Mr. Vikram Shreekant Kirloskar is the President of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and serves as Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd., and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts Pvt. Ltd.  SIAM is the apex industry body representing 46 leading vehicle and vehicular engine manufacturers in India. The organization is an important channel of communication for the Automobile Industry with the Government, national and international organisations.  Mr.Kirloskar has over 30 years of experience in the business of manufacturing automobiles and auto parts. He is a member of the National Council of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Mr.Kirloskar is a graduate in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, and recipient of the prestigious Suvarna Karnataka Award from the Government of Karnataka in recognition of his efforts in expanding and developing industry within the state.

Olam International is a leader in global integrated supply chain and processing of agricultural products and food ingredients, supplying in 65 countries. Mr. Sunny Verghese established Olam in 1989 and leads the company’s strategy, planning, business development and management. Outside the Olam, he is Chairman of International Enterprise Singapore and Director of Human Capital Leadership Institute. Mr. Sunny is a recipient of the Outstanding CEO of the Year award as well as the Public Service Medal of the Government of Singapore.

The IRSG is an inter-governmental organisation and a forum for analysis and discussion of demand and supply of natural and synthetic rubber. It collects and disseminates comprehensive statistical information on the world rubber industry. Before joining the IRSG in January 2010, Dr. Evans had held several key positions such as Director of Synthetic Elastomers Ltd, Vice President of Shell Chemicals, Business Development Manager in Shell Fine Chemicals and Post Doctoral Research Scientist at Kew Royal Botanic Garden.

Mr. Sunil Kumar, Senior Advisor to the Reliance Industries Limited, was formerly the CEO, President and Board Member of International Specialty Product (ISP), which is a manufacturer of specialty chemicals. Prior to joining the ISP, Mr. Sunil Kumar had held a number of key industry leadership positions such as President and CEO of GAF Materials Corporation, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of roofing products; Executive Vice President of Bridgestone for North America; and President of Firestone Building Products Company, which is a manufacturer of roofing and insulation products. Mr. Sunil Kumar had also served as a Board Member of the American Chemistry Council; Chairman of the Society of Chemical Industry; President of the Société de Chimie Industrielle; and Advisory Board Member of “Chemical & Engineering News” magazine.  He was selected in 2005 as the Specialty Chemicals CEO of the Year by Frost & Sullivan, a distinguished international industry and market research firm.  The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, recognized him in 2006 with the distinguished Alumnus Award. Mr. Sunil Kumar has been selected for the Society of Chemical Industry’s “SCI Chemical Industry Medal” for 2014, which will be presented in New York City on 11 March 2014.

Mr. David Shaw is an established name in the global tyre industry analysis. Mr. Shaw is currently the Head of Research at the Tyre Industry Research (TIR), a UK-based independent market research company specialised in global tyre industry analysis and consultancy services. TIR works with leading industry players by providing intelligence service for raw materials, manufacturing processes, sales and branding.  Mr. Shaw had earlier served the highly reputed European Rubber Journal as its Editor for 15 years and Deputy Editor of Engineering Materials & Designs, a UK-based B2B magazine, for four years.  His interviewing skills and ability to translate complex issues into easy-to-comprehend texts make Dr.Shaw unique among rubber industry journalists worldwide.

Ms. Sunny Song is Director of Conference & Expo Department of the China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA) which is China’s renowned industrial organization established in 1985, presently having more than 1,200 member units. Besides holding key responsibilities in organizing CRIA’s international rubber events and activities, Ms. Song is in charge of CRIA’s international cooperation. Her association with rubber industry dates back to the year 1999. During the past 14 years with the CRIA, she had performed diverse roles, which included officer-in-charge of Reclaimed Rubber Branch of the CRIA and editor-in-chief of CHINA RUBBER magazine, a semi-monthly published both in Chinese and English and widely accalimed as one of the most authoritative information source on China Rubber Industry. Ms.Song is a graduate in economics and post-graduate in management.

Ms. Fazilet Cinaralp is the Secretary-General of the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA), Brussels for the last 16 years. ETRMA aims to represent the regulatory and related interests of the European tyre and rubber manufacturers at both European and international levels by focusing on safety & environmental protection, health issues and fuel economy of tyres. Ms. Fazilet Cinaralp is also the Chairperson of the Industry Advisory Panel of the International Rubber Study Group and the voice of auto-tyre industry at several international forums.

Dato’ Dr. Kamarul Baharain is the Secretary-General of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), a Kuala Lumpur-based inter-governmental organization which serves as a forum for sharing information among all rubber producing countries and deliberating on policies.

