Leadership
Our leadership team brings experience, vision and integrity to our decision-making and drives the pursuit of our strategic goals and ambitions.
Chief Executive Officer
Michael Gelchie
Chief Executive Officer
Mike Gelchie is Group Chief Executive Officer at Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC). He began his career with the Group in 1990 and has since held various commercial management roles in several of LDC’s diverse business lines, including sugar, rice and coffee, as well as executive positions as both COO and then CEO. Steering LDC as CEO since 2020, his tenure is marked by a robust expansion in international trade and commodity sectors, underpinned by his deep understanding of capital markets and trading strategies. At the helm of a leading global merchant firm, his approach intertwines trading acumen with strategic vision, ensuring LDC’s operations excel in today’s dynamic economic landscape. Under his guidance, LDC has demonstrated its commitment to the creation of long-term stakeholder value through conscientious, strategic decision-making, for the benefit of current and future generations.
Executive Group
Guy-Laurent Arpino
Chief Information Officer
Guy-Laurent is Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Louis Dreyfus Company. He joined the Group in 2016 from Bacardi-Martini Ltd., where he was CIO for Europe since 2011, with additional responsibility for global business intelligence and digital marketing services. Prior to this, he worked for Procter & Gamble since 1997, first in Belgium and then in Switzerland, most recently as Global IT & Shared Services Associate Director for the Braun Division. Guy-Laurent holds an Engineering degree specializing in electronics, computer science and signal processing, from École Supérieure Chimie Physique Électronique (CPE) de Lyon, in France.
Juan José Blanchard
Chief Operating Officer and Head of Latin America
Juan José (Juanjo) Blanchard is Chief Operating Officer and Head of Latin America at Louis Dreyfus Company. Juanjo joined the Group in Argentina in 1997, and has since held several roles of increasing responsibility and based in multiple geographic regions, in Research, Procurement, Oilseeds, and more recently as Head of Fertilizers & Inputs and global Operations Planning Director for LDC. In 2018 he was appointed CEO of Biosev S.A., successfully leading the company to deliver improved operational and financial performance until its merger agreement with Raizen Group in 2021. In addition to his existing responsibilities, Juanjo served as LDC’s Head of Juice until 2023. He holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from Universidad Nacional de Rosario, and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Universidad Austral, both in Argentina.
Miguel Catella
Head, Global Markets
Miguel Catella, Head of Global Markets at Louis Dreyfus Company, has substantial practical experience in the emerging markets asset class. Before joining the Group in January 1999, he was a fixed income and equity Latam trader at Cargill in Minneapolis. Prior to that, he worked at Citibank in Buenos Aires, trading fixed income assets. Miguel holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Buenos Aires.
Vijay Chakravarthy
Chief Risk Officer
Vijay is Chief Risk Officer for Louis Dreyfus Company since 2023, when he joined the Group after 20 years working in various credit, market, liquidity and operational risk management positions in a range of global commodities trading, multi-asset brokerage and capital markets environments at ED&F Man, Standard Chartered, Barclays and Deutsche Bank. He holds an Engineering degree from NIT Tiruchirappalli and a Finance MBA from London Business School.
Ben Clarkson
Head, Coffee Platform
Ben Clarkson is Head of the Coffee Platform at Louis Dreyfus Company. He joined LDC in 2012 as Senior Trader for the Coffee Platform, subsequently taking on additional responsibility as Head of Futures & Options Trading for the Platform. In 2018, he was appointed Global Trading Manager for Coffee, serving in that capacity until his appointment to his present role. Prior to joining the Group, he worked in investment management at Smith & Williamson and later as Senior Coffee Trader for Armajaro Holdings Limited. Ben is a graduate of the University of Bristol, UK.
Thomas Couteaudier
Chief Strategy Officer
Thomas Couteaudier is Chief Strategy Officer for Louis Dreyfus Company. Thomas joined the Group in 2010 from the World Bank. Working initially as Business Development Manager for the Middle East and Africa, he later served as Country Manager for South Africa, then Head of Africa, and more recently Head of South & Southeast Asia and Head of Coffee for Asia, before taking up his present role. Thomas holds a Master’s degree in Agriculture Economics and an MBA from INSEAD.
Paulo Hladchuk
Head, Juice Platform
Paulo is Head of Louis Dreyfus Company’s Juice Platform. He joined the Group in 2020 as Country Manager for Russia and was appointed to his current role in 2023. Prior to joining LDC, he worked for several years at Bunge in a range of commercial, logistics, operations and general management roles. Over the course of his career, he has gained international experience across South America, Europe and Asia. Paulo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Universidade Paranaense, and MBAs from Fundação Getulio Vargas, the University of New Brunswick and the International Institute of Business.
