Michel Orloff

Michel Orloff

With over 30 years of international experience across finance, private equity, agriculture, and strategic advisory, Michel brings a unique multicultural perspective shaped by his Swiss upbringing, Egyptian royal heritage, and Russian roots. He is fluent in four languages and has worked extensively across Western Europe, the former USSR, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

He began his career at Credit Suisse before moving into senior private equity roles at INVESCO and The Carlyle Group, where he focused on Eastern Europe and the CIS region. In 2005, he founded Black Earth Farming, building one of the world’s largest modern farming operations, later listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange with a peak market capitalization of over $1.3 billion. He went on to establish The Ambika Group, advising governments, institutions, and sovereign investors on food security and agricultural value chains.

Michel has also contributed to international development through roles with the World Health Organization and academic research at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Today, he is Founding Partner & CEO of Sandrock Capital Group in the UAE, leading its fund management, private equity, and strategic advisory initiatives. A strong advocate of ESG principles, he has received multiple international awards, including the Stolypin Award from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture and the Anders Wall Award in Sweden.