Mr Suresh Vaidhyanathan
Board Advisor & C-Suite Leader
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Suresh Vaidhyanathan is a prominent C-suite leader and business builder with over 25 years of global enterprise leadership and public standing.
Over the years, he has extensively worked across diversified industry verticals including food, automotive, logistics, hospitality, agri-business, retail, healthcare, real estate and technology.
In recent years, his professional focus has pivoted significantly toward food security, food ecosystems, foodtech, and macro supply chain resilience, making him a reputed executive in the food sector ecosystem. Regarded as one of the region’s most forward-thinking corporate strategists, Suresh specializes in steering business growth and promoting high-impact public-private partnerships in food security transformation.
For instance, Suresh led the development of the Abu Dhabi Food Hub, a 3.3 sq km food wholesale market ecosystem, a food security project established in collaboration with Rungis Market (the world's largest food market). He has also worked extensively in the food industry in agri-business, large scale food/FMCG distribution, food logistics, catering, retail, B2B digital food platforms and food systems.
He is currently advising several global companies on their growth and expansion strategies for the UAE and the region including Forward Fooding, ID8 retail and others.
Suresh has an excellent professional standing in the region and was listed amongst Forbes 2024 and 2023 Top 100 CEOs in the Middle East for 2 consecutive years.
He was also included in the 2026 Gulf Business Top CEOs & Business Leaders List, Arabian Business Dubai 100 Power List, Entrepreneur Power 100, Arabian Business 2024 Indian Aces, Arabian Business Top 50 Most Powerful Indians in the ME, Gulf Business Most Influential Indians in the Region and the Economic Times Most Promising Business Leaders Asia.
Earlier as CFO, he was amongst the Forbes List of Top 10 Indian CFOs in the Middle East in 2019 and the Top 20 CFOs in the GCC 2021 (Khaleej Times NAFA List).
Complementing his operational experience, Vaidhyanathan possesses premier governance and educational credentials. He is a Certified Board Director with Hawkamah (The Institute for Corporate Governance, UAE), Member of the GCC Board Directors Institute, and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Directors (India).
His academic pursuits include specialized management programs from world-renowned business schools, including Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Wharton, Chicago Booth, and IMD. Suresh is also an alumnus of the Oxford Leading Sustainable Corporations Program.