Before joining the ANRPC in 2011, he had held various key positions which include Director-General of the Malaysian Rubber Board, Chairman of International Rubber Trade Association, Chairman of Malaysian Rubber Exchange, Chairman of Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (UK), Member of International Rubber Research and Development Board, and Chairman Technical Committee of Standards Writing on Engineering Rubber Products.

James L. McGraw is the Managing Director and CEO of the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP), which is an international trade association representing more than 90% of the global synthetic rubber capacity. Prior to joining the IISRP in 1997 as Deputy Managing Director, he was with the American Synthetic Rubber Corporation (ASRC) in Kentucky in numerous engineering capacities and as the Director of Human Resources and Regulatory Affairs. As ASRC’s representative to the Americas Section Environmental Health Committee during 1979 through 1997 he served as the Institute EHC Chairman twice and as the AS EHC Chairman for  seven years.  He was also ASRC’s Alternate Director to the IISRP during 1993-1997. Dr.James McGraw is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue and Masters in Engineering Management from the University of Louisville.

Dr. P.S. Ravishankar has been with ExxonMobil since 1981 involved in the development of EPDM rubber. As an expert in designing and commercializing new polymer molecules, Dr Ravi pioneered the development of EPDM with pendent vinyl groups and a commercial process to produce them without gel formation. With the convergence of rubber and plastics over the past decade, Ravi has been engaged in the development of new product platforms such as VistamaxxTM family of propylene based elastomeric products.  He has also made significant contributions to the development of ExactTM plastomers widely used in automotive applications. Dr.Ravi has over 40 patents to his credit. In recognition of his contributions to the rubber industry he was conferred the “2013 Technical Award” instituted by the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) and the “2011 Melvin Mooney Science and Technology Award” instituted by the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society.

Ms. Sheela Thomas belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and currently the Chairman of the Rubber Board, a statutory national level body functioning under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and involved in all developmental and regulatory activities of the country’s rubber industry. Currently she also officiates as the Chairman of the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), representing the Government of India, and in 2011 held chairmanship of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC). Ms. Sheela Thomas had also held several important positions with the Government of Kerala. These include Principal Secretary to Chief Minster of Kerala; Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperation; Secretary for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs; Secretary for Modernising Government Programmes.

Dr. Pongsak Kerdvongbundit is Managing Director of Von Bundit Co. Ltd., which is one among the three major exporters of natural rubber from Thailand.  Dr.Pangsak presently heads a number of key rubber organizations and institutions in Thailand. The positions presently held by him include Honorary President of Thai Rubber Association, Executive Director of International Rubber Consortium Ltd. (IRCo.), Member of Thai Rubber Arbitration Committee under the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Vice President of Phuket Chamber of Commerce and Honorary Chairman of Phuket Chapter of the Federation of Thai Industries. He had earlier served the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand (AFET) as a Member of its Managing Committee. Dr.Pongsak is a renowned resource person in global rubber events and an authentic source of information on matters concerning Thai rubber sector and global trade in natural rubber.

Ir. Daud Husni Bastari is the Chairman of the Rubber Association of Indonesia (GAPKINDO). GAPKINDO is an association of Indonesian enterprises dealing in natural rubber, founded in Jakarta in 1971. Its members comprise of rubber plantations, processors, exporters, traders, brokers and buyer representatives. GAPKINDO aims to develop and improve the production, processing and marketing of Indonesian natural rubber. Er. Bastari has been at the lead role of the organization for the last two decades. As a plantation manager and President Commissioner of Badja Baru Crumb Rubber Factory, Er.Bastari has long association with the Indonesian rubber industry.

Mdm. (Dr.) Tran Thi Thuy Hoa has more than three decades of experience in Vietnam’s natural rubber industry by playing key industry roles such as Secretary-General of the Vietnam Rubber Association, Deputy Director at the Rubber Research Institute of Vietnam (RRIV) and researcher at the RRIV’s rubber breeding programme. The Vietnam Rubber Association is a voluntary organization of producers, processors and exporters of natural rubber for promoting international cooperation, providing information services and helping development of the Vietnam rubber industry. As the Secretary-General of the Vietnam Rubber Association for nine consecutive years from 2004 and as an authority in Vietnam rubber industry’s information base, Dr.Hoa is a popular name among international rubber fraternity.

Mr. Lakna Paranawithana is an international expert in rubber industry having involved in formulation of development policies and regulatory framework for rubber industry in different countries in Asia and Africa. Currently he is Senior Adviser to Sri Lanka Society of Rubber Industry and Chief Adviser and Team Leader for Asian Development Bank’s Resident Mission for developing a Ten-year Master Plan for Sri Lanka rubber industry. Mr. Paranawithana was instrumental in drafting legal framework for rubber industry in Cambodia and formulating Rubber Master Plan and Smallholder Development Plan for the Liberian rubber industry.

