serving as Vice President. He began his milling career after obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree. He has a four year full technological certificate in flour milling from the City and Guilds of London Institute and worked as Technical Manager for Dr. Ing. N.K. Gupta Technical Consultants Pvt. Ltd. in New Delhi, India. He engaged in installation and commission/startup of new mills. In 1993 he moved to Kenya, where he oversaw operations for a milling group with national scope. In 1998 he moved to Manitoba, Canada where he started the first lights-out mill for Prairie Flour Mills in Elie, near Winnipeg.
Flour Heat Treatment
Sunil Maheshwari
Vice President,
Siemer Milling Company (USA)
TECHNICAL SESSION
Chadi El Halabi
Chadi El Halabi, Sales Manager Animal Nutrition GCC, Buhler DMCC, Dubai, UAE Chadi Halabi has been serving the Feed Milling industry in the middle east for the past 10 years. He joined Buhler six years ago as Sales Manager for Animal Nutrition Solutions in the GCC. Chadi holds a Masters degree in Mechatronics Engineering and is also a graduate of the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology. He is now based in Buhler’s regional headquarters in Dubai, UAE.
PelletingPro – Improve Energy Savings, Process Stability and Product Quality for Animal Feed Production
Chadi El Halabi
Area Sales Manager,
Bühler (United Arab Emirates)
Laith Al-Qasas
Laith Alqasas is a dynamic professional with a passion for engineering and business. He is a Mechatronics Engineer by qualification and currently pursuing an MBA at Buckinghamshire New University. With a strong background in sales operations and a specialization in packaging and end-line solutions, Laith has been making significant contributions to the success of Behn+Bates, a renowned company in the Middle East. For the past seven years, Laith has been an integral part of the Haver & Boecker Group, where he serves as the responsible person for sales operations at Behn+Bates in the Middle East region. His expertise in mechatronics, coupled with his business acumen, has allowed him to excel in his role and deliver exceptional results. Laith’s deep understanding of packaging and end-line solutions enables him to provide valuable insights to clients, ensuring their specific requirements are met with precision and efficiency. With a combination of technical expertise, business acumen, and a drive for continuous improvement, Laith Alqasas is an accomplished professional who consistently delivers exceptional results. His passion for engineering and dedication to customer satisfaction make him a valuable asset to Behn+Bates and the Haver & Boecker Group.
How we combine Open Mouth Bags with Valve Bag Filling
Laith Al-Qasas
Area Sales Manager,
BEHN + BATES Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
(United Arab Emirates)
AUTOMATION AND DIGITALISATION - HOW MILLERS BENEFIT!
Martin Schlauri
Mr Martin Schlauri joined Buhler in 1980 after graduating as a Milling Technologist. After completing assignments in process development and plant commissioning, he was made responsible for the flour milling business in various countries. Back to the headquarters in Switzerland, Martin Schlauri took over the management of the Grain Milling Training Centre and later headed Buhler’s worldwide grain milling activities. From 2015 to 2020 Martin Schlauri was the Managing Director and teacher at the African Milling School in Nairobi, Kenya.
Since 2022, after retiring from Buhler company, Martin Schlauri has been working as a milling consultant and taking care of the Educational Mission of the IAOM MEA.
Session Chairperson
Martin Schlauri
IAOM MEA Education Committee Chairman
(Switzerland)
Georg Schafler
Georg Schafler is head of technology in the wheat and rye business unit at Bühler in Switzerland. In this role, he also forms the interface between the technology platforms in North and South America to the headquarter in Switzerland. Grain milling is in Georg’s blood. His family has been involved in this business for generations. After the vocational education as grain miller in his parental business and a few years of practical experience, Georg was able to successfully complete the Swiss School of Milling in St. Gallen. Afterwards he moved to Switzerland and began his career at Bühler as a milling technologist. The first few years as a commissioning engineer, then senior process engineer and team leader up to the current function as head of the grain milling technology department. 20 years of experience in the international environment of grain milling and his Professional Bachelor degree in Business Administration and Applied Technical Management enables Georg to provide every customer with sustainable solutions, which are the basis for business success today and in the future.
Modern Mill Design – A new approach for efficiency
Georg Schafler
Head of Technology,
Bühler (Switzerland)
Ali Magboul
CEO of ASM Process Automation Over 20yrs of Experience in Milling Automation. Chairman of PROFIBUS & PROFINET Middle East, a division of PNO Germany. Chairman of Saudi Triathlon Federation, a division of the Saudi Olympic Committee.
CEO of ASM Process Automation Over 20yrs of Experience in Milling Automation. Chairman of PROFIBUS & PROFINET Middle East, a division of PNO Germany. Chairman of Saudi Triathlon Federation, a division of the Saudi Olympic Committee.
Limits in Automation
Ali Magboul
CEO,
ASM Process Automation (Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam & Dubai)
Martin Ellegast
Martin Ellegast is the CEO of Advactory AG that specializes in the development of IoT devices and features for the milling industry. The Company is a leading service provider in the food industry, specializing in operational excellence. With a background in engineering and a passion for food and flour milling, Martin founded his company with the goal of revolutionizing the way food is produced, distributed, and consumed.
