Presenting Agthia’s Vision
Hear directly from the executive team driving our strategy and growth
Meet theLeadership
Highly experienced and committed management team with deep industry expertise and a strong understanding of the region.
Salmeen Alameri
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
Salmeen Alameri is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Agthia Group, bringing over 20 years of global leadership experience in the food and beverage and agriculture industries. He previously served as CEO of Silal, where he led the company through a period of transformative growth. Under his leadership, Silal executed strategic acquisitions, expanded its global distribution footprint to more than 70 countries, and invested in critical supply chain infrastructure.
Jeroen Nijs
Chief Financial Officer
Jeroen Nijs is the Chief Financial Officer of Agthia Group, bringing over 25 years of international leadership experience. Prior to joining Agthia, Jeroen has held senior finance roles at global FMCG companies including Flora Food Group, Mondelēz International, Danone and PepsiCo. Most recently, he served as Global Deputy CFO of Flora Food Group, a USD 3.5 billion consumer packaged goods company.
Edward Norder
Chief Innovation Officer
Edward Norder is Agthia’s Chief Innovation Officer, bringing nearly three decades of international leadership across innovation, operations, and general management within the global food and ingredients industry. In his role at Agthia, Edward leads the Group’s R&D, Innovation & Insights functions, advancing our innovation agenda and reinforcing Agthia’s commitment to sustainable, long-term growth and market leadership.
Abdulrahman Al Barguthi
Acting Chief Digital Officer
Abdulrahman Al Barguthi is the Acting Chief Digital Officer of Agthia Group, bringing over 25 years of leadership experience in digital transformation, emerging technologies, and enterprise innovation across diverse sectors.
He previously held senior leadership roles at Al Foah, Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications, and ENOC, where he led major transformation programs and modernized mission-critical platforms. During his tenure in these organizations, Abdulrahman championed the adoption of AI solutions, advanced analytics, and next-generation digital capabilities, enabling stronger operational performance and more agile, data-driven decision-making.
Hala Hobeiche Katounas
Head of Mergers & Acquisitions
Hala has more than two decades of investment experience in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and Asia, encompassing private equity, real estate, and venture capital. She has advised families and institutions on the formulation and implementation of investment strategies encompassing a variety of asset classes. She has deployed, managed, and divested over $2.5 billion in capital through direct and fund investments and ventures across numerous industries, including education, oil and gas, petrochemicals, real estate and hospitality, aviation, food and beverage, and retail.
Patrick Higgins
Chief People Officer
Patrick Higgins is the Chief People Officer of Agthia Group, bringing more than 25 years of leadership across Strategy, Business Transformation and Human Resources, with a focus and passion for Emerging Markets. As Chief People Officer, Patrick leads Agthia’s Human Capital function, partnering with leaders across the Group to advance our talent strategy, elevate employee experience, and cultivate an inclusive, high-performance workplace that empowers teams to do their best.
Chantal Charbel
President – Snacks Business
Chantal Charbel is the President of Agthia’s Snacks Business, bringing nearly two decades of strategic and commercial leadership across the luxury goods, confectionery, and dairy sectors in the Middle East and Europe.
Prior to joining Agthia, Chantal served as Managing Director for Lactalis Middle East, where she led the full P&L, oversaw key acquisitions, and launched local manufacturing operations. Her portfolio spanned Retail, Food Service, Travel Retail, and E-Commerce, giving her deep expertise in diverse market environments and consumer segments.
Ahmad T. Yahya
President - Water & Food (GCC)
Ahmad Yahya joined Agthia Group PJSC in December 2020 and is currently the President – Water & Food (GCC) of the Group, responsible for the company’s marketing growth and development.
Prior to his appointment at Agthia, Ahmad was working at Kellogg’s Company in various roles, the most recent one being General Manager, GCC and CGO MENAT. Yahya also worked at Danone KSA as Marketing Director and Pepsi Canada as Marketing Manager.
Nizar Kayali
President - Agri-Business
Nizar Kayali joined Agthia Group PJSC in 2013, he began his journey as the Operations Director for the AGRI business and in 2017 took on the responsibility of managing the Animal Feed BU in the capacity of Vice President.
Prior to joining Agthia, Nizar was a business owner in his native country of Syria. In 2004, he started Union Mills Co., a mid-size milling company producing a variety of wheat flour and animal feed products.