SINGAPORE — Luke Bugeja has been named chairman of the Interflour Group board following the retirement of Imre Mencshelyi.

Luke Bugeja (above) replaces Imre Mencshelyi as Interflour’s board chairman. Photo courtesy of Interflour.

Bugeja brings 31 years of experience in investment management in infrastructure and aviation to the role. He has held various roles with Qantas Airways, Virgin Blue, Macquarie Bank, Ontario Airports Investments and Changi Airport Group. He is currently an operating partner at Hermes GPE and is a non-executive director on a number of portfolio companies.

He joined the Interflour Group as independent chair in December 2019 and is based in Singapore. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.

“I look forward to working with the Interflour Group board and management as we continue implementing our strategy to generate greater value for our shareholders,” Bugeja said.

Mencshelyi retired from the Interflour Group board in December 2019. He was named chairman in 2005 following the formation of Interflour in a joint venture between CBH and Origold.

Under his chairmanship, Interflour has gone from a total daily milling capacity of 4,200 tonnes per day across six flour mills to a group that now has milling capacity of 7,410 tonnes per day across 10 mills, the largest dedicated grain terminal in south Vietnam as well as a malt plant with a daily malting capacity of 360 tonnes per day.

Wally Newman, chairman of the CBH Cooperative, thanked Mencshelyi for his service and leadership at Interflour.

“Since Interflour was established in 2005, the business has grown significantly, diversified into malt production with the launch of Intermalt in Vietnam, and extended its service and product offerings for customers,” Newman said. “Imre’s leadership assisted the Interflour management team during the early period of change as well as in responding to the more recent heightening of competitive pressures in flour milling in Asia.

“While Interflour continues to operate in a highly competitive environment, efficiency and sales initiatives have resulted in improved performance, particularly from the core South East Asian flour business as well as at their Vietnamese port asset and the Intermalt facility.

“On behalf of Interflour’s shareholders, I sincerely thank Imre for his contribution, we wish him every success in his future endeavors.”