Episode 6 · Industrials & Infra
Sustainable supply chains in the GCC: Gary Hubbard on leading the biofuel transition
The SVP of The Biofuel Company on how he moved from conventional logistics to net-zero biofuels, and why passion, environmental accountability and operational excellence are inseparable.
28 April 2025 · Hosted by Oliver Helvin
Highlights
Why this episode matters
Gary Hubbard runs commercial and operational matters at the largest producer of European-compliant net zero biofuel in the GCC. The episode is a window into how environmental supply-chain leadership actually works at industrial scale, and what it takes to make sustainability commercially viable rather than a corporate-affairs talking point.
Key themes
Cost-effective, fast, reliable and environmentally friendly
Gary's view, after twenty-five years in supply chains and logistics, is that sustainability fails when it is positioned as a trade-off against efficiency. The version that works treats environmental performance as a constraint that, properly handled, makes operations more efficient, not less. He talks about specific examples where this reframe unlocked decisions that purely cost-led leaders would have missed.
Why the GCC is becoming a biofuel leader
Gary's company is the largest GCC producer of European-compliance net zero biofuel, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and the wider regional energy transition. He talks about why the GCC is well-positioned for this category, what specific regulatory and market dynamics are accelerating adoption, and where the next five years of demand will come from.
Maritime bunkering and the first-mover advantage
Gary led the first maritime bunkering of biofuel in the UAE in 2020. His view is that first-mover positions in this category compound: the operational learning, the regulatory relationships and the customer trust all build over time in ways that fast followers cannot replicate. He talks about what specifically the early years taught and what he would do differently with hindsight.
Driving positive behaviours and attitudes
Gary's leadership view is that the right outcomes follow the right behaviours, and that leaders who try to engineer outcomes directly without the underlying behaviour change usually get neither. He talks about specifically how he builds team culture across multinational operations and why most operational managers default to KPIs without doing the cultural work that makes them sustainable.
The outcome at the end of the day should be cost-effective, fast, reliable, and also environmentally friendly. Those four are not in conflict.
Takeaways
- Sustainability fails when positioned as a trade-off; reframe it as a constraint that drives efficiency
- The GCC is well-positioned for net zero biofuel; the next five years will compound
- First-mover positions in regulated sustainability categories compound over time
- Drive the right behaviours; outcomes follow
- Stay passionate about the actual work; passion cannot be taught and is the differentiator
About Gary Hubbard
Gary Hubbard
Senior Vice President, The Biofuel Company
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
Gary Hubbard is Senior Vice President at The Biofuel Company in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, the largest producer of European-compliant net-zero biofuel in the GCC. With a career spanning supply chain and logistics leadership since 2000 across the Middle East, North and South America, Asia Pacific, Africa and Europe, he led the first maritime bunkering of biofuel in the UAE in 2020. His expertise spans environmental supply chain optimisation, strategic planning and sustainable operations aligned to Saudi Vision 2030.
Listen elsewhere
More from The Leadership Blueprint
All episodes
N° 28Sport as a national catalyst: Patrick Raupach on Saudi Arabia's transformation through sport
with Patrick Raupach · Partner and Saudi Arabia General Manager, CAA Portas
N° 27From Olympic rugby to sports leadership: Andrew Durutalo on data, resilience and navigating career transitions
with Andrew Durutalo · Sports Business Leader, US Olympic and Paralympic Committee
N° 26Sustainability, ESG and the long game: Dr Zaheera Soomar on leading transformation across 70 countries
with Dr Zaheera Soomar · Executive, Academic and Independent Advisor, Independent
Tell us about the seat.
We’ll tell you who’s right.
Confidential conversations with the partner leading the practice you need. We respond within one business day.