Conference Speakers

Following are some of the speakers of the 9th African Fine Coffee Conference.

There are currently 17 speakers (list is sorted alphabetically by last name):

BRANDO , Carlos Henrique Jorge
Director and Partner, P&A International Marketing, Brazil

Carlos Brando is a director and partner of P&A International Marketing, a coffee consulting, marketing and trading company that exports Pinhalense coffee processing machinery and has worked extensively on promotion of coffee consumption for the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and associations, companies and governments in India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and Central America.

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BROWNING, David
Head of Global Coffee Practice, TechnoServe

David Browning is head of TechnoServe’s global coffee practice and directs TechnoServe’s Coffee Initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. TechnoServe is a non-profit organization focused on solving poverty in developing countries. David previously served as TechnoServe’s Regional Director for Latin America and Vice President for Business Development.

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DIAZ, Manuel
Independent Consultant,

Mexican, 51 years old, married.
Social Anthropologist by training; earned PhD at the London School of Economics.
Independent consultant based in Mexico.

He has worked for the coffee industry in Latin American and African countries. He acts as external consultant of the Coffee Quality Institute and the Mexican Association of the Coffee Sector (AMECAFE). He has done applied research ... | read on...

GANES-CHASE, Judith
President and Founder, J. Ganes Consulting, LLC, USA

Judith Ganes-Chase, president and founder of J. Ganes Consulting, LLC, a research and marketing services provider, has more than 25 years experience in food and agricultural commodities. Her company provides research services on a subscription basis on cotton, as well as coffee, cocoa, sugar, and orange juice.  Clients are global from all facets of each industry. J Ganes Consulting also co... | read on...

GING, Tracy L.
Director of Marketing and Communications, Specialty Coffee Association of America and its charitable trust, the Coffee Quality Institute

With nearly 15 years of marketing experience, Tracy Ging has spent the bulk of her career in the coffee industry where she has worked on both sides of the supply-chain, developing a deep understanding of the market and the trends driving it.

Tracy currently serves as Director of Marketing and Communications for the SCAA and CQI.

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HEMMINGS, Carole
Regional Manager, Agronomy and Sustainability, TechnoServe Inc

Carole Hemmings has over 25 years of agricultural production experience in East Africa. Prior to joining TechnoServe, Ms. Hemmings worked as a coffee producer, researcher and advisor in both the smallholder and estate sectors from Zambia to Kenya. Carole specializes in sustainable environmental solutions and is responsible for designing and managing the Coffee Farm College training program fo... | read on...

KATHURIMA, Cecilia W.
Research Officer (Coffee Quality Specialist), Coffee Research Foundation, Kenya

Cecilia, has spoken at several conference in Italy, India, Brazil, France and Indonesia and has been published twice in the Advanced Journal of Food and African Journal of Food.

She holds a Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology And is currently pursuing PhD student in Food Science and Technology.

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KAWASHIMA, José Yoshiaki
President of Mi Cafeto Company, Ltd., Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)

In 1981 Jose started working for UCC Ueshima Coffee Company, Ltd. in Japan, and during his tenure with the company he became involved in projects covering such species as Jamaica Blue Mountain, Hawaii Kona, and Sumatra Mandheling. He also became involved in the protection and preservation of Madagascar’s Mascaro coffee as well as in the development of naturally low-caffeine coffee. In addition ... | read on...

LINGLE, Ted R.
Executive Director, Coffee Quality Institute (CQI)

Ted Lingle is currently the Executive Director of the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), and is the past Executive Director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).

He has authored two books: The Coffee Cuppers’ Handbook and The Coffee Brewing Handbook. He previously created the “Q” Graders Training & Certification program for Arabica cuppers, and he is now working on com... | read on...

MONSARRAT, Marc
Senior Manager (E. Africa & S. Asia) , Sustainable Agriculture Division, Rainforest Alliance

Marc Monsarrat has managed the Rainforest Alliance’s capacity building programmes in East Africa, Southern Africa and South Asia for the past three years, assisting producers in meeting the requirements of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) standards and Rainforest Alliance certification. He is experienced in the application of sustainability standards including Fairtrade and organic in... | read on...

NGABIRANO, Henry
Managing Director, UCDA/Chairman: International Coffee Organization

Coffee Experience: Over 25 years especially in quality control, promotion and management

Degrees: Master of Philosophy in Food Science and Technology, University of Lincolnshire and Humberside UK

Member of Quality Institute of UK

Widely travelled in both coffee producing and consuming countries

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OPITZ, Michael
Chairman of the Board of Management, Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung

Mr. Opitz holds an MSc in agricultural economics from Wye College of London University. Before joining the Neumann KaffeeGruppe in 1992, he has worked for the German Development Organisation GIZ. Mr. Opitz’ professional life is marked by a variety of agricultural projects and consultancies in amongst others Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Ethiopia, during which he collected remarkable experi... | read on...

PENSEL, Annette
Director Sustainability Innovations, 4C Association

Annette Pensel is Director Sustainability Innovations at the 4C Association. Annette is responsible for overseeing the Broader Sustainability Agenda of 4C’s platform, and steering of Business Development and the regional team in coffee producing countries. 

Established in 2007, the 4C Association is the multi-stakeholder organization that brings together acto... | read on...

PREIBISCH , Holger
Secretary General , German Coffee Assocaition

Holger Preibisch, 37, has been the Secretary General of the German Coffee Association for almost six years. The German Coffee Association represents about 140 members along the value added chain of coffee. Among the members are roasters, decaffeinators, importers and manufacturers of soluble coffee as well as sustainability organizations and coffee shops. Herr Preibisch holds a German and a Bri... | read on...

RIVERA, Miyuki Ortiz
Business Development Manager, ASIA, UTZ CERTIFIED Good Inside

As Business Development Manager ASIA of UTZ CERTIFIED Good Inside she has been communicating the importance of sustainability and about UTZ CERTIFIED Good Inside program to Asian industry and consumers. Before joining Good Inside, worked 14 years in Asia office of FNC (National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia). Graduated from International Relations Dept. of Las Americas University,... | read on...

SCHACH, Sarah A.
Coffee Manager, W. M Cahn

Sarah was worked with W M Cahn for her entire working career. With over twenty years of experience in green coffee she has for 12 years run the coffee side of W.M Cahn. She regularly visits estates in East Africa, cupping and evaluating coffees, finding buyers for suitable lots and arranging exports as well as imports for our local market in South Africa.

Sarah also sits on the EAFCA Boar... | read on...

VAN DER WEES, Catherine
Programme Officer Sustainable Production, Hivos

Catherine van der Wees has 27 years of experience in development cooperation worldwide in the area of entrepreneurship and organisational development. Currently she works as programme officer sustainable production for Hivos, a Netherlands based co-financing organisation, working worldwide on sustainable and inclusive development in chains . She has eight years experience in coffee, brokeri... | read on...

To print out a list of all speakers and their CV's, please click here (opens in a new window)

Conference Program

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