Management

East Timor Trading Group is governed by Chairman of the Board and Founder Mr Sakib Awan. He leads a capable and passionate management committee consisting of five highly qualified, experienced and entrepreneurial executive managers, overseen by Chief Executive Officer Milena Pires, who runs the daily operations of East Timor Trading Group.

Milena Pires

CEO

Ms Pires has had an extensive public sector career, during which she has held a variety of influential and high-profile positions. She is a skilled natural negotiator driven by an exceptional clarity of vision.

She represented Timorese women at the National Consultative Council (NCC), reporting to then Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, the late Sergio Vieira de Melo, and later became the body’s vice president, with H.E. Xanana Gusmão as its President.

Ms Pires has been a member of the Constituent Assembly, which wrote the Constitution of Timor-Leste, and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. From 2016 to 2020, she led the Timor-Leste Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and diplomatic efforts to give the g7+ Permanent Observer Status at the UN General Assembly.

Ms Pires is a highly educated, dynamic person who has always shown a dedication to the service of her country. As she makes her seamless transition from global public roles into her first role in the private sector, ETT is proud and fortunate to have her driving our business and continuing our mission to truly make a difference in the lives of the Timorese people.

Joel Fonseca

Chief Financial Officer

Prior to joining East Timor Trading as our CFO, Joel Fonseca worked for 15 years in financial planning and corporate finance and brings with him a wealth of experience in the infrastructure sector. This includes direct management of construction testing and approval phases and the establishment of long-term constr