DR. CHANDRAPAL SINGH YADAV- CHAIRPERSON, INDIA

Dr. Chandrapal Singh Yadav, a Member of the Upper House of Indian Parliament (Rajya Sabha), is the Chairman of Krishak Bharti Cooperative Ltd. (KRIBHCO) and all its subsidiaries. He was also the President of NCUI, the apex institution of the cooperative movement in India. In addition, Dr. Yadav was the Vice Chairperson of the International Cooperative Alliance - Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) region from 2010-2021. He is also on the Boards of the International Raiffeisen Union (IRU), Germany, National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF), National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED), National Federation of Urban Coop Banks & Credit Societies (NAFCUB), National Federation of State Coop Banks (NAFSCOB) among others.  Dr. Yadav holds M.Sc, B.Ed, L.L.B and PhD degrees.

MR. CAI ZHENHONG- VICE CHAIRPERSON, CHINA

Mr. Cai Zhenhong is currently the Vice President of All China Federation of Supply & Marketing Coops (ACFSMC). He has committed to human resource development and social security system advancement in his early career. Over the years, while holding various positions, he has accumulated rich experiences in the governance of agricultural-based regions and explored effective ways to upgrade agribusiness through innovation. Mr. Cai wishes to extend his efforts to the construction of a healthier and more sustainable SMC system as well as promoting cooperation among co-operatives in the Asia-Pacific Region.

DATUK SERI DR. ABDUL FATTAH ABDULLAH- VICE CHAIPERSON MALAYSIA

Datuk Seri Dr. Abdul Fattah Hj. Abdullah is the Chairperson of the Malaysia Co-operative movement (ANGKASA) since 2010. He has been active in the cooperative movement since 2000 after being elected as the Chairman of the Smallholder Co-operative of Lipis, Pahang. In 2014, he was elected as President of ASEAN Cooperative Organizations (ACO) at the ACO meeting in Bali, Indonesia. Dato' Abdul Fattah Abdullah sits on the Board of Cooperative College of Malaysia (since August 2013). He has worked in the Malaysian Government sector from 1979 until 2007. He graduated from the University of Pura, Malaysia with a Bachelor of Communication; he also holds a Professional Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Business Management from the University of Malaysia.

MS. NATALIE BROWNING -  BOARD MEMBER, AUSTRALIA

Ms. Natalie Browning was elected to the Board of Cooperative Bulk Handling Ltd. (CBH Group) as a Director in February 2018 and appointed as Deputy Chair in April 2020. She was the first woman Director appointed to the CBH Board and is a strong supporter of cooperative education and leadership programs. She is the Chair of CBH’s Network and Engineering Committee and is a member of the CBH Audit and Risk Management Committee. In 2020, Natalie was chosen as a cooperative farming ambassador and champion for the Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals’ (BCCM) Cooperative Farming program. Along with her CBH Board responsibilities, Natalie operates a continuous cropping operation on an 8,000-hectare property in Kondinin, located 280 kilometres east of Perth, Western Australia’s capital city. She is a strong contributor to the Western Australian regional community, with current positions including Director of Hockey WA and Chair of the Narembeen District High School Board.

Natalie is an active advocate of the cooperative model and the values that it delivers to its members. She has completed the ‘Executive Leadership Program: Cooperatives and Mutuals’ course, facilitated by the University of Western Australia’s Business School and the Australian Institute of Management.

Mr. ALIREZA BANAEIFAR- BOARD MEMBER, IRAN

Mr. Alireza Banaeifar was nominated as the ICA-AP Board Member by the Iran Chamber of Cooperatives (ICC) in November 2023. Previously, he served as the Youth Representative on the ICA-AP Board and was the former Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation (ICYC). He is also the International Affairs Manager of ICC since 2016. After joining ICC, he has succeeded in areas of activity with the presence of foreign ambassadors in Iran and their commercial attaché. He holds an MBA from Istanbul University in Turkey.  

