27th April 2023

This year we are expanding our Board of Directors, with three new people appointed. Growing our Board will allow us to benefit from a wider range of experience and expertise, which will ultimately help us as we implement our Strategic Plan. It also means the Board will better reflect our diverse, global membership. 

We welcome to the Board: 

Mr Kiran Wadhwana, India

Mr Wadhwana has a wealth of experience in the sugarcane industry, having had roles across the value chain over the last 37 years. He is now a consultant on international sugar trade, and works with large Indian sugar mills.

In 2019 he joined Bonsucro as our Ambassador for India, supporting our mission to drive sustainable sugarcane production and strengthening our relations with members.  

“As a Bonsucro Board Director, I would like to encourage various stakeholders in the sugar industry to sincerely implement sustainability goals.”

 

Isabella Tonaco, Germany

Isabella brings with her strong expertise in implementing sustainability strategies for business through creating strong stakeholder alliances. She is a champion of renewables and a circular economy, and is working to drive positive change in the textile and leather industries. 

“Bonsucro plays a fundamental role in driving change from within the sugarcane value chain. I feel privileged to join their Board of Directors and contribute to its path in unlocking the full sustainability potential and addressing the existing issues from production to consumption of this very valuable resource.”

 

Emerson Vontobel, Brazil

Emerson used to be CEO of a family-owned bottling company for The Coca-Cola Company, and is now an investor with excellent knowledge of business and governance.   A Brazilian based in Brazil, he brings valuable insight into the Brazilian and South American markets from an end-user perspective.

“ I’m looking forward to contributing more to sustainable agribusiness as part of Bonsucro” 

 

To be effective, the Board needs to be made up of a range of people with a diverse mix of backgrounds, skills and perspectives. We opened applications for the open positions, and set out criteria to ensure the right candidates were appointed. Our three new directors are fully committed to helping Bonsucro and our members collectively accelerate sustainable sugarcane production.

Our CEO, Danielle Morely, says: “A warm welcome to our new Board Directors Isabella Tonaco, Emerson Vontobel and Kiran Wadhwana.  As leaders in the sugarcane, food & beverages, chemical and investing sectors, from Germany, Brazil and India, they bring a wealth of additional skills, experience and networks to Bonsucro that will surely help to accelerate and scale up our impact.”     

We also welcome to the Board Alex Bjork, who now sits on the Board as the new Vice-Chair of the Bonsucro Members’ Council. Alex is based in the United States and has represented Bonsucro members on the Members’ Council since 2016. He believes strongly in the power of Bonsucro members collaborating to create value for the sugarcane industry, and will be an excellent representative for our members on the Board.

Kevin Orgozalek, our previous Vice-Chair, remains on the Board, and continues to represent the Members’ Council as its new Chair for 2023/24. 

Bonsucro is formally governed by our Board of Directors. The Board represents the highest level of decision-making in Bonsucro, and is ultimately responsible for all of Bonsucro’s actions and activity. They delegate day-to-day running of Bonsucro to the CEO and staff, but also have the power to convene committees to look at areas of Bonsucro’s work in more depth.  

We look forward to using the expertise of our new directors to ensure Bonsucro remains at the forefront of sustainability and continues to provide greater support to our members as we collectively accelerate the sustainable production and uses of sugarcane.  

 

For a full breakdown of how Bonsucro is governed, please visit here.  

 

The full Board of Directors  

Chair of the Board of Directors: Jean-Claude Autrey  
Melanie Rutten-Sülz (Chair, Governance Committee) 
Ruben Faust (Chair, Finance and Risk Committee) 
Dr Peter Allsopp (Chair, Technical Advisory Board) 
Kevin Ogorzalek (Chair, Members’ Council) 
Alex Bjork (Vice-Chair, Members’s Council) 
Kiran Wadhwana 
Isabelle Tonaco 
Emerson Vontobel