The Fiji Sugar Corporation has announced the appointment of Navin Chandra as its new Chief officer.

The announcement was made by FSC Chairman Vishnu Mohan yesterday, on Mr Chandra’s 45th birthday.

Mr Chandra comes into FSC with having grown up on a sugar cane farm in Labasa, which his mother, Subhag Chandra, still runs and with a vast experience working for Coca Cola Amatil in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia.

In making the announcement, Mr Mohan said the permanent secretary for Sugar, Yogesh Karan, and he had talked about the structure of Fiji sugar.

He said he found it difficult to understand the operation efficiency and productivity of FSC.

“It seems too complex, there was a need to simplify the organisational structure and secondly the process to bring in more efficiency and more productivity.”

“So we felt the need to bring in a top quality chief operating officer who can bring in the end to end supply chain management to what is a critical industry for the country.”

“He has a thorough understanding of supply chain management and for us he’ll be an outstanding person who will fit our agenda of simplifying the process of and bringing in improved productivity and significant efficiency to the process.”

Mr Chandra said he had close connections to the industry itself.

“I can say one thing for sure and that this is the only industry I would like to work for,”Mr Chandra said.

“I know there’s hard work ahead of us but I absolutely want to give it back to the farmers.”

Mr Chandra said he was absolutely excited and wanted to give backall he could to the sugar industry.

“I want to be part of this legacy and make all of you to be a part of this legacy and we will turn this around so that really excites me.”

Educational Background

Mr Chandra attended Waiqele Primary School, Holy Family School and Labasa College before moving on to the University of the South Pacific where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree.

He also obtained a Masters in Science from California State University and an MBA from Central Queensland University.

He started work with the Ministry of Environment and then moved on to the Emperor Gold Mines in Vatukoula in 1997 as Environment Manager before joining Coca Cola Amatil in 1998 in Fiji and then moving to their New Zealand branch two years where he was Manager New Products.

In 2005 he was transferred back to Fiji as Operations Manager before being moved to Australia where he was appointed Manufacturing and Technical Manager.

Edited by: Kathrin Krishna