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.

Bani Kinkar Tripathy

Head - Information & Technology

With over 18 years of professional experience, he is a strategic technology leader responsible for driving digital transformation, IT strategy, automation, and technology operations across ARISE Port & Logistics. He leads technology initiatives supporting port and logistics operations, with a strong focus on operational efficiency, business continuity, cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience, and digital innovation. His experience spans Africa and India across ports, logistics, manufacturing, and agro-industrial businesses, enabling him to bring a broad understanding of technology-led business transformation. He has extensive experience in managing complex port technology environments, ERP such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, etc. including other operational systems, connected technologies, IoT, automation, data analytics, and IT/OT integration. He has successfully led several digitalization initiatives to improve port productivity, operational visibility, asset utilization, and process efficiency. He manages regional IT operations, strategic technology partnerships, budgets, governance, cybersecurity, and technology risk across multiple port entities. He is also experienced in building and leading regional technology teams while working closely with global technology functions and external partners. His leadership approach focuses on aligning technology investments with business objectives and delivering measurable operational and financial value. He holds an MBA degree and has completed advanced management and leadership program from leading Indian business institution IIM-Kozhikode, complemented by professional certifications in enterprise technology. He is committed to enabling ARISE Port & Logistics to build smarter, safer, more connected, and technology-driven port operations through innovation, automation, strong governance, and continuous digital transformation.

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.

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.