Ms. Salma Seetaroo

Chief Executive Officer, Cashew Coast

Ms. Salma Seetaroo is the co-founder and CEO of Cashew Coast, a pioneering cashew processing company in Côte d’Ivoire that integrates 17,000 smallholder farmers and 1,000 employees through a fully traceable supply chain. She leads the business with a mandate to drive resilient growth, strengthen farmer livelihoods, and build value at origin.

Ms. Seetaroo brings more than 16 years of experience in mining finance, complemented by nearly seven years building and scaling a smallholder agriculture and food processing platform. This combination gives her a distinctive perspective on African natural resources, combining capital markets discipline, operating execution, and responsible industrialisation. She currently serves as a non-executive director at Fortuna Silver Mines (TSX/NYSE), where she contributes strategic guidance on resilience, governance, and long-term value creation.

Ms. Seetaroo holds an Executive MBA from Bayes Business School, City University London, and began her career at the global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright in London. As an African entrepreneur, natural resources specialist, and board director, she connects capital, operations, and sustainability to build responsible businesses that transform Africa’s resources into durable economic and social value.

This year, Ms. Seetaroo was appointed as a Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite Agricole (Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit) by the French government. This prestigious ministerial honor rewards her significant contributions to sustainable agribusiness and the agricultural supply chain. Through her leadership at Cashew Coast, she has worked extensively to build an ethical, traceable, and organic cashew value chain in Côte d'Ivoire that supports local farmers and promotes environmental sustainability.