[SINGAPORE] Former Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) group chief executive Poon Joe Keen has been named the new executive chairman of an agritech firm based in Indonesia and Switzerland, said Koltiva in a statement on Tuesday (Jul 1).
The 54-year-old stepped down from the private education and lifelong learning institution in March – after about five months – to “pursue personal interests”, said an earlier statement by SIM, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year.
On his new appointment, Poon said: “What drew me to this role was not just the technology, but the company’s relentless focus on empowering producers and building trust between stakeholders. That’s where true sustainability begins.”
Founded in 2013 as a start-up, Koltiva describes itself as a leading global sustainable agriculture and supply-chain traceability company, and a global technology provider that operates in more than 65 countries.
With a network of offices in 20 countries, the firm supports over 19,000 enterprises in establishing transparent and robust supply chains, it said.
Its key investors, as listed on a May 2025 factsheet on its website, include AC Ventures (its largest investor), Silverstrand Capital, Planet Rise, Development Finance Asia, Blue 7 and The Meloy Fund.
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“The executive chairman will play a central role in strengthening governance, unlocking investment pathways, and ensuring that Koltiva’s solutions remain scalable, secure and rooted in impact,” said its statement.
The statement added that Poon’s appointment “marks a strategic milestone in Koltiva’s continued international leadership trajectory”, noting that he is a “seasoned global executive (with) over 30 years of experience scaling purpose-driven technology and sustainability ventures”.
Poon said: “Joining this team is not only a professional honour – it’s an impact-commitment to reshaping how the world sources its food and raw materials, while supporting the rural smallholders who grow them.”
He will collaborate with chief executive and co-founder Manfred Borer, alongside the broader leadership team, to strengthen Koltiva’s presence in key regions, said the statement.
These include Indonesia, the Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, as well as Africa, all of which Koltiva described as “strategic markets essential to the future of sustainable sourcing”.
Before joining SIM, Poon served on the boards of several publicly listed companies.
He was also the former president (Singapore and South-east Asia) of Kaplan, and former managing director and group chief technology officer of Surbana Jurong.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from Imperial College London, and a Bachelor of Science from King’s College London. He graduated from Raffles Institution in 1987, and Hwa Chong Institution in 1989.
