Governance
Sakib Awan
Founder and Chair of the Board
Before his life in Timor-Leste, Sakib Awan held management positions in international hotels across three countries for 15 years. That was followed by running his own successful import-export business in Darwin for 10 years, which focussed on exporting high-quality Australian seafood to 10 countries in southeast and north Asian markets. During this time, he also won a tender to supply food staples to the Australian Army stationed in Timor-Leste.
In 1993, Sakib won the Northern Territory New Exporter Award, and in 1994, the Agriculture Exporter Award and overall Exporter of the Year. This led to him being a finalist for the Australian Exporter Awards in 1993 and 1994 in Canberra.
In 1996, seeing the potential on Darwin’s doorstep as Chair of the International Business Council in Darwin, Sakib signed an MOU with the Dili Chamber of Commerce.
In 2002, just as Timor-Leste gained its independence, Sakib seized the opportunity a new country would provide and moved from Darwin to Dili, where he established East Timor Trading Lda.
With his extensive hospitality and sales background, he swiftly became a leading figure in the country’s business community, importing and distributing a range of multinational company brands into the country.
In 2007, Mr Awan opened the Discovery Inn and Diya Restaurant and brought the Gloria Jean’s Coffees and Burger King franchises to Timor-Leste. Whilst expanding the company’s distribution network to cover each of the 13 districts and increasing the range of imported products on offer, Mr Awan also established the company’s own retail outlet, Cheers! Bottle Shops.
Through his roles as Honorary Consul General, his participation with international organisations, and his experience in selling to a range of markets across the Asian region, Sakib has experience dealing with a variety of international bodies, such as Chambers of Commerce, regional cooperation initiatives such as BIMP-EAGA, the United Nations, all levels of governments, and special economic zones such as Australia’s Trade Development Zones.
Sakib Awan’s community positions and awards have included:
- Order of Timor-Leste from then President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta for Ongoing Commitment to and Services in Timor-Leste, 2012
- Gold Cross Medal of Merit from the President of Poland, 2021
- Honorary Consul General for Poland in Timor-Leste, 2012-2020
- Chairman of the International Business Council within the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Northern Territory of Australia 1996-97
- Honorary Consul of Mexico in the Northern Territory of Australia from 1993-2006.
- Rotary International, Paul Harris Fellow
- Ambassador, Duke of Edinburgh Awards Australia
Neelofer Awan
Director of Administration
East Timor Trading co-founder, Mrs Neelofer Awan, has a wide range of business experience in the United Kingdom, Dubai, Australia, and Timor-Leste. Along with her husband, Sakib, Chair of the company, Mrs Awan was instrumental in growing East Timor Trading Group from a small home office business with a handful of staff to the large, diverse organization it is today.
With her background in senior management in the pharmaceutical, advertising, hospitality, and food distribution industries, Neelo has, for 22 years, provided an overarching strategy to guide the vision and business philosophy behind ETT.
Her exceptional people skills have been vital to the establishment and to the long-term success of the company from day one and due to these skills, ETT has one of, if not the highest, staff retention rate of any business in Timor-Leste.
Mrs Awan is also the Chair of the company’s philanthropic arm, The Discovery Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to deliver increased living standards to communities in developing nations by building education facilities, funding education research, and improving access to clean water. All work undertaken by the foundation supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #5: To Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls.
Neelofer Awan
Director of Administration
East Timor Trading co-founder, Mrs Neelofer Awan, has a wide range of business experience in the United Kingdom, Dubai, Australia, and Timor-Leste. Along with her husband, Sakib, Chair of the company, Mrs Awan was instrumental in growing East Timor Trading Group from a small home office business with a handful of staff to the large, diverse organization it is today.
With her background in senior management in the pharmaceutical, advertising, hospitality, and food distribution industries, Neelo has, for 22 years, provided an overarching strategy to guide the vision and business philosophy behind ETT.
Her exceptional people skills have been vital to the establishment and to the long-term success of the company from day one and due to these skills, ETT has one of, if not the highest, staff retention rate of any business in Timor-Leste.
Mrs Awan is also the Chair of the company’s philanthropic arm, The Discovery Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to deliver increased living standards to communities in developing nations by building education facilities, funding education research, and improving access to clean water. All work undertaken by the foundation supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #5: To Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls.
John Diffenderfer
Management Coach
After a 38-year career with Eastman Kodak Company and Philip Morris International that saw him in various sales & marketing positions in 12 countries across Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, John joins ETT from Miami Beach, Florida, US.
As our Management Performance Coach, shaping the future, his experience with direct sales and distribution operations will guide ETT to the next level by ensuring principals the most extensive distribution network in East Timor, amplifying possibilities for brand success, while simultaneously tailoring company operations to align with future growth and economic realities.