Digitalization in the Milling Industry
Martin Ellegast
CEO,
Advactory AG (Switzerland)
WHAT'S NEW SESSION 1
Malcolm Holman
Malcolm Holman is an accomplished Managing Director at Agri-Enviro Solutions, leading the company’s efforts in sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and the grain and milling industries. With over 26 years of experience, Malcolm has driven the company’s growth in Southern, Central, and East Africa, positioning it as an industry frontrunner. His expertise in grain handling, storage, quality control, and milling technologies has maximized yield, minimized waste, and ensured product integrity. Malcolm actively engages with industry associations, sharing his insights at international conferences to foster collaboration. He envisions a future where food production and environmental conservation go hand in hand, promoting modern solutions and positive change.
Quality assurance of Wholemeal Flours – Processes and Methods
Malcolm Holman
Managing Director,
Brabender GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
Nicolas Sulblé
Nicolas SULBLE is part of the Ingredients Expert team based in Paris (France). Working close with the Ingredients R&D Division since 3 years, Nicolas he has been in charge of the Middle East market, as well as supporting the African continent. He is a Food Engineer qualified in the Agrifood Industry and has gained experience in the rheology and baking lab, like-wise also travelled in the markets for ingredient developments in the flour mill and training purpose to millers.
Solutions and ways of correcting unknown Wheat Quality to maintain Flour Consistency
Nicolas Sulblé
R&D Formulator,
AIT Ingredients (France)
Andrea Nicolini
Andrea Nicolini is currently Sales Area Manager of CESCO EPC GmbH and he is taking care of the MEA markets. He has gained professional experience in milling industry and cereals storage plants dealing with large international projects in almost 2 years in CESCO and more than 10 years working as Sales Manager for one of the most important manufacturers of milling equipment. He is graduated in Political Science and International Law at Milan’s University. He also had the chance to win some experience in the financing and banking sector working for almost 3 years in a Italian bank.
Integrated Design of Silos and Structure for Process Building
Andrea Nicolini
Sales Area Manager – MEA,
Cesco (Italy)
Andrea Nardo
2008-2011 Mechanical Engineer in the mechanical department in Mulmix with activities of design, improvement, coordinating activities for machinery development.
2011-2017 Chief Innovation Officer and Vice Chief of Technical Office and Technical-Commercial assistance and support for the North Africa and Middle East Countries.
2017 Chief technical Officer. Technical Office with 15 employers, divided into plants, mechanical, structural and proposal designer.
Account manager for different customers.
Project Manager for several industrial plants, crushing plant and port facilities.
Industrial and Port Cereal Storage Facilities
Andrea Nardo
Mechanical Engineer & Chief Technical Officer,
Mulmix (Italy)
Sassan Khaladjnia
For nearly two decades, Sassan Khaladjnia has been serving the Bühler Group, where he navigated through roles ranging from Commissioning Specialist to project manager to Senior Sales Manager. In 2009, He shifted gears to a Sales Manager role, overseeing Collection Points. A few years later, his focus moved to Area Management, first in Southern Africa and then throughout Africa. In these roles, his responsibilities encompassed developing country strategies, managing quotation phases, supporting business locations regionally, fostering new markets, and providing direct support to Key Account Customers. Since 2016, He has been stationed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, initially serving as Area Sales Manager for Grain Quality and Supply, and subsequently ascending to Senior Sales Manager for Grain Quality and Supply in the Middle East. In his current position, he is specialized in strategic food security and grain terminals.
Bühler Grain Monitoring Solution
Sassan Khaladjnia
Senior Sales Manager,
Bühler (United Arab Emirates)
Renato Dall’ Agata
Eng. Renato Dall’Agata, Technical Director / CTO at FAVA S.p.A., a market leader in the design and construction of pasta production equipment. Renato has over 20 years of experience in project engineering, operations management and energy management especially in the food industry, both on national and international markets. He is also an expert in automation, robotics and renewable technologies such as photovoltaics, wind, biomass and geothermal. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master in Environmental Management Systems, from the University of Padua and a Masters in Supply Chain Management from the SDA Bocconi University of Milan.
Research leads to Extraordinary Results
Renato Dall' Agata
Technical Director,
FAVA SPA (Italy)
Peio Touyarou
Awarded of a PhD in Food Science in the University of Burgundy the thesis I defended dealt with the bread and its satietogenic properties. Passionate by starch containing foodstuff and gluten networking product, I lead all my professional career in the cereal field.
In 2018, having joined a French Pasta producing company, I had to set up a brand-new application laboratory in one of the mill of the group and to build up an application team.
Eventually, I came back to my first love in Dijon and start a new mission and cooperation in I joined Eurogerm Group in 2022. I am focused on the exportation market and mainly Asians markets as a Formulation Project Manager.
I am coming to this conference to share my experience and know-how on how to meet formulation challenges in the field of pasta.
Pasta Solutions by Eurogerm
Peio Touyarou
Export Area Manager,
Eurogerm (France)
Tobias Diener
Tobias Diener originally did an apprenticeship as an electronics technician and then continued his education at university as a TS technician. He joined Agromatic in 1992 as a technical employee. He has worked in different positions in the company and finally ended up in sales. In 2005 he was able to take over the company and since then he is also the managing director of Agromatic AG.
