Meet Our Experts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Imran Nasrullah is Golden Agri-Resources’ Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa.

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

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

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

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