MS. CHITOSE ARAI- BOARD MEMBER, JAPAN

Ms. Chitose Arai is the Vice President of the Japanese Consumers’ Cooperative Union (JCCU), which is a national federation of consumer cooperatives with 30 million individual members. She also serves as the President of Coop Mirai, the largest consumer co-op in Japan. She was a board member of Saitama Coop from 2005 to 2013. In 2013 when Saitama Coop merged with Coop Tokyo and Chiba Coop to become Coop Mirai, she was elected as a board member of Coop Mirai. At the ICA level, she served as the Vice President of the ICA-AP and the Acting Chairperson of the ICA-AP Women’s Committee.

MR. SUNG-hEE LEE- BOARD MEMBER, SOUTH KOREA

Mr. Sung-hee Lee has been a lifelong cooperator, beginning his career 50 years ago at Naksaeng Agricultural Cooperative, a member of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF). He has been elected President of Naksaeng thrice and has served on the NACF Board and as Chairman of the Audit Committee. Mr. Lee has stressed the need to come together and expand joint activities among cooperatives to improve the socio-economic status of cooperators in Asia-Pacific.

As the Chairman of NACF Korea and the President of ICAO, which represents the agricultural sector of ICA, Mr. Lee is striving along with other international leaders to build stronger agricultural cooperatives to overcome COVID-19 and adapt under the new paradigm.

MR. MIN RAJ KADEL- BOARD MEMBER, NEPAL

Mr. Min Raj Kadel has been serving as an incessant cooperative leader for the last 2.5 decades. He is the Chairman of the National Cooperative Federation of Nepal (NCF) and advisor of the Nepal Federation of Savings and Credit Cooperative Union (NEFSCUN). He holds the position of First Vice President of the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU). Groomed as a Chairman from Janakalyan SACCOS, Dhading, he has worked as a high school principal and immediate Past President of Jaya Bageshori Multipurpose Campus. He has received high-level cooperative training from various countries and a degree in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from Tribhuvan University.

ATTY. MARIA CORAZON S. MONTALLANA- BOARD MEMBER, PHILIPPINES

Atty. Maria Corazon S. Montallana was elected as the Chairperson of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), Philippines in May 2023. She is a lawyer from Tacloban City and the Chairperson of the Regional & Central COMELEC Employees Multipurpose Cooperative (RECEMPCO). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Law degree from the Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation College of Law. In 2006, she got her Master's in Management at Leyte Normal University. In addition, her commitment to public service extends to the Commission on Election (COMELEC) where she currently holds the position of Provincial Election Supervisor.

MR. G. D. SARATH WEERASIRI-BOARD MEMBER, SRI LANKA

Mr. G.D. Sarath Weerasiri is also Hon. Chairman of the Kuliyapitiya District Cooperative Council and Bingiriya Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Director of Sri Lanka Consumer Cooperative Federation, and one of the Young Cooperative Leaders in Sri Lanka. He has extensive experience in national and international level trainings on cooperative development, business management, good governance and rural development. 

Mrs. CAO XUAN THU VAN- BOARD MEMBER, VIETNAM

MS. Cao Xuan Thu Van was elected as the President of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) in October 2023. She also serves as Secretary of the Party Union of VCA and the Vice President of the Vietnam Farmer’s Union. She has held several positions in the Provincial Party Committee of Bac Lieu. She holds a Doctorate in Education Management. She was conferred the Prime Minister’s Certificate on merit in 2008 and the National Emulative Soldier Award in 2011. 

MS. DULCE S. BUSTAMANTE - CHAIRPERSON, ICA-AP COMMITTEE ON YOUTH COOPERATION

Ms. Dulce S. Bustamante was elected as the Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation (ICYC) in November 2023. Previously, she has served as the Vice-Chairperson of ICYC. She also serves as the Chairperson of the Young Entrepreneurs Service (YES) Cooperative in the Philippines. A trained attorney, she works as the Senior Partner with the Evidente Abunales Ramos Bustamante & Delmo Law Offices and as the City Government Dept. Head for the Imus City Legal Office. She has received a bachelor’s degree in Law from San Beda College Alabang – School Of Law and has graduated with a BSBA in Management Accounting from De La Salle University – Dasmarinas.