Board
Peter Hadsley-Chaplin
Chairman
MA MBA
Appointed a director in 1989, chairman in 2010. Former executive chairman of Bertam Holdings PLC and Lendu Holdings PLC. Former chairman of The Association of the International Rubber Trade. Prior to joining the Group in 1988 he was a commodity broker with C Czarnikow Limited.
Matthew Coulson
Chief executive
BA FCA
Appointed chief executive in 2022 having been finance director since 2017. Joined the Group as chief finance officer in 2016, with previous experience as an audit director of Deloitte LLP, including work on companies in the agricultural sector and in their technical policy team.
Luke Shaw
Chief financial officer
BA FCA
Appointed to the board on 1 August 2023 having joined the Group in July 2022 as chief financial officer. Qualified chartered accountant with previous experience of working with a wide range of companies, including international groups and AIM-listed businesses, as an audit manager at BDO LLP. Prior to joining the Group, held CFO position at Servomex, a division of Spectris plc and has significant experience in financial and commercial management.
Bruce Tozer
Senior independent non-executive director
BSc MSc MBA
Appointed a director and member of audit and remuneration committees in 2016 and chairman of those committees since 2022. Has held senior roles at JP Morgan, Rabobank International and Crédit Agricole. Non-executive director of Canadian-listed Base Carbon Corp. He consults in environmental markets, commodities, agribusiness investment and ESG. Advisory roles include Lead Advisor on Carbon at Singapore-regulated Abaxx Exchange.
Ravichandran Krisnapillay
President director, PT Evans Indonesia
BEng (USM)
Appointed president director of PT Evans Indonesia in August 2023 having been its director of operations since 2021. Graduated in 1995 from Universiti Sains Malaysia and started career as a civil engineer. Has worked in the plantation and palm-oil industry since 2006, gaining in-depth experience in plantation management and estate infrastructure development. Previously employed by Cargill, Papua New Guinea, and Goodhope Asia Holdings, Indonesia, before joining PT Evans Indonesia as senior manager, civil engineering, in 2016. Subsequently promoted to group manager of the Kalimantan estates and then director of operations.
Katya Merrick
Company secretary
LLB BA
Qualified as a solicitor in 1997. Worked in private practice until taking up appointment as Company Secretary in 2016.
Markian Gunawan
Head of finance, PT Evans Indonesia
SE AK BAP
Appointed a head of finance in April 2012. Joined the Group in October 2009 after 14 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where was a deputy partner. His experience included work for companies in the plantation sector as well the assurance methodology and training team. Qualified as a chartered accountant and certified public auditor. He is the Group’s chief finance officer for Indonesia, which includes responsibility for local Group structure and implementing the Group’s enterprise information system. Member of the Indonesian audit and tender committees.
Aleksa Sihombing
Head of tax, IT and risk management
Joined PT Evans Indonesia in 2010 and appointed head of tax, IT and risk management in 2022. Graduated from Padjadjaran University and worked for more than 11 years in accountancy firms, gaining knowledge and experience in auditing (financial and system), risk management and taxation. Qualified chartered accountant, certified information-systems auditor and registered as a tax attorney in the Indonesian tax courts.
K. Chandra Sekaran
Non-executive director
BSc (UPM)
Appointed to the board in 2021 and was president director of PT Evans Indonesia for over 15 years until 31 July 2023. Role changed from executive to non-executive director in August 2023. Began career in Malaysia with Harrisons and Crosfield, and from 1995 worked in Indonesia as chief operating officer for Sinarmas Plantations before joining the Group. Has a profound understanding of the Indonesian plantation industry, plantation network and the social issues related to it.
