SCA Board Selects Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos as SCA Second Vice President, Burak Alici as Treasurer
The Specialty Coffee Association announced today that Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos and Burak Alici, two members of the 2020-2021 Board of Directors, have been selected by the current SCA Board of Directors to take on roles as SCA Board Officers in the coming year.
Each year, the Board of Directors elects a Second Vice President, who serves an additional term of three years to ensure presidential succession. Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos of Coffee Island has been elected by the board to succeed Juan Luis Barrios in this role as of January 1, 2021. As an active member of the Board since 2015, Konstantinos’ previous experience chairing the Events and Audit committees of the SCA Board of Directors, as well as his work to date with the SCA Greece Chapter where Konstantinos served as National Coordinator 2014-2018, will be an asset to the organization.
“It is really a great honor to be voted by my fellow board members to enter the leadership succession as Second Vice President,” says Konstantinos. “The SCA’s diverse communities around the world can lead the specialty coffee industry to navigate this health, social, and economic crisis. Having served for many years as a volunteer in chapter leadership and the board, I hope I can support the board, the staff, and the communities to deliver in the strategic plan we’ve set for the next five years on this journey to make coffee better.”
As per the association’s bylaws, Burak Alici of QVIDTVM Inc. has been selected to fill the position of Treasurer from January 2021 to December 2022. Burak has been an active member of the Board’s finance committee since his election; his experiences in corporate finance and accounting will continue to be an asset to the SCA Board Officers as the SCA delivers its five-year strategic plan amid the continuing pandemic.
Nils Erichsen will complete his elected term as Board Treasurer on December 31, 2020. Nils has made a remarkable contribution to the SCA through his support as an original SCA Board Director and extending back to his involvement first as SCAE President in 2009-2011 and then with the SCAE Board since 2004. We would like to thank Nils for his service to the association and leadership on the board.
“Personally, I am very excited for Konstantinos and Burak to join the President’s Council of the SCA board,” states SCA Board President, Christina Meinl. “These are two highly experienced coffee individuals - their expertise and integrity will benefit our Association and its members greatly. I am convinced that their leadership styles and visions will ensure a bright future for this Association. I wish them all the very best!
Christina continued: “I would also like to thank Nils for his many years of serving the Association as a volunteer. Nils’ financial acumen and strong leadership has guided and shaped the Association’s finances and strategic plan. His profound business knowledge and very structured attention to detail ensures that this Association was always in the very best of hands. Thank you, Nils, for very many years at the SCA. We very much appreciate all you have done for the SCA.”
The SCA Board of Directors Officers for 2021 will be:
Colleen Anunu of Gimme! Coffee, President
Juan Luis Barrios of Finca La Merced, Vice President
Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos of Coffee Island, Second Vice President
Burak Alici of QVIDTVM Inc., Treasurer
The election cycle for the 2021-2022 Board of Directors is currently underway. Nominations for the 2021-2022 SCA Board of Directors closed July 10, 2020, with the announcement of the proposed slate expected August 31. The election will open on November 1 and run until November 31. For more information about the SCA Board of Directors and the elections, please visit sca.coffee/board.
Burak Alici
CEO, QVIDTVM Inc
I founded QVIDTVM, a private investment company, to support the growth of mission-driven entrepreneurs and unique businesses around the world as a long-term partner. I’ve been in the finance sector for more than two decades, most recently at Morgan Stanley where I spent 12 years in the investment management division. I’ve had the pleasure to take part in the growth of the specialty coffee industry with investments ranging from founder-led early-stage roasters to larger publicly traded leaders in the space. I received an MBA from Columbia Business School, an M.S. in Finance from Boston College, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Bogazici University.
Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos
CEO, Coffee Island
I joined Coffee Island in 2010 and became the Chief Operating Officer of the company in 2013. During this time, significant developments occurred by increasing the network and expanding to new markets. Coffee Island became the seventh-largest coffee chain in Europe and was selected as a National Champion representing Greece for three consecutive years in the European Business Awards (2014 to 2016) in the “The Growth Strategy of the Year” category. For its commitment to coffee excellence, Coffee Island has been awarded as the Best Coffee Chain in Southern Europe in 2016 and 2018, in the European Coffee Awards.
I am a Ph.D. candidate in economics, holding a Master of Science in Manufacturing Engineering & Management, with a background in Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics. Since I started working in the coffee industry, I have acquired the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) Coffee Diploma, as an Authorized SCA Trainer and a certified National Judge. I travel to farms around the world, setting up the company’s direct trade program and introducing the “Coffee Island’s Microfarm Project”, pushing the specialty coffee scene. In 2015, I was awarded the Coffee Excellence Award as the Young Entrepreneur of the year by the SCA of Europe, for my contribution to the industry. I am also the President of the Greek Franchise Federation since 2017, and member of the Board in the SCA based in California since 2016. I was born in 1980, am married, have two children, and love traveling and scuba diving.