Michael Kasbar is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of World Fuel Services Corporation and a member of the company's Board of Directors. Kasbar has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2012 and assumed the role of Chairman in 2014.
Previously, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for driving the company's aggressive acquisition strategy and quest for operational excellence.
He joined World Fuel Services in 1995 as Chief Executive Officer of World Fuel Services Americas, Inc., at the time the company’s principal subsidiary engaged in the marine fuel services business. Prior to joining the company, Kasbar and his partner, Paul Stebbins, co-founded Trans-Tec Services, Inc., a global marine fuel services company acquired by World Fuel Services.
Mr. Bakshi has served as a director of the Company since 2002. Since June 2003, Mr. Bakshi has also been managing partner of Trishul Capital Group LLC and Trishul Advisory Group LLC, two privately owned equity investment and consulting companies. From July 2013 to June 2015, Mr. Bakshi served as Executive Chairman of the board of directors of Amala Inc., a skin care products company.
Prior to that, from April 2008 to July 2013, he was Chairman of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer of Amala Inc. From March 2006 through June 2009, he was Vice Chairman of the board of directors of Row 2 Technologies, a software development firm he co-founded, and from December 2002 to February 2006, he was employed by Row 2 Technologies as Chief Executive Officer. From July 2000 to December 2002, he was employed as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Vistaar, Inc., an incubator of business to business internet based marketplaces. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Bakshi served as Senior Vice President of Wyeth (formerly known as American Home Products Corp.), a NYSE company. Prior to 1998, Mr. Bakshi served in various capacities with American Home Products Corp. and American Cyanamid Company, which was acquired by American Home Products Corp. in 1994.
Mr. Bakshi brings to the Board extensive experience in private equity investments, management consulting and technology and significant executive experience running operating units within large multinational publicly traded corporations.
Mr. Benitez has served as a director of the Company since January 2015. Mr. Benitez retired from Accenture plc in September 2014 after more than 33 years of service, the last three years of which Mr. Benitez served as Chief Executive Officer of North America, where he had primary responsibility for Accenture’s business and operations in North America.
From September 2006 to August 2011, Mr. Benitez served as Chief Operating Officer, Products Operating Group, the largest of Accenture’s five operating groups, where he was responsible for executing the business strategy and ensuring operational excellence across a wide set of consumer industry groups, including: automotive; air, freight and travel services; industrial equipment; and infrastructure and transportation services. Prior to that, Mr. Benitez held various senior leadership roles and other positions since joining Accenture in 1981. Mr. Benitez now serves as a director and member of the risk and compliance committee of Fifth Third Bancorp, a NASDAQ company.
Mr. Benitez brings to the Board his extensive experience developing and executing business strategies across a range of industries, particularly air, freight and travel and transportation services, as well as significant executive experience running operating units within a large multinational publicly traded corporation.
Ms. Cherwoo has served as a director of the Company since 2020. Ms. Cherwoo retired as a Senior Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”) in January 2020, after more than 37 years of service, including 28 years as a Client Service Partner with a specialized industry focus on private equity, financial services, health care and emerging and disruptive technology companies.
Beginning in October 2015, Ms. Cherwoo launched and spearheaded EY’s Intelligent Automation program, with a focus on strategic direction, governance and risk management. As part of that role, she also directed EY’s investments in robotic process automation (“RPA”) and digital transformation initiatives. She also advised a number of Fortune 500 companies on their intelligent automation strategies, including operating models, digital and talent transformation planning, artificial intelligence and blockchain initiatives. Ms. Cherwoo concurrently served as a Senior Advisory Partner in EY’s Private Equity practice group from August 2009 until her retirement in January 2020 and as a Global Client Service Partner and Global Tax Account Leader since October 1991. In those roles, she was responsible for advising on digital transformation, RPA initiatives, complex tax accounting and global tax planning, as well as mergers, acquisitions and divestitures and their impact on business and global tax strategies. Ms. Cherwoo also served as the founding Chief Executive Officer of EY’s Global Shared Services operations in Bangalore, India, which was EY’s first global offshoring center for client-facing operations from 2001 to 2004. Prior to that, Ms. Cherwoo held various senior leadership roles and other positions since joining EY in the U.S. in 1982 in the audit practice.
Ms. Cherwoo currently serves as a director and member of the audit & risk committee of Doma Holdings, Inc., an NYSE company (DOMA), since August 2021, and as a director and chair of the audit committee, as well as a member of the compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees of World Quantum Growth Acquisition Corp., an NYSE company (WQGA), since August 2021. She is a member of the advisory board of Land O’Lakes Inc., a member-owned agricultural cooperative, since December 2020 and a member of the board of trustees of the International House of New York since June 2008. Sharda also serves on the nonprofit boards of Tax Analysts and the National Association of Corporate Directors - New York Chapter.
