For three years, Grainli® has been supporting former professional female athletes in their transition after an active sports career by providing scholarships at HPSI. One of them is Dilar Kisikyol – undefeated WIBF World Champion and International German Champion. Today, she is committed to promoting equal opportunities as a social educator and applies the values of sport in her daily work.

During one of the HPSI modules, we had the opportunity to speak with Dilar about her career path, her motivation, and her work. You can read the short interview below.

How does your professional sports career help you make a valuable contribution to educational work today?

Boxing has shaped me as a person and taught me important values that I can now pass on to children and young people through my work. Respect and perseverance play a central role in this. I am deeply grateful to the sport for that.

Which skills from your career are particularly helpful to you today?

Above all, resilience and discipline. Competitive sports taught me how to cope with setbacks, never give up, and consistently work toward my goals. These experiences help me today in my work with young people, in social projects, and in collaborating with leaders and executives.

I want to convey that talent alone is not enough – what truly matters are passion, persistence, and the determination to follow your own path.

Why did you decide to pursue the HPSI certificate?

At the end of a professional sports career, one question inevitably arises: What comes next? The HPSI certificate gives me the opportunity to develop new perspectives, expand my network, and continue growing both personally and professionally.

What I value most are the encounters with inspiring people, as well as the practical methods and tools that I can apply in my future responsibilities as a leader.

What are your key takeaways from the current HPSI module, “Values and Personality”?

The topic of values and personality is particularly close to my heart. The module once again made me realize how important the human aspect of leadership is. Of course, companies want to be successful, but sustainable success is achieved above all when people share a passion for a common purpose.

Humanity, appreciation, and attentiveness toward one another are especially important. To me, good leadership means taking people along on the journey and growing together as a team.

Why should more companies invest in scholarships and development programs for female leaders?

Programs like these create opportunities and enable women to grow, develop new competencies, and build valuable networks. Especially after an active sports career, many female athletes face the question of what comes next professionally.

At the same time, I often observe that women tend to doubt themselves more than men do. Support through scholarships and professional development programs can help build confidence and encourage women to pursue new paths.

Not only do the participants benefit, but companies do as well. They gain highly committed individuals who bring the values of elite sports and can transfer their experiences into new contexts. To me, this is a true win-win situation.

What advice would you give to young female leaders?

Be brave enough to be visible and to follow your own path. Don’t let anyone discourage you or make you feel small. Stay authentic, believe in your abilities, and seek out opportunities that you are truly passionate about.

Those who act with passion and conviction can make a real difference.

“Finally, I would like to sincerely thank Grainli® for its support. This opportunity is anything but a given. The scholarship and the experiences that come with it mean a great deal to me, and I am extremely grateful for them.” Dilar Kisikyol

The long-standing partnership between Grainli® and Riordan Grain highlights how trust, shared values, and a global mindset can create enduring success in international trade. Since initiating our collaboration in 2005 through Hamburg’s grain trade networks and Evergrain, now Grainli®, we have developed a strong cross-continental partnership.  

Riordan Grain, founded in 1996 by Jim Riordan with just one truck, has grown into Australia’s largest privately owned grain logistics company. Today, the company manages the full supply chain across Australia and is a key exporter of malting barley, canola, milling wheat, and pulses to major markets in Southeast Asia, South America, Japan, Bangladesh, and the Indian subcontinent. 

This partnership reflects Grainli®’s dedication to building global reliable supply chains that ensure continuous access to essential raw materials – from local to global sources. Our partnership is built on mutual respect and complementary capabilities. “It’s special because we trust each other,” says Jim Riordan. “We are able to complement what each other does, and each business has different functions within the marketplace.” This trust has translated into practical benefits for both sides, with Grainli® providing market intelligence and commercial trends in Europe that enable Riordan to better manage risk and offer competitive options to customers. As Mark Lewis, Chief Commercial Officer at Riordan, explains, “Grainli® assists us to succeed in our market here in Australia. Their in-market knowledge helps us manage our own exposures and strengthens our ability to deliver.” 

The strength of this partnership also demonstrates Grainli´s commitment to being your trusted partner, focusing on understanding the challenges of our counterparts and offering smart and effective solutions. Our collaboration with Riordan is guided by a shared emphasis on reliability, transparency, and long-term success. Moreover, the partnership contributes to a diverse and expanding portfolio. With Riordan’s role as a major exporter of Australian grains and Grainli®’s active presence in the brewing and pet food industries, we together serve a wide range of global markets with a continually growing selection of high-quality, globally sourced ingredients. 

What also makes this partnership unique is the alignment in business philosophy. We both emphasize the importance of long-term relationships, reliability, and continuous improvement. “We have a similar ethos and view on relationships,” Lewis says. “The common interests and sharing of information are what make this collaboration truly valuable.” This shared mindset reflects our mutual commitment to smart solutions. Both companies are committed to quality, adaptability, and evolving with changing market needs. As global trade faces new challenges, we believe that those who embrace innovation and align with customer trends will continue to thrive. 

This spirit of trust and mutual learning is also reflected on a personal level. Eliza Riordan, daughter of company founder Jim Riordan, is currently working as a trainee at Grainli®, focusing on the pet food division within the commercial and logistics teams. Her year in Germany, which grew out of a university placement and personal initiative, is not only an investment in the next generation but also a testament to the openness and confidence that defines this partnership. “It was scary coming to a country where English isn’t the first language,” Eliza admits, “but everyone at Grainli® has made it a comfortable and welcoming place to live and work.” 

As global trade faces new challenges, the Grainli®–Riordan partnership stands as a strong example of how collaboration, trust and shared vision can create lasting impact.  

Looking ahead, Grainli® sees continued opportunities for partnerships built on shared values such as never-resting entrepreneurship, a passion for performance, and a focus on specialized supply chains. “The sustainability drive across soft commodities will support businesses that offer competitive, niche-market solutions,” says Mark Lewis. “There will always be room for volume-based supply chains to drive efficiency, but those who can innovate and align with customer and market trends will continue to thrive.” These types of international partnerships will be key to driving progress and resilience in the global agricultural trade. 

Australia plays a key role in the global malting barley market. It is the second-largest exporter of barley worldwide and the largest supplier to China, the world’s biggest import market. Thanks to its geographic location, Australia also serves a range of Asian markets. Each season, approximately 75 percent of the country’s 10 million-ton barley crop is exported to global destinations, while the remainder is retained within the region based on local demand.

This enduring partnership between Grainli® and Riordan Grain shows how shared values, global perspective and genuine collaboration can turn distance into strength and opportunity into lasting impact. 

‘Caution. Content could be overflowing with joy – We congratulate BayWa on its anniversary.’

To mark the 100th anniversary of BayWa AG, we have come up with a special gift. A limited edition of a seasonal beer designed in the BayWa look. The design of the bottle is inspired by our beer brand ‘Barbarossa I am’, but was specially adapted to BayWa for the anniversary.

Grainli® has been a wholly owned subsidiary since 2016 and is part of the agricultural products division. We are very happy to be part of this traditional company and wanted to express our thanks and pride with this special gift.

Together with the creative agency Rocket & Wink, we developed the design of the bottle, which incorporates the playful and creative elements in the Barbarossa style. Another special feature is the digital print, which is located directly on the 0.75 litre bottles. The design includes both Munich and Hamburg sights. With these, we want to pick up on the BayWa motto ‘We unite worlds’ and express our connection to BayWa. You can find the Frauenkirche in Munich, the Michel in Hamburg and a hint of the Speicherstadt.

This limited edition will not be available to buy and was produced exclusively for this occasion. Here’s to the next 100!