R1 International is a global market leader in the value chain management of Rubber in all its forms and is a single-stop solution to the rubber industry’s raw material requirements. Mr. Sandana Dass conceptualised and formed R1 International which now has presence in Japan, China, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Italy,Germany and US, besides Singapore where it is headquartered. Before establishing R1, he had held positions like Director of Marketing in MARDEC Group, Managing Director of MARDEC International, Chairman of the Industry Advisory Panel of the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), and Chairman of the IRSG’s Statistical Committee and Statistical Core Group.

Mr.N.Dharmaraj is currently the Chief Executive of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML) looking after tea and rubber business in its Strategic Business Unit A.  HML is India’s largest producer of rubber and pepper and South India’s largest producer of tea. In his long association with plantation sector, Mr.Dharmaraj had served several globally reputed companies. Served Broke Bond Group for 23 years in South India managing tea estates & factories, and three years with Unilever Plantations at its Head Quarters in Cambridge, UK, dealing with worldwide operational issues of tea & oil palm. He had also served for two years in Assam with Hindustan Lever Plantations, 11 years with Harrisons Malayalam Limited as Head of Tea Business, and one year with the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Bombay, heading their agribusiness vertical.  Mr.Dharmaraj had held several leadership positions with plantation industry bodies.  These include past Vice Chairman of the Association of Planters of Kerala (APK), past Chairman of the Tea Committee of the UPASI (United Planters Association of South India), past member of the Tea Board of India, and past member of the General Council of Kerala Agricultural University, founder convener of the Golden Leaf India Awards (TGLIA) jointly initiated by the Tea Board of India and UPASI, past Chairman and currently Director of UPASI Commodities Exchange Limited. Mr.Dharmraj is currently member of Tea Council of South India and member Core Committee of the Tea Board of India.

General Secretary, Indian Rubber Growers’ Association, Kochi.
Member and past Vice Chairman of the Rubber Board, India.
Director, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED).
Member of the Forward Markets Commission’s Advisory Committee constituted by the Government to deliberate on various issues of concern to the futures trading in various commodities.
 

Mr. Satish Abraham is the voice of India’s natural latex processing industry. He is founder President of the Association of Latex Producers of India, established in 1991, and successively continues the position since then.  Mr. Abraham is Managing Director of Padinjarekara Agencies (P) Limited, which is one among the pioneers in concentrated latex processing industry in India. In his long journey with natural rubber, ever since 1973, Mr. Abraham had gained vast experience in estate management, latex factory management, latex production, marketing and total quality management.  Besides representing latex producers in the Rubber Board, Mr. Abraham is a member of the BIS sub-committee for rubber & rubber products.

Mr. Ronny Joseph Thomas, General Secretary of the India Block Rubber Processors Association (IBRPA), has been representing the Association on all platforms regarding Indian Block Rubber since November 2006. He is based in Kottayam, the heartland of Indian natural rubber.  Mr. Ronny is the Executive Director of Specified Rubbers Private Limited, which is a reputed name in processing of high quality Block Rubber and catering to requirements from various Indian customers since 1995. Specified Rubbers Private Limited has been among the pioneers to achieve the ISO 9001 Certification in Block Rubber processing and is the first to be certified under ISO 14001. Mr. Ronny attaches paramount importance to quality of natural rubber and serves as a member of the Rubber Board’s Core Committee on Quality of Block Rubber.

Mr. George Valy is president of Indian Rubber Dealers’ Federation (IRDF), an apex body echoing the voice of more than 9,000 rubber traders in the country. As Managing Director of four reputed business establishments, Mr. Valy is a business icon specialised in trade and logistics of rubber and spices. His business establishments include Continental Commodities Pvt. Ltd., which are Bridgestone India’s authorized agents for sourcing NR; Valy Impex Pvt. Ltd., which are C&F Agents for Bridgestone India; Prabhat Roadways Agencies; and Valy Habitats Private Ltd.  Mr.Valy is a Member of the Rubber Board of India and Grievance Redressal Bureau for Trade, Commerce & Industry.

Mr. Virendra Rathod heads Elastomers Business for Reliance Industries Limited and also serves as whole-time Director and CEO of Reliance Sibur Elastomers Private Limited.  Reliance Sibur Elastomers is a US$450 million joint venture set up with Russia’s SIBUR to manufacture Butyl rubber in India.  Mr.Rathod has more than two decades of association with rubber and auto-tyre industry and had served CEAT Tyres for more than 10 years and ExxonMobil’s Butyl Rubber Business before moving to the Reliance Industries Limited. Mr.Rathod is a product of the renowned Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad.