Storing Grain Safely
Tobias Diener
Sales Manager,
Agromatic AG (Switzerland)
Pietro Barbalarga
Pietro is the 3rd generation of an Italian Millers family. He got his diploma in milling in Torino at the Baking and Milling Institute “ Arte Bianca “ . He also has a degree in Electrotechnics from the Pordenone Institute Tecnico Industrial “ J.F. Kennedy” Began as Startup millers, he moved then in the commercial department, during his career he was sales manager for North Europe, US , South East Asia and Oceania region. In 2004 joined Omas to take part in the “ reinventing the mill “ project .During his career he led and delivered more than 150 successful flour mill projects.
Flour Extraction Booster
Pietro Barbalarga
Stakeholder & Commercial Director,
Omas Industries (Italy)
WHAT'S NEW SESSION 2
André Kunadt
André Kunadt, Head of Technology Maghreb Region, Bühler AG Succursale Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco Andre Kunadt joined Bühler in July 2009 after graduating at the Swiss Milling School as a milling technologist. He worked until August 2011as a commissioning engineer out of Uzwil and completed several Mill commissioning’s worldwide. In September 2011 he took over the role as head of technology for the South East Asian region out of Singapore. In January 2015 he returned to Switzerland to lead the milling technologist team as a Team Manager and in January 2022 he moved to Casablanca as head of technology for Maghreb and technology support for the whole MEA region.
Bring Your Roller Mill To The Next Level
André Kunadt
Head of Technology,
Bühler (Morocco)
Mehmet Yilmaz
Mehmet YILMAZ is a senior project sales professional, and he has over 15 years of experience in various sectors. He has worked in both domestic and international markets in multinational companies and gained over 10 years of team management experience. Mehmet YILMAZ has mechanical engineering, executive management and marketing education backgrounds.
He joined Alapala Foreign Trade Africa team as Sales Manager two years ago. In this expanding team, his aim is to fulfill customer expectations by holding a strong sales team.
Ɪ4 Next Generation Milling Systems
Mehmet Yilmaz
Area Sales Manager,
ALAPALA (Turkey)
ÖNDER ŞEKER
Önder Şeker was born in 1984 in Istanbul, Turkey. Önder is a graduate of ITU (İstanbul Technical University) Food Engineering department. He started his career in the sales of industrial bakery machines and systems. After spending about 5 years he carried on his career in grain milling technologies. Önder has now more than 12 years of global sales and marketing experience. He currently serves as Marketing Manager at İmas Machinery and Milling Systems. He also holds master’s degree in marketing management. As well as marketing, food processing technologies are among his professional interests.
Higher Reliability and Extended Long Term Durability of Roller Mills with Polymer Base Construction®
Önder Şeker
Marketing Manager,
İmas Machinery and Milling Systems (Turkey)
Ashok Sarkar
Ashok Sarkar currently holds a consulting position with Cereals Canada as Senior Advisor, Technology.
He began his milling career after obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree. He has a four-year full technological certificate in flour milling from the City and Guilds of London Institute. He is also a graduate of the Swiss School of Milling in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Ashok has served in several flour mills in India, Switzerland, and Canada. He has played a role in developing the milling process for food barley, buckwheat and pulses for CIGI (now Cereals Canada).
Ashok has been also involved in a collaborative research project under pulse science cluster on behalf of Cereals Canada. He has been a long-standing member of the Education and the Global Strategies committees of the International Association of Operative Millers.
Application of Roller Milling and Pre-treatments in Improvement of Pulse Flour Processing
Ashok Sarkar
Senior Advisor – Technology,
Cereals Canada (Canada)
Vivian Iroanya
Vivian Iroanya is an Associate Editor at S&P Global Commodities Insights based in London. She’s primarily involved in the pricing and research of wheat and corn from the EMEA region – Black Sea, Middle East & Africa. She has lived for 16 years in Nigeria and Italy which has aided her interest in agricultural commodities trading.
Price Trends and Relationships
Vivian Iroanya
Associate Editor,
S&P Global Commodity Insights (United Kingdom)
Issam Baydoun
Issam Baydoun holds a master’s degree in Electromechanical Engineering, specializing in Automation and Control Systems. With over two decades of experience at Premier Tech Systems and Automation, he plays a key role in Sales and Marketing efforts for packaging equipment in the Nutrition, Agriculture, Chemical & Mineral, and organic industries across the Middle East, Africa, and the Gulf region.
Issam possesses valuable language skills, as he is proficient in Arabic, English, Russian, French, and Persian. This linguistic versatility empowers him to connect with diverse cultures and markets, strengthening relationships and driving business growth.
Issam Baydoun’s strong commitment to the industry, extensive expertise, and language proficiency; enable him to identify optimal customized solutions for our customers’ Bagging, Palletizing, and Pallets Securing System’s needs
Weighing, Bagging, Palletizing And Pallets Securing Lines
Issam Baydoun
Field Sales Manager,
Premier Tech Systems and Automation (Lebanon)