Michael Sherwin
Independent non-executive director
BA FCA
Appointed a director and member of the audit and remuneration committees in July 2022. Has over 40 years’ experience in finance and leadership roles, having originally trained and qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse. A non-executive director of Williams Motor Co. (Holdings) Limited. Was CFO of Games Workshop plc for ten years during a period of strategic development and expansion, followed by nine years as CFO at Vertu Motors plc during a phase of significant acquisition-led growth. Has also worked as a non-executive director on several listed boards, including at Plusnet plc where he was appointed on IPO and chaired the audit committee, and at Sumo Group plc where he also was appointed from IPO through to its successful sale in early 2022 and chaired its audit committee.
Tanya Ashton
Independent non-executive director
DipM, FICRS
Joined the board on 1 August 2022. Member of audit and remuneration committee. Has over 18 years’ experience working in ESG roles. Currently head of sustainability at Walgreens Boots Alliance, Global Sourcing, Europe and is a board member of global not-for-profit organisation The Sustainability Consortium. A non-executive director of AIREA plc since May 2023. Previously held held senior positions at Silver Spoon British Sugar plc, part of Associated British Foods. Is recognised for her commitment to increasing sustainability in consumer products.
Lee Yuan Zhang
Non-executive director
Joined the board on 1 February 2023. Regional director (Plantations) of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (“KLK”), Malaysia. Former president director of PT KLK Agriservindo, Indonesia, responsible for the management of 140,000 hectares of oil-palm plantations across five Indonesian provinces. Has also held a number of senior head office roles, including senior marketing and sales roles, within the KLK Group.
Gunasekaran Uthiradam
Head of agronomy – Sumatra, PT Evans Indonesia
Joined PT Evans Indonesia in December 2009 from Sime Darby Plantations where he was a vice-president. Has more than 40 years plantation industry experience, including with Harrisons & Crosfield, managing rubber, cocoa & coconut and oil-palm estates. Has a specialisation in oil-palm yield enhancement and biological control of leaf eating caterpillars, and training field assistants. Holds a diploma in agriculture from Agriculture University Malaysia.
Subramaniam Perumal
Head of agronomy – East Kalimantan, PT Evans Indonesia
Joined PT Evans in Indonesia in 2022 after almost 30 years of experience, and has a diverse and extensive knowledge of working in the plantation sector. Started his career at Golden Hope Plantations before taking more senior roles at both TSH Resources and at Eagle High Plantations. More recently worked as a visiting agent for Asian Agri Plantations.
Arif Budiyono
Head of engineering, PT Evans Indonesia
S.T.
Appointed head of engineering in March 2023. A graduate from Diponegoro University, majored in Naval Engineering. Started his milling profession at Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (PT SMART), working with them for 15 years. Joined PT Evans Indonesia as a senior manager, Engineering, in 2010, and was involved from the start in the design, construction and operation of all the Group’s mills, bulking installations, and Biogas plants. Has over 28 years’ experience in the milling industry.
Osde Simbolon
Head of legal – PT Evans Indonesia
Joined PT Evans in October 2008, having worked previously for several large plantation companies, and appointed head of the Group’s legal department in January 2020. A qualified lawyer from the University of North Sumatra, with over 25 years of legal experience. Responsible for all Indonesian legal issues including land titles and licencing, company agreements, and acquisitions.
Tom Sanders
Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics
DSc, PhD, BSc, R.Nutr.
Tom Sanders is emeritus Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics at King’s College London. He was appointed Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics in 1994 at King’s College London and was Head of the Division of Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences when he retired in 2014. He has published over 300 scientific papers, authored several books and continues to contribute chapters in leading nutrition textbooks. His research career focused on the effects of dietary fat in relation to cardiovascular health. He has served on scientific advisory committees for the UK government and for the Malaysian Palm Oil board, and was a panel member of the World Health Organization/Food and Agricultural Organization Joint Expert Consultations on the role of fatty acid in human nutrition in 1993 and in 2008. He continues to play an active role in communicating nutritional science via the press and broadcast media.
Peter Hadsley-Chaplin
Chairman
MA MBA
Appointed a director in 1989, chairman in 2010. Former executive chairman of Bertam Holdings PLC and Lendu Holdings PLC. Former chairman of The Association of the International Rubber Trade. Prior to joining the Group in 1988 he was a commodity broker with C Czarnikow Limited.
