CapitalSage Holdings, a pan-African enterprise focused on building world-class businesses rooted in Africa, has appointed Tarun Chawla as Executive Director. Chawla will spearhead the global operations of Johnvents, the group’s subsidiaries in agri-commodities and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).
This appointment signals a major strategic move by CapitalSage as it intensifies its expansion efforts across key agricultural markets, bolsters its processing infrastructure, and explores emerging opportunities in high-demand consumer product segments.
Tarun Chawla will be based in Dubai, where he will focus on strengthening Johnvents Group’s global presence. His responsibilities include forging strategic alliances, enhancing operational performance, and scaling the brand’s visibility and competitiveness across the food and consumer goods value chains.
A Veteran in the Agriculture and FMCG Sectors
Chawla brings with him over two decades of leadership experience in the global food and agricultural sector. Before joining CapitalSage, he served as the Global Business Head for Food and Food Ingredients at Export Trading Group (ETG). There, he managed a wide portfolio encompassing agri-commodity trading, European private-label acquisitions, and health-centric brands in the Indian market.
His tenure at ETG was marked by sustainable profitability, operational restructuring, and comprehensive value chain optimization. His impact included revamping operations for higher efficiency and repositioning the company for future-focused growth.
Chawla’s career also includes leadership roles at notable multinational corporations such as Olam International, Coca-Cola, Unilever, and Starion Group. His assignments have spanned several global regions, including Africa, India, China, and Europe. His expertise ranges from strategic sourcing and commodity risk management to mergers and acquisitions and global supply chain strategy.
Driving CapitalSage’s Mission Forward
CapitalSage Holdings is strategically investing in experienced global leadership as part of its mission to create inclusive, competitive, and sustainable African enterprises. Chawla’s appointment supports this goal, positioning him to accelerate Johnvents Group’s growth, especially in delivering integrated food systems that enhance food security, create employment, and spur socio-economic development.
Group Managing Director of CapitalSage Holdings, John Alamu, expressed confidence in Chawla’s capacity to drive the company’s transformation:
“Tarun’s leadership experience across global agricultural markets aligns perfectly with our long-term vision. As we continue to scale our platforms from Africa to the world, we are confident that his expertise will accelerate our transformation into a globally competitive enterprise while delivering sustainable impact across the communities we serve.”
Chawla echoed this enthusiasm about the opportunity to lead in a dynamic, high-growth environment:
“I am excited to join CapitalSage at such a defining moment in its growth journey. The Group’s vision to build global businesses from Africa is both inspiring and timely. I look forward to working with the exceptional teams across CapitalSage Holdings and Johnvents Group to expand our global reach, build resilient value chains, and unlock long-term value across the food and FMCG sectors.”
Strengthening Africa’s Place in Global Trade
Chawla’s leadership is expected to reinforce CapitalSage’s long-term strategy to promote Africa as a hub of global innovation and production in agriculture and consumer markets. Johnvents Group, as the operational core of CapitalSage’s food and FMCG initiatives, is central to this strategy. The company plays a critical role in transforming raw agricultural produce into high-value products for both local and international markets.
Under Chawla’s leadership, Johnvents aims to scale its value-added processing capabilities, improve competitiveness, and align with global standards. His experience in executing cross-continental supply chain transformations is seen as pivotal to this next phase.
In an increasingly competitive global landscape, Chawla’s appointment represents a proactive move to position Johnvents as a leader in sustainable and scalable agricultural solutions. The role demands an understanding of complex trade flows, consumer behavior, and the innovation needed to unlock Africa’s full agribusiness potential.
Outlook
With food security, employment, and industrialization at the heart of Africa’s development agenda, CapitalSage Holdings’ strategic focus on agriculture and FMCG is timely. Tarun Chawla’s appointment aligns with this agenda, promising to bring tested expertise and global perspective to the challenge of scaling African enterprise to meet global demand.
The Group is betting on leadership, innovation, and inclusive growth to transform Africa’s agricultural value chains into engines of prosperity. Through Johnvents, it aims to prove that African-rooted businesses can compete globally without losing sight of the communities that anchor them.
Chawla’s arrival underscores CapitalSage’s readiness to compete at the highest level while remaining purpose-driven. As the Group expands its influence across the food and consumer goods landscape, its leadership choices reveal a commitment to growth that is both bold and deeply African in vision.
This marks another critical step in CapitalSage Holdings’ journey to deliver innovations that nourish Africa and shape the future of global agribusiness.