In addition to her strategic, operational and leadership roles, Ms. Cherwoo has been committed to mentoring and bringing innovative ideas to diversity and inclusiveness efforts. She has been awarded the American Business Award® Silver Stevie® Award for Most Innovative Woman of the Year in Business Services in 2018, the Gold Stevie® Award for Innovation of the Year for her work in RPA and the 2017 Gold Best in Biz Award for Innovator of the Year in 2017.
Mr. Kassar has served as a director of the Company since 2002. Mr. Kassar is the Vice Chairman of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRPT) since October 2020 and prior to that, served as its Chief Financial Officer since July 2014, its President from January 2011 to July 2014 and its Chief Executive Officer from October 2006 to December 2010. Mr. Kassar is the Chief Financial Officer of Transformational CPG Acquisition Corp., a recently organized special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
From February 2002 to July 2006, Mr. Kassar was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Meow Mix Company, a cat food company. From May 2001 to January 2002, he was self-employed as a consultant to venture capital firms, advising them primarily on the acquisition of consumer brands. From December 1999 to May 2001, Mr. Kassar was employed as Co-President and Chief Financial Officer of Global Household Brands, a manufacturer of household products. From 1986 to December 1999, he held various positions at Chock Full O’Nuts, a coffee company, and most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Kassar also served as a director, member of the compensation committee and chairman of the audit committee of Vaughan Foods, Inc., a NASDAQ company until March 2010, which was sold in October 2011. Until March 2010, Mr. Kassar also served as a director, member of the compensation committee and chairman of the audit committee of Velocity Express, Inc., a NASDAQ company until August 2009, which was sold in November 2009. Mr. Kassar is the first cousin of Michael J. Kasbar, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Kassar brings to the Board his extensive executive experience in brand management, consumer products and corporate finance and has significant experience as a senior finance executive.
Mr. Manley has served as a director of the Company since October 2010. Mr. Manley retired from Deloitte & Touche LLP in 2009 after more than 27 years as a partner, the last three years of which Mr. Manley was Managing Partner of Deloitte’s Northeast Region Audit and Enterprise Risk Services Practice.
Mr. Roddenberry has served as a director of the Company since June 2006. Mr. Roddenberry is a partner in the law firm of Akerman LLP where he has been employed as an attorney since 1988.
Mr. Roddenberry brings to the Board extensive experience in private equity mergers and acquisitions, investment management, venture capital, public finance and securities.
Ms. Smart joined the Board in 2021. She spent more than 33 years at Accenture plc, a global professional services company, before retiring in 2014 after having served as Accenture’s Chief Human Resources Officer for the last 10 years.
As CHRO, she was responsible for all aspects of Accenture’s global human resources ("HR") agenda including resource planning, recruitment, onboarding, training and development, staffing and deployment, performance management, employee engagement, succession planning and transitions. Prior to her various HR management roles at Accenture, Ms. Smart held business integration consulting positions for clients in a variety of industries, focusing on integration strategy, technology, business processes, functional applications, and human performance components.
Since 2015, Ms. Smart has served as President of the National Academy of Human Resources (NAHR), which recognizes individuals and institutions in the HR profession for their achievements and advances the work of the HR profession through research and outreach. Ms. Smart has served as a member of the board of directors of EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM), a leading global product development and platform engineering services company, since 2016 and currently serves as the chair of its compensation committee. In addition, Ms. Smart is a director at AlixPartners, LLC, a results-driven global management consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses address their most complex and critical challenges, a director at HireRight, LLC, a market-leading provider of on-demand employment background checks and screening, and a member of the advisory board at Cerity Partners LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor and wealth management firm. Ms. Smart is the founder and CEO of JBSmart Consulting, LLC, where she provides HR advisory and coaching services.
Ms. Smart is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and the Human Resources Policy Institute, as well as a member of the Peer Roundtable for CHROs and the G100 Talent Consortium Advisory Board. Ms. Smart is also a past Trustee of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and is currently a member of the University’s President’s Advisor Council, the Dean’s Business Council at the Gies College of Business, and the University of Illinois’ Chicago Athletic Advisory Board.
Mr. Stebbins has served as Chairman Emeritus since May 2014 and has served as a director of the Company since June 1995. Prior to his appointment as Chairman Emeritus, from January 2012 to May 2014, Mr. Stebbins served as Executive Chairman of the Board.