Tim Harry
Global Head, Business Development
Tim Harry is Global Head of Business Development for Louis Dreyfus Company. Tim joined the Group in 2007 as Head of Projects for the Metals Platform. In 2008 he was appointed Head of Business Development for the Europe & Black Sea Region, before taking on his current role in 2009. Prior to joining the Group, he worked for ANZ Bank in Melbourne, where he worked in the investment banking division focused on the commodities sector, and previously for Deutsche Bank in London. Tim graduated from Adelaide University with degrees in Commerce and in Law, and also holds qualifications in applied finance and investment from the Financial Securities Institute of Australasia.
Sébastien Landerretche
Chief Financial Officer
Sébastien Landerretche is Chief Financial Officer for Louis Dreyfus Company. He joined the Group in 2004, leading our global ocean freight research, based in China. He subsequently held several key leadership roles, including Regional Head of Oilseeds and Regional Head of Freight for Asia, based in Singapore, and subsequently Global Head of Freight for over 10 years, based in Switzerland, until his appointment to his present role in 2026. Sébastien graduated from ESSEC Business School.
Guy de Montulé
Head, Rice Platform
Guy de Montulé is Head of the Rice Platform for Louis Dreyfus Company. Before joining the Group in 1999, he worked at Continental Grain Company in Geneva, Switzerland, where he managed the rice division.
Joe Nicosia
Trading Operations Officer and Head, Cotton Platform
Joe Nicosia is Trading Operations Officer and Head of the Cotton Platform for Louis Dreyfus Company, and Executive Vice President of Louis Dreyfus Company LLC. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in economics and joined the Group that same year as a grain trader in Minneapolis. In 1982 he transferred to Allenberg Cotton Co. (Allenberg) in Memphis, and in 1985 assumed responsibility for cotton trading worldwide. He was CEO of Allenberg from 1991 to 2012, resumed the role in 2015 and remains CEO today. From 1989 to 2000 he also served as President of Allenberg. He was Director of Louis Dreyfus Corporation from 1995 to 2010. Since 2010, Joe has been Director and Vice President of LDC Holding Inc. and has coordinated the trading and merchandizing activities of LDC’s cotton business. He is also a member of the board of directors of American Cotton Shippers, where he serves as Chairman of the Futures Committee.
André Roth
Head, Grains & Oilseeds Platform
André Roth is Head of the Grains & Oilseeds Platform for Louis Dreyfus Company. He joined our business in 1993 as a trainee and has since worked in various trading, commercial and leadership roles within Grains and Oilseeds. André graduated in Business Administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas. He also served on the Board of Directors of ABIOVE (Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries) and ANEC (National Association of Grain Exporters).
Massimiliano Talli
Global Head of Legal
Massimiliano is Global Head of Legal for Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC). He joined LDC’s Legal team for Europe & Black Sea in 2010, after several years as in-house legal counsel for Consolis group in Belgium and in private practice with several international law firms. He has since held several roles of increasing responsibility, including as Chief Legal Officer for Asia and EMEA, and subsequently Deputy General Counsel, until his appointment to his present role in 2022. He holds an LL.M from the University of London, is a qualified Italian lawyer and a registered solicitor by the courts of England and Wales.
Jessica Teo
Chief Human Resources Officer
Jessica Teo is Chief Human Resources Officer at Louis Dreyfus Company. She joined the Group in Singapore in 2011, serving as Regional Head of HR for Asia until 2018, and in parallel as Global HR Business Partner to our Merchandizing business segment between 2014 and 2017. Before joining LDC, she held senior HR positions at Neste Oil Singapore, Eastman Chemical Asia Pacific, Singapore Telecoms, Deloitte & Touche and Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (Air Force). She holds a degree in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Rutgers Business School (State University of New York, US).
James Zhou
Chief Commercial Officer, Head of Food & Feed Solutions and Head, Asia Region
James Zhou
Chief Commercial Officer, Head of Food & Feed Solutions and Head, Asia Region
James Zhou is Chief Commercial Officer, Head of the Food & Feed Solutions Platform and Head of the Asia Region, for Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC). He joined the Group as China CEO in 2016, overseeing our operations, strategic developments and partnerships in the country before taking up enlarged regional and global responsibilities in 2020. Before joining LDC, he developed a deep understanding of the Chinese market throughout his career in commodities, gaining significant experience through several trading, risk management and managerial roles in the country, particularly in grains and oilseeds. James holds a Master’s degree in English Studies from the National University of Singapore and an Executive MBA from Tsinghua University.
External Advisory Groups
LDC has established two external advisory groups for Human Rights and for Climate & Land, as part of our sustainability governance structure.
Members are LDC senior leaders, including our CEO, signaling commitment from the highest level of the company, as well as external advisors.