Matthew Coulson
Chief executive
BA FCA
Appointed chief executive in 2022 having been finance director since 2017. Joined the Group as chief finance officer in 2016, with previous experience as an audit director of Deloitte LLP, including work on companies in the agricultural sector and in their technical policy team.
Luke Shaw
Chief financial officer
BA FCA
Appointed to the board on 1 August 2023 having joined the Group in July 2022 as chief financial officer. Qualified chartered accountant with previous experience of working with a wide range of companies, including international groups and AIM-listed businesses, as an audit manager at BDO LLP. Prior to joining the Group, held CFO position at Servomex, a division of Spectris plc and has significant experience in financial and commercial management.
Bruce Tozer
Senior independent non-executive director
BSc MSc MBA
Appointed a director and member of audit and remuneration committees in 2016 and chairman of those committees since 2022. Has held senior roles at JP Morgan, Rabobank International and Crédit Agricole. Non-executive director of Canadian-listed Base Carbon Corp. He consults in environmental markets, commodities, agribusiness investment and ESG. Advisory roles include Lead Advisor on Carbon at Singapore-regulated Abaxx Exchange.
Ravichandran Krisnapillay
President director, PT Evans Indonesia
BEng (USM)
Appointed president director of PT Evans Indonesia in August 2023 having been its director of operations since 2021. Graduated in 1995 from Universiti Sains Malaysia and started career as a civil engineer. Has worked in the plantation and palm-oil industry since 2006, gaining in-depth experience in plantation management and estate infrastructure development. Previously employed by Cargill, Papua New Guinea, and Goodhope Asia Holdings, Indonesia, before joining PT Evans Indonesia as senior manager, civil engineering, in 2016. Subsequently promoted to group manager of the Kalimantan estates and then director of operations.
Katya Merrick
Company secretary
LLB BA
Qualified as a solicitor in 1997. Worked in private practice until taking up appointment as Company Secretary in 2016.
Markian Gunawan
Head of finance, PT Evans Indonesia
SE AK BAP
Appointed a head of finance in April 2012. Joined the Group in October 2009 after 14 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where was a deputy partner. His experience included work for companies in the plantation sector as well the assurance methodology and training team. Qualified as a chartered accountant and certified public auditor. He is the Group’s chief finance officer for Indonesia, which includes responsibility for local Group structure and implementing the Group’s enterprise information system. Member of the Indonesian audit and tender committees.
Aleksa Sihombing
Head of tax, IT and risk management
Joined PT Evans Indonesia in 2010 and appointed head of tax, IT and risk management in 2022. Graduated from Padjadjaran University and worked for more than 11 years in accountancy firms, gaining knowledge and experience in auditing (financial and system), risk management and taxation. Qualified chartered accountant, certified information-systems auditor and registered as a tax attorney in the Indonesian tax courts.
K. Chandra Sekaran
Non-executive director
BSc (UPM)
Appointed to the board in 2021 and was president director of PT Evans Indonesia for over 15 years until 31 July 2023. Role changed from executive to non-executive director in August 2023. Began career in Malaysia with Harrisons and Crosfield, and from 1995 worked in Indonesia as chief operating officer for Sinarmas Plantations before joining the Group. Has a profound understanding of the Indonesian plantation industry, plantation network and the social issues related to it.
Michael Sherwin
Independent non-executive director
BA FCA
Appointed a director and member of the audit and remuneration committees in July 2022. Has over 40 years’ experience in finance and leadership roles, having originally trained and qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse. A non-executive director of Williams Motor Co. (Holdings) Limited. Was CFO of Games Workshop plc for ten years during a period of strategic development and expansion, followed by nine years as CFO at Vertu Motors plc during a phase of significant acquisition-led growth. Has also worked as a non-executive director on several listed boards, including at Plusnet plc where he was appointed on IPO and chaired the audit committee, and at Sumo Group plc where he also was appointed from IPO through to its successful sale in early 2022 and chaired its audit committee.
