Mr Stanley Joyce, CSM – Chairman
Mr Joyce brings more than 30 years of management and board experience to CPL Group. He sits as the Chairman for CPL Group and has his imprint in the food, beverage and manufacturing industries in Papua New Guinea and abroad. His notable PNG business acumen includes leading the South Pacific Brewery Limited (SP) for 14 years as its Managing Director. He also spearheaded campaigns rallying public support for the SP PNG Hunters, SP Sports Awards and encouraging responsible alcohol consumption. During his tenure, he also provided expertise support to the 2015 Pacific Games Authority, the PNG Business Council, PNG Manufacturer’s Council, Mainland Holdings Limited and Solomon Island Brewery Limited. He is the honorary consul for the Netherlands, and has been honoured by the Commonwealth with titles such as the Companian Star of the Order of Melanesia and the Logohu Awards.
Sir Mahesh Patel, OBE – Executive Director
Sir Mahesh has been serving Papua New Guinea for nearly four decades. He started as a pharmacist and then as a maverick entrepreneur, co-founding what is now PNG’s largest and leading retailer, CPL Group in 1987. His influence is evident in many public, private and community entities such as the PNG Red Cross, Kumul Telikom Holdings Limited, 2015 Pacific Games, Ginigoada Foundation and the Buk Bilong Pikinini (BBP) community libraries, orphanages and countless community organisations. A celebrated business leader, he was recognised for his contribution to commerce and communities with a Knight Bachelor award in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. He has since resigned from his post as Managing Director of the Group and continues his passion as Chairman for the CPL Foundation championing causes close to CPL Group’s ethos.
Mr Graham John Dunlop – Independent Director
Mr Dunlop is a chartered accountant with over 38 years in the region. He was CPL’s Group Chairman for two years. His corporate experience in Papua New Guinea first started with Steamships Trading Company and expanded to the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and New Zealand. He now serves on the board of Mainland Holdings Limited, John Swire and Sons (PNG) Ltd and Group of Companies, Credit Corporation, and CPL Group.
Ms Mary Handen – Independent Director
Ms Mary Handen divides her time and expertise between her business and helping budding entreprenuers and professionals develop oratory and financial literacy skills. Her managerial and board experience includes Steamships Group of Companies, Transparency International PNG, Employees Federation of PNG, and the PNG Business Council. Her community work focuses on social enterprises such as the Em Stret Holdings Youth Debates, PNG Fashion and Design Week Limited, and the Pehi-Koko Waste Management Limited.
Mr Aru Chellappan – Independent Director
Mr Chellappan joined the CPL Group Board in September 2020. He is an accountant with over 35 years of working experience across different financial landscapes in North America, Australia and Asia. Before joining CPL Group, his last role lasted for 17 years with the Siemens Healthcare Sdn Bhd, a health technology company based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is a Fellow of the Institute of the Chartered Accountants in Australia and a member of the Malaysia-Australia Business Council.
Ms Mary John, ML – Independent Director
Independent Director Ms Johns is a lawyer with 25 years of dedicated service to compliance, audit and risk management in the Papua New Guinean banking and finance, and oil and gas industries. She is currently the Board Secretary for PNG’s leading bank, BSP and a board committee member for Oil Search Limited. She was recognised in 2015 by the Commonwealth with the honour of the Member of the Logohu for services to community and sports organisations, such as the Badili Club, Leadership PNG, the 2015 Pacific Games Committee, National Soccer League, and the Capital Rugby Union.
Ms Eunice Parua – Independent Director
Ms Parua made history for Papua New Guinea as the youngest lawyer to make partner at a law firm: Leahy Lewin Lowing Sullivan Lawyers. Her fledgling board experience began with the CPL Group as a Trainee Director in 2019. She is also a board observer for growing banking group, Kina Bank. She is a full member of the PNG Law Society, and the Papua New Guinea Women Lawyers Association. She is also the co-founder of Lawyers4Literacy, a rural literacy advocacy organization. Senior Executive Management Lead
Mr Nazar Shaffee – Company Secretary | General Manager – Finance
Mr Shaffee is CPL Group’s Company Secretary. He is a trained accountant and IT Specialist with over a decade of experience in Banking, Aviation and Retail. He has worked with Multinational Banking and Financial Service Provider, HSBC Bank, CHM Group, Heli Niugini Limited, PT. Sayap Garuda Indah (Heli SGI) and CPL Group in both fields of computerized data management and finance. He currently forms the helm of the Senior Management Team as General Manager Finance overseeing all financial functions and dealings for the group.
Leadership Team
Mr Navin Raju – CEO
Navin Raju was appointed as CEO of CPL Group in October 2020 after working as the Chief Operating Officer of the Group and previously as CEO of Hardware Haus Limited. Navin has held senior executive-level roles within various industries such aviation, retail and manufacturing. He has worked in major international companies in various countries such as Stokes Australasia Limited, Airwork NZ Limited, Heli Niugini Limited and International Coatings conglomerate: Akzo Nobel Limited. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) Degrees in Accounting and Finance, attained from Auckland University, New Zealand and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Southern Cross University in Lismore, Australia. Navin’s capabilities lie in business transformation and turnaround, building capacity and developing strong business cultures.