Directors and biographical details
Paul Selway-Swift - Non-executive Chairman
Paul worked with the HSBC Group for 30 years, where he was an Executive Director of HSBC Hong Kong until 1996 and Deputy Chairman of HSBC Investment Bank in London until 1998. He is currently the Chairman and a Director of Atlantis Investment Management (Ireland) Ltd and Non-Executive Director of Temenos Group AG. Additionally, he is a Non-Executive Director of Alba plc, China Export Finance Ltd and Li & Fung Ltd.
He was appointed Chairman of the Company on December 2007 and also chairs the Nomination Committee.
Magomet Malsagov - Chief Executive Officer
Magomet is a Russian national who has held the position of CEO since co-founding the business in 2002. He has a Business Administration degree from Washington International University.
He is primarily responsible for leading the successful establishment of the Group’s entire supply chain from the plantations and extraction facilities to the multi-functional plants around the world. As CEO, he further establishes the Group’s business direction and strategies along with his management team and is responsible for managing the growth and development of the Group’s business.
William Mitchell - Chief Financial Officer
William was appointed to the PCL Board as CFO on 2 June 2008. He brings with him a wealth of relevant experience to the PureCircle team having worked extensively in the global capital markets, food and beverage and technology industries. William is a FCA who trained with Price Waterhouse London. At PW, he advised major international food and beverage consumer package goods businesses and private equity firms on mergers and acquisitions and post acquisition integrations.
He was part of the management buyin-buyout team that acquired Tetley Tea, the number 2 global tea brand, from Allied Domecq in a GBP190 million leverage buyout.
Most recently William was Finance Director of EnQii Holdings PLC, a global market leader in the fast growing digital media industry.
Peter Robert Milsted - Sales & Marketing Director
Peter joined the Group in December 2006 and was appointed to the PCL Board on 11 December 2007. Peter is responsible for providing leadership to the global sales and marketing functions of the Group. He also develops product strategies benchmarking and competitor analysis to better position the Group’s products in the marketplace and to develop the Group’s distribution channels.
Previously, at ICI, he was a member of the Executive Management team for Uniqema, where he held the position of Vice President Asia. Prior to joining ICI he was a divisional director of Unichema, the Unilever oleochemicals company.
From 1992 to 1995 he was Managing Director Unichema Australia and from 1988 to 1992 he was the Head of Fragrance Division for Quest Brazil.
Olivier Maes - Non-executive Director
Olivier joined the Group as a Director of PCSB in November 2006 and was appointed to the PCL Board on 11 December 2007. He is presently the CEO and Managing Director of General Biscuits Benelux, a biscuits and cereals based product leader in Belgium and Netherlands.
He has more than 20 years of experience in the dairy, beverages and biscuits sectors in Western Europe and Asia where his responsibilities included sales and marketing, mergers and acquisitions, industrial and supply chain development, as well as the expansion of production operations.
Olivier chairs the Remuneration Committee.
John Slosar - Non-executive Director
John joined the Group as a Director of PCSB in November 2006 and was appointed to the PCL Board on 11 December 2007. He joined the Swire Group in 1980 and worked with the Group’s Aviation Division in Hong Kong, the United States and Thailand.
He was appointed Managing Director of Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co Ltd in 1996. In July 1998, he was appointed Managing Director of Swire Pacifi c’s Beverages Division. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Cathay Pacific on 1st July 2007.
He is currently on the Boards of Cathay Pacifi c Airways Ltd, John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd and Swire Pacific Ltd.
John was a graduate of both Columbia University and Cambridge University.
Peter Lai Hock Meng - Non-executive Director
Peter Lai was appointed to the PCL Board on 2 June 2008. He has more than 20 years experience in financial services industry including central banking, investment banking, private banking, stockbroking and venture capital.
Presently, Peter holds the position of Managing Director, Tembusu Partners Pte Ltd, a private equity investment firm in Singapore.
Peter graduated with a BA in economics from the University of Cambridge, England. He is also a CFA charter holder from the CFA Institute, USA.
Peter chairs the Audit Committee.
Sunny George Verghese - Non-Executive Director
Sunny is the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Olam, a major Asia based international agribusiness listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (“SGX”). He is responsible for the strategic planning, business development and overall management for the Olam group of companies worldwide. He is also the Chairman of International Enterprise Singapore, a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, as well as Chairman of the SGX listed infrastructure trust, CitySpring Infrastructure Management Pte Ltd.
Sunny was appointed to the PCL Board on 19 August 2008 as an alternate director and subsequently appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Company on 13 October 2008.
