Central Management:
Mohamed Elsarky
Chief Executive Officer, Unifrutti Group
Appointed as Unifrutti Group’s Chief Executive Officer in November 2023, Mohamed Elsarky is a seasoned executive with a distinguished career in the food industry, bringing a proven track record in leading growth and global expansion across various FMCG categories, market channels, and geographies.
With over 20 years of leadership experience, Elsarky has held prominent roles in several global organizations. Notably, he served as the CEO of Kellogg Australia and New Zealand, leading the company through a period of growth and innovation. His contributions extended to the Danone Group’s United Biscuits, where he held the position of President, and to Pladis Biscuits North America, where he served as President.
Elsarky’s expertise also includes his tenure as the Chairman and CEO of Artisan du Chocolat. Furthermore, he served as President and CEO of Godiva Chocolatier, overseeing its global expansion to over 100 countries.
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Mauro Benda
Chief Financial Officer, Unifrutti Group
Mauro Benda is Group Chief Financial Officer at Unifrutti since 2019 and he has direct responsibility over the Unifrutti Group’s financial planning, reporting, control and management of treasury and investments.
Mauro has extensive experience in Corporate Finance and Investment Banking, which he gained by carrying out global projects for large Italian and international companies for over 10 years at BNP Paribas, where he held the role of Vice President for the Debt Capital Market department focusing on M&A, corporate restructurings, and turnarounds. Earlier in his career, Mauro worked in consultancy serving at PwC in Italy and in investment banking at Redi & Partners in the UK.
He holds a degree in administration, finance and control from the University of Perugia and an MBA from the SDA Bocconi School of Management.
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Karl Stehelin de Taisne
Chief M&A and Strategy Officer, Unifrutti Group
Karl Stehelin de Taisne joined the Unifrutti Group as the Chief M&A and Strategy Officer in January 2023.
Bringing over 15 years of extensive experience in Investment Banking and Private Equity, he plays a pivotal role in shaping and driving the Group’s strategic vision. A key aspect of his role involves orchestrating significant mergers and acquisitions, bringing about structural shifts, and setting new directions for the company.
Karl began his career in Investment Banking in Paris, working in firms such as Lazard and DC Advisory. He later founded KAST Advisory, an M&A consultancy, before transitioning to Mubadala, a leading Sovereign Wealth Fund based in Abu Dhabi. During his eight-year tenure at Mubadala, Karl was instrumental in leading strategic asset management projects for three years, focusing on multiparty negotiations, conflict resolutions, and government engagement. He then shifted to a five-year stint in Private Equity investments and asset management, primarily in agribusiness (including permanent crops, genetics, and aquaculture) and sectors like industrial technology and life sciences.
Karl holds a Master of Science in Management from HEC Paris, graduating in 2010.
Regional Heads:
German Illanes Pizarro
Chief Executive Officer, Unifrutti Chile
German Illanes Pizarro is the Chief Executive Officer of the Chilean Business Unit of Unifrutti from 2016.
German has in-depth knowledge of the global fresh produce industry and over 20 years of experience in fresh fruit global exports from Latin America. Graduated in agricultural engineering from the University of Chile in Santiago in 1992, he joined Unifrutti in 1999 in the position of Commercial Director of Unifrutti Chile.
He holds an MBA from the Adolfo Ibanez University in 2005, is a former Executive Director of the Unifrutti Group’s Board of Directors and currently sits on the Boards of various fruit and vegetable organizations and associations.
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Kennard Wong
Chief Executive Officer, Unifrutti Tropical
Kennard Wong is Chief Executive Officer of the Unifrutti Tropical Business Unit which includes production and international export of bananas in the Philippines and trading of bananas and other fruits in Japan.
Prior to becoming the CEO of the Tropical Business Unit in 2022, Kennard joined in 1998 as the Chief Financial Officer of Unifrutti Japan and is currently serving as Chief Executive Officer and Representative Director. He has an extensive experience inside the fruit industry with a specialization on banana products and as of 2020 Kennard is also the President of the Japan Banana Importers Association (JBPA). Before joining Unifrutti, he held the position of Senior Auditor at Ernst & Young ShinNihon in Japan.
Kennard is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with specialization in Accounting from the University of Hawaii.