Our Team

Simon was appointed non-executive Chairman on 1 December 2023, having served as a non-executive Director since March 2020. After spending the early part of his career in the legal profession he became Chairman of the Camellia Foundation, stepping down in November 2023. He is Chairman of the Nomination committee. 

Byron was appointed Chief Executive Officer on 25 September 2023. Byron has extensive experience in the financial and investment management sectors and served as CEO of the Group’s private bank, Duncan Lawrie, from 2014 until its sale in 2017, since when Byron has been employed by the Group as Investment Director.

Oliver was appointed CFO in June 2024. He is an experienced and commercial CFO with thirty years of experience, initially at Arthur Andersen and subsequently at Shell Plc, where he worked in the UK and internationally. Oliver has an MEng in Engineering Science from Cambridge University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales.

Graham, a qualified agriculturalist, was appointed as Director of Agriculture in October 2014. He was previously Regional Director of the Group's African operations and has worked for the Group for more than 25 years. He is a non-executive director of Kakuzi Plc.

Alison was appointed as an Senior Independent non-executive Director in November 2024. She has 40 years of international financial services experience, serving 22 years at Standard Chartered Plc, a FTSE 100 bank. Alison holds a Masters of Business Administration and is a trustee of two performing arts charities. She is Chair of the Remuneration committee and the Sustainability and Safeguarding committee, and a member of the Audit committee.

Stephen was appointed as Non-executive Director in 2021. He previously held positions within the Camellia Group’s agricultural and banking businesses. He holds a voluntary role within The Camellia Foundation, a UK charity whose primary donar of the same name is the ultimate majority shareholder of Camellia. He is also a director of Camellia Private Trust Company, president of the board of the trustee of The Camellia Foundation (Bermuda), chari of Camellia Holding AG and became the chair of Goodricke Group Limited in January 2024.

Orli was appointed as Independent Non-Executive Director in July 2026. She is the Founder and Managing Director of EMFin Advisory and has over 20 years of experience in development finance, structured finance and impact investment in emerging markets, with particular expertise in Africa. She is a member of the investment committee of AgDevCo, a specialist investor in African agribusinesses. She is a member of the Sustainability and Safeguarding Committee. 

Alec was appointed as an independent non-executive Director in July 2024. He is a Chartered Accountant and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) with 30 years of experience in the agriculture commodity sector in developed and emerging markets, with significant management experience in the Company’s key markets in Africa and Asia. He holds an executive role at ECOM Agroindustrial Corporation Limited. He is Chair of the Audit and Risk committee.