Tanya Ashton
Independent non-executive director
DipM, FICRS
Joined the board on 1 August 2022. Member of audit and remuneration committee. Has over 18 years’ experience working in ESG roles. Currently head of sustainability at Walgreens Boots Alliance, Global Sourcing, Europe and is a board member of global not-for-profit organisation The Sustainability Consortium. A non-executive director of AIREA plc since May 2023. Previously held held senior positions at Silver Spoon British Sugar plc, part of Associated British Foods. Is recognised for her commitment to increasing sustainability in consumer products.
Lee Yuan Zhang
Non-executive director
Joined the board on 1 February 2023. Regional director (Plantations) of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (“KLK”), Malaysia. Former president director of PT KLK Agriservindo, Indonesia, responsible for the management of 140,000 hectares of oil-palm plantations across five Indonesian provinces. Has also held a number of senior head office roles, including senior marketing and sales roles, within the KLK Group.
Gunasekaran Uthiradam
Head of agronomy – Sumatra, PT Evans Indonesia
Joined PT Evans Indonesia in December 2009 from Sime Darby Plantations where he was a vice-president. Has more than 40 years plantation industry experience, including with Harrisons & Crosfield, managing rubber, cocoa & coconut and oil-palm estates. Has a specialisation in oil-palm yield enhancement and biological control of leaf eating caterpillars, and training field assistants. Holds a diploma in agriculture from Agriculture University Malaysia.
Subramaniam Perumal
Head of agronomy – East Kalimantan, PT Evans Indonesia
Joined PT Evans in Indonesia in 2022 after almost 30 years of experience, and has a diverse and extensive knowledge of working in the plantation sector. Started his career at Golden Hope Plantations before taking more senior roles at both TSH Resources and at Eagle High Plantations. More recently worked as a visiting agent for Asian Agri Plantations.
Arif Budiyono
Head of engineering, PT Evans Indonesia
S.T.
Appointed head of engineering in March 2023. A graduate from Diponegoro University, majored in Naval Engineering. Started his milling profession at Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (PT SMART), working with them for 15 years. Joined PT Evans Indonesia as a senior manager, Engineering, in 2010, and was involved from the start in the design, construction and operation of all the Group’s mills, bulking installations, and Biogas plants. Has over 28 years’ experience in the milling industry.
Osde Simbolon
Head of legal – PT Evans Indonesia
Joined PT Evans in October 2008, having worked previously for several large plantation companies, and appointed head of the Group’s legal department in January 2020. A qualified lawyer from the University of North Sumatra, with over 25 years of legal experience. Responsible for all Indonesian legal issues including land titles and licencing, company agreements, and acquisitions.
Tom Sanders
Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics
DSc, PhD, BSc, R.Nutr.
Tom Sanders is emeritus Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics at King’s College London. He was appointed Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics in 1994 at King’s College London and was Head of the Division of Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences when he retired in 2014. He has published over 300 scientific papers, authored several books and continues to contribute chapters in leading nutrition textbooks. His research career focused on the effects of dietary fat in relation to cardiovascular health. He has served on scientific advisory committees for the UK government and for the Malaysian Palm Oil board, and was a panel member of the World Health Organization/Food and Agricultural Organization Joint Expert Consultations on the role of fatty acid in human nutrition in 1993 and in 2008. He continues to play an active role in communicating nutritional science via the press and broadcast media.
Gender composition of the board: 12.5% female
Gender composition of senior management: 12.5% female
Last updated November 2024
Board working
The board has specific and documented responsibilities to manage the affairs of the Company, and meets regularly to fulfil those responsibilities.
Why invest in M.P. Evans?
Crop and production have continued to increase for many years, and forms the basis for the Group’s progressive approach to dividends.