Mr. Harsh Gandhi is currently the Executive Director of GRP Ltd., a leading manufacturer of reclaim rubber & engineering thermoplastics from waste tyres and end of life plastic products. After joining the company in July 2001, Harsh has managed and subsequently led the Marketing, Projects, Procurement, R&D and human resource, apart from spearheading the company’s entry into plastics recycling.  During the last decade, the company’s presence has expanded to more than 53 countries. Prior to joining the family business, Harsh was a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group in Mumbai, in equity sales with Kotak Mahindra, New York and involved in the start-up of a Golf management company in Mumbai. Harsh has been a member of the executive committee of the All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA) and a member of the committee of the Indian Rubber Institute (IRI). Harsh is currently pursuing the Owners President Management Program (OPM) at Harvard Business School and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University.

Mr.Rajiv Budhraja is Director-General of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), the New Delhi-based apex industry body representing the Indian auto-tyre manufacturing industry accounting for over 90% of the country’s tyre production.  Mr. Budhraja has nearly three decades of experience in industry bodies and had served organizations such as PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Confederation of Export Units and Indian Paper Manufacturers’ Association before joining the ATMA in 1997.  Mr.Budhraja is a Member of the Rubber Board of India for a second successive term, representing the auto-tyre sector, and also represents ATMA in several governmental and institutional bodies.

Mr. Niraj Thakkar is the president of All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA) and has been the convenor of India Rubber Expo since 2003. He is an active member of the Governing Council of Indian Rubber Manufacturers Research Association (IRMRA), Young Leaders’ Forum, Rotary Club of Mumbai Airport and Executive Member Committee of Bombay Industries Association. The “Rubber India” published by the AIRIA got upgraded to an international magazine during 2011-12 when Mr. Thakkar served as its Editor.  Mr. Thakkar is the founder of “HOFIL” a manufacturing company specialized in injection moulding.  In 2001, he Joined the Precision Rubber Industries Private Ltd, an ISO: 9001-2008 certified family-run company manufacturing aprons and cots, having exports to more than 42 countries.  Dr.Thakkar is an Engineering graduate, holder of MBA from the University of Connecticut (USA) and a diploma holder in Rubber Technology from Indian Institute of Technology.

Dr. R. Mukhopadhyay is the Chairman of Indian Rubber Institute (IRI) and the Director & CEO of Hari Shankar Singhania Elastomer & Tyre Research Institute (HASETRI).  He is also the Director (R&D) of JK Tyre & Industries Ltd and Fellow of a number of renowned institutions, which include Indian National Academy of Engineers, Institution of Engineers India, American Chemical Society-Rubber Division, Indian Society of Analytical Scientists, and Indian Institute of Quality. He is also a visiting faculty to a number of renowned national universities and globally reputed institutes including Indian Institute of Technology. Dr. Mukhopadhyay is also a senate member of Indian Institute of Technology (Patna), member of academic advisory board of the Udaipur-based Techno India NJR Institute of Technology, member of governing council of Rubber Skill Development Centre, and member of advisory board of certification services of British Standards Institute. Dr. Mukhopadhyay has been in polymer industry for the last 38 years focusing on education, training and research in rubber science and tyre technology.  He has to his credit more than 175 research papers and six Patents.

Mr. M.F. Vohra is the chairman of CAPEXIL, the body functioning under India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry for promoting export of chemical and allied products from its more than 4,000 member exporters belonging to 16 different product groups. CAPEXIL has made several key achievements under his able leadership. These include the award of Golden Trophy by the Government of India in recognition of CAPEXIL’s excellent performance among Councils. Total annual export turnover of CAPEXIL’s members has now reached 18.0 billion US$ by growing at 22% average annual rate as against 18% rate of growth in the country’s total exports. CAPEXIL is the country’s first Council to be awarded the ISO 9001:2000 certification. Mr.Vohra also plays a number of other leadership roles in the rubber industry. These include membership in the Governing Council of Indian Rubber Manufacturers’ Research Association and President of the UAE-based Gulf Rubber Council. As the President of the All India Rubber Industries Association during 2007-2009, Mr. Vohra succeeded in taking a number of issues to the attention of the government.  Mr.Vohra inherited Zenith Rubber & Plastic Works in 1971 and totally transformed the firm to achieve more than 40% growth during the past 10 years by focussing on overseas markets.