Board of Directors
Mohandass Saini, BCE
Director
Mr. Saini has spent nearly 30 years with the Shapoorji Pallonji Group in different capacities and has been largely responsible for setting up and expanding the international operations of the group. From April 2000 to date, he has served as the Chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji Mideast LLC, MD, is the CEO of Shapoorji Pallonji International FZE, and a Director in Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Pvt Ltd., India (“SPCPL”), Shapoorji Pallonji International FZC. Mr. Saini has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, in Patiala, India.
Mervyn Pinto
President, Chief Executive Officer & Director
Mr. Pinto is an entrepreneur and an owner-operator of a shipping company operating out of India and the Middle East. Mr. Pinto has 30 years of experience as the President & CEO of different companies in India, Dubai & Vancouver. He is the founder and promoter of Minaean International Corporation.
Mr. Pinto received his Masters at LBS Nautical College. He is also the recipient of numerous awards including the Youngest Master of Indian Merchant Navy, and Businessman of the Year in Vancouver for Business in India.
S. Kuppuswamy, MBA, IIT
Director
Mr. Kuppuswamy is presently with Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Pvt. Ltd. as Advisor – Group Finance & Special Projects and Director in various Companies of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, besides heading the Group’s AFRICA BUSINESS CENTRE (ABC). He also heads the working Group on Finance & Infrastructure for the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Africa Committee.
An Engineering Graduate from IIT Kharagpur with First Class Honours, MBA from Madras University, and Diploma in Bank Management, the Highest Banking Qualification in India, from Indian Institute of Bankers. Before joining Shapoorji Pallonji Group in 1998, held various senior positions in Bank of India, Shipping Credit and Investment Corporation of India, and ICICI.
Hari Varshney, FCPA, FCA, O.B.C.
Director
Hari Varshney is the Director and Co-founder of Varshney Capital Corp., a merchant banking, venture capital and corporate advisory firm. He is currently a Director and/or Officer of several other public companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Mr. Varshney serves on various committees and councils including St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Governors Council, UBC President’s Campaign Cabinet, and the India Advisory Council of UBC and SFU.
Mr. Varshney obtained his Bachelor of Commerce and Masters of Commerce from Agra University in India. His achievements have earned him distinguished awards including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, the Order of British Columbia, and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Captain Fali Vajifdar
Dubai, UAE
Captain Vajifdar has many years experience in the aviation industry. He was a Captain for Indian Airlines, an Airline Transport Pilot, and a Fleet Technical Pilot on the Boeing 777 for the Emirates Airlines.
Management
Mervyn Pinto
President, Chief Executive Officer & Director
Mr. Pinto is an entrepreneur and an owner-operator of a shipping company operating out of India and the Middle East. Mr. Pinto has 30 years of experience as the President & CEO of different companies in India, Dubai & Vancouver. He is the founder and promoter of Minaean International Corporation.
Mr. Pinto received his Masters at LBS Nautical College. He is also the recipient of numerous awards including the Youngest Master of Indian Merchant Navy, and Businessman of the Year in Vancouver for Business in India.
Kishore Gupta
Vice-President, Peru Operations
Kishore Gupta is a seasoned entrepreneur with vast experience in doing business in Latin America. His 40 years of industrial and corporate experience run a gamut of functions that range from manufacturing and planning to corporate development and general management, restructuring, and organizing companies as well as managing partnerships and strategic alliances in an international arena.
Gupta is President of the Peru-India Chamber of Commerce from 2005-2015.
Gupta holds a B. Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Kurukshetra University, India and is also a graduated certified merchant navy engineer.
Zubin Merchant
Director, Minaean Habitat (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Currently working with Shapoorji Pallonji Group as General Manager [Finance] – Chairman’s Office for the last two years, is a qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India [ICAI]. Has 13 years of post-qualification experience in the field of finance and accounts, audits including fraud investigations. His previous stint was with Publicis the world’s third largest communication group with its headquartering in Paris. Was with Publicis for 11 years and when separating was the Financial Controller responsible for all India operations of the Publicis brand.
