International Grain Forum 2026

Hybrid Conference | Novi Sad & Online | 18 May 2026

Expert in Agri. Operating partner at Barva Invest analytics&trading strategies agency. 20+ years in ABCD companies. Senior roles in commercial positions Black Sea and MENA.

Gerald has over 25 years of experience in general management, sales, marketing, distribution, commodity exchange and trading, fast-moving consumer goods management, projects management and management of trade associations. 

He previously worked with the British American Tobacco in various positions in Trade Marketing and Corporate & Regulatory Affairs Departments from 1996 to 2004. 

He was the Head of Sales & Marketing at the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries from 2004 to 2006 where he was part of the team that revived New KCC, relaunching the brands and regaining the national and regional market share.

He served as the Managing Director, Kenya Wine Agencies Limited (KWAL) 2006 to 2009 where he successfully turned around the company from loss making to profitability and won the 2^nd best State Corporation Award under the Performance Contracting in 2008.

He served as the Managing Director, Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU) in 2009 before establishing his Consulting firm the Acumen Business Consultants in 2010, where he was the Chief Executive prior to joining EAGC.

He served in the Strategic Food Reserve Trust Fund Oversight Board from 2016 to 2021 representing the Private Sector in the Board and was a member of the Presidential Task Force on Maize appointed in 2018. 

Presently, Gerald is Chairman of the Board of Interfield Food Testing Laboratories -IFTL, a joint venture between EAGC and Soy Afric Limited based in Ruiru, Kiambu County. He is a member of the Board of the International Grain Trade Coalition -IGTC, based in Geneva Switzerland where is he is the Treasurer and is also the Chairman of the Cereals & Pulses Technical Committee at the Kenya Bureau of Standards of the Republic of Kenya.

Under his leadership at EAGC, Gerald has.

He has developed and nurtured strong partnerships with various stakeholders including Governments and international development partners including USAID, Sida, AGRA, FAO, WFP, IITA, CTA, TMEA, IFC World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, African Union United Nations Economic Commission on Africa (UNECA), among others who have partnered and supported EAGC in successfully implementing many interventions, projects, and programs to structure grain trade in the Eastern Africa region.

Gerald holds a MSc in Agricultural Economics and BA in Economics both from Egerton University, Kenya and is currently pursuing a PhD in Project Planning and Management, specializing in the Project Finance Option at the University of Nairobi.

He was Born in 1957 in the Ağrı in Türkiye. He is married and the father of six children. He relocated to Gaziantep, Türkiye with his family in 1979. Entering the business world at the age of 16, he quickly distinguished himself through his diligence and visionary approach.

In 1991, he took his first step into industrial entrepreneurship with Beşler Un, and has since been actively operating in the wholesale food sector for many years. Today, Mr.M.Mesut Çakmak serves as the Chairman of the Board of Beşler Group, which has grown into one of Türkiye’s and the world’s leading flour and food producers.

The Group operates through a wide portfolio of companies, including Beşler Un, Beşsan Makarna, Beşyem, Beşler Agro, Beşler Lidaş, as well as offshore entities such as Besfoods Corp (USA), Aslı Company (Iraq), among others. Additionally, through No5 Patisserie & Café, a subsidiary of Beşler Group, flour and pasta products manufactured in the Group’s facilities are delivered directly to consumers via innovative retail concepts.

As part of Beşler Group’s commitment to social responsibility and civil society engagement, the Beşler Social Aid and Solidarity Foundation was established in 2023. Through this foundation, the Group provides educational scholarships, food assistance, and public aid campaigns. Furthermore, the annual Beşler Cup Tennis Tournament brings together amateur athletes from different cities, encouraging youth participation in sports and strengthening social cohesion.

Mr.Çakmak also holds active roles in numerous non-governmental organizations. He is one of the founding members of the Turkish Flour Industrialists Federation (TUSAF), which has been operating since 2004 and represents the Turkish flour industry at national and international levels with more than 300 members across 8 regional associations. He served as Vice Chairman of the TUSAF Board of Directors during the 2022–2025 term and was elected Chairman of the Board for the 2025–2028 term at the Ordinary General Assembly held on April 17, 2025.

Throughout his career, Mr.Çakmak has made significant contributions to production, exports, and employment, playing a leading role in enhancing the global competitiveness of Türkiye’s flour, pasta, and feed industries. He is widely recognized for his visionary leadership, particularly in the areas of sectoral solidarity, sustainability, and quality.

Ceres AI is an advanced AI-driven grain price forecasting engine that integrates market data, historical trends, weather analytics, logistics signals, and geopolitical developments to deliver forward-looking insights for global grain and oilseed markets.

Designed for traders, producers, and financial institutions, it enhances decision-making in an environment of increasing volatility, uncertainty, and complex market dynamics.

Ryan is the Head of Grain & Oilseeds at ADM Investor Services International; an independent, full service multi-asset brokerage company in London with an extensive international reach; offering clearing and brokerage services into all major investment markets. Covering the major grains and oilseeds futures & options markets and serving a wide variety of clients around the globe. The desk has a core focus on commercial hedge business, working with clients throughout the supply chain, that each have their specific risk management needs.

Eric is part of the Agricultural team, based in London. Eric manages CME Group's agricultural contracts in EMEA, covering grains, oilseeds, livestock and dairy futures and options, and is globally responsible for the wheat portfolio, including developing new hedging tools such as Black Sea Wheat futures. Eric’s previous roles in exchange derivatives include Head of Commodity Markets at NYSE Liffe, and Head of Strategy at Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX).

Vlado Kovačević is the CEO of the International Grain Forum, an independent international platform serving the global grain and oilseeds industry through education, market intelligence, and networking. With a PhD and a strong academic and practical background in agricultural markets, he focuses on grain hedging, futures and options markets, and price risk management, working closely with producers, traders, processors, exchanges, and financial institutions across the Black Sea, Danube, European, and global markets.