LEADERSHIP

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The Team

Our Management

Gagan Gupta

Founder of Arise & EVP APL

Gagan is the Founder and CEO of ARISE IIP, ARISE IS and ARISE P&L, three companies specialising in designing, financing, building and managing state-of-the-art infrastructure across Africa. He is a seasoned entrepreneur with 20+ years of professional experience, of which 12+ as a top executive at Olam International Ltd. Starting from the ground up, he created three specialised verticals, making it one of the largest infrastructure investment platforms in Africa in less than 10 years.

Ebrima Sawaneh

Group CFO & COO

Ebrima Sawaneh has more than 18 years of experience in banking, logistics and ports across West & Central Africa. He was Vice President of Financial Control and Budgeting at Africa Finance Corporation. He has also worked at Ecobank Gambia Ltd, where he held many positions within the Finance department, including Deputy Country CFO. Mr Sawaneh holds an MBA in Finance from Edinburgh Business School. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) with more than 10 years post qualification experience encompassing regulatory reporting and control, business performance management, strategy, risk management, process re-engineering and business partnering. He is a member of the Institute of Directors London, Institute of Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA). He has attended several strategic & leadership programmes such as the Mckinsey Academy, Wharton School & Harvard Business School.

Jean Telesphore Ella Ze

Managing Director, Owendo Mineral Port

Jean Telesphore Ella Ze holds a Master' s degree in Private Law from the Omar Bongo University (Gabon), obtained in continuing education. He has also completed training courses in Executive Management and Finance for non-financial professionals at the Lyon School of Management (France), as part of the ERAMET Group's executive skills development plan. These trainings have strengthened his managerial skills, allowing him to bring strategic vision and wise leadership to his current role. Jean Telesphore Ella Ze is a distinguished expert in the logistics sector, with more than 40 years of experience in the management and development of rail and port infrastructures. In July 2022, he joined Owendo Mineral Port (OMP) as Director of Maintenance and Railway Operations. Thanks to his expertise and leadership, he was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of OMP in February 2024, where he now oversees all port operations.

Parakram Gupta

PCH – NOIP

Parakram Gupta is a focused professional with 15-plus years of experience, managing various management roles dedicated towards business development, corporate strategy, P&L oversight, budgeting and expenditures, infusing new ideas, taking business performance and productivity to the next level by advising on crucial matters of 'Supply Chain & Logistics Infrastructure' domain. He was promoted to Profit Centre Head of the New Owendo International Port in April 2022. His primary responsibility is to design and implement the port’s commercial strategy.

Kenneth Kome Echalle

Country CFO Gabon

Kenneth is an experienced finance professional with over 18 years of relevant experience with various international corporates such as Finance manager - Diageo in West & Central Africa, Finance manager - Halliburton & Country CFO – APM Terminals in Ghana & Cameroon. He currently doubles as NOIP CFO and Deputy Profit Centre Head. He has P&L responsibility for a large-scale logistics business. He is a Chartered Accountant (ACCA) and also obtained a PGD in Leadership development from the Stellenbosch Business School in 2018 via the Maersk leadership development program.

Sant Khare

Head, Industrial Multipurpose Terminal in San Pedro

Sant is a competent professional with over 30 years of qualitative & enriching experience in managing overall P&L responsibilities in ports and the logistic sector. He previously worked as CEO of Chief Executive Officer at Jamnagar (Essar Ports), Deputy CEO, Gopalpur Ports Limited Odisha (a Shapoorji Pallonji Group venture) & President of Ganesh Benzoplast Ltd.

Vinodanand Jha

Chief Information and technology officer

Mr Jha is the Chief Information & Technology Officer at ARISE. He is primarily responsible for implementing digitalization and automation strategies at ARISE IIP, ARISE IS and ARISE P&L. Before Arise, he was the Senior Vice President of Information Technology and Administration at Olam. He has more than 21 years of professional experience in leading technological change across Asia, Europe, and Africa. He has worked across several sectors, including financial services, steel, power, agriculture, large-scale sustainable forestry operation, and integrated Special Economic Zones, ports, logistical operations, airports, and road development. This extensive experience has allowed Vinodanand to take part in the growth story of Arise from its foundation and across the three verticals it operates. Vinodanand holds a master’s degree in Computers and Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) and has completed various management courses from Ivy League Business Schools, namely Harvard and Yale.He has a proven track record in ports and terminal management, Infrastructure Projects in India & Overseas, such as developing & managing seaports, bulk liquid terminals, container freight stations (CFSS) & inland container depots (ICDS), multimodal logistics hubs & bunkering terminals.

Pawan Jain

Chief human resource officer

Pawan Jain is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for Arise. He was previously Vice President and Head of Human Resources for the West Africa Region at Olam International, a company he joined in 2017 as HR Director for Olam Gabon. Pawan has an extensive track record in creating business value through organizational and talent-based strategies. He has extensive experience in working in diverse, complex, and global environments. Prior to joining Olam, Pawan was the Human Resources Business Leader at Cairn India Ltd between 2011 and 2017. Pawan had joined Cairn India Ltd after having worked for 7 years as Senior Manager in Human Resources for Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd, where he started his career in 2004. Pawan holds an Executive Masters in Coaching and Consulting for Change run jointly by the Saïd Business School (University of Oxford), and HEC Paris. He graduated from the Xavier Institute of Social Service.

Bhavin Vyas

Chief ESG Arise

Bhavin Vyas is the Chief Officer of Environmental and Social Governance (ESG), in charge of ensuring the sustainability of Arise operations and creating shared value for all stakeholders. Bhavin has solid experience across various sectors such as roads, airports, agribusiness activities, oil and gas, mining, ports, economic zones, construction, and hydropower. He has worked in more than 20 years in 25 countries across Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa. His ESG experience covers ESIAs, the preparation and implementation of SEPs, Resettlement Action Plans, Social Investment, Human Rights IA, and Social Due Diligence. Bhavin has an excellent working knowledge of the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Policies, IFC Performance Standards, EBRD’s Performance Requirements and AfDB’s Performance Requirements. Prior to joining ARISE, Bhavin worked for AECOM, URS, ERM, and Mott McDonald in the United Kingdom in Environment & Social Development, Environment and Social safeguard auditing, disaster management, urban planning, poverty reduction, urban development, resettlement planning, community development, participatory planning, livelihood studies and migration.

Sarmad Qureshi

General Manager APL UK office

Sarmad is the General Manager of the APL UK office. He is an experienced professional in the port and finance industry. Sarmad worked with DP World for 13 years (2006 to 2019), including as Finance Director for the Europe & Russia region and in EY for 12 years (1994-2006), predominantly in their infrastructure finance team. He is also working on a climate startup which is looking to deliver carbon removal solutions to enable corporates meet their net-zero targets.