Update on the Candidates for the 2020 SCA Board of Directors Elections
Dear members of the Specialty Coffee Association around the globe,
As presented to SCA members on September 1, the SCA Board of Directors, led by President Christina Meinl, has nominated a group of eight professionals from a pool of dozens who responded to our annual call for nominations made in June.
Meet the candidates for the 2020 SCA Board of Directors elections and scroll down to learn more about each of them.
Joanna Alm, Managing Director at Drop Coffee
Pamela Chng, Co-founder at The Bettr Group
Vera Espíndola Rafael, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Azahar Coffee Company
Garfield Kerr, CEO at Mokha 1450
Mbula Musau, Chief Empowerment Officer at Utake Coffee Limited
Gloria Pedroza, Head of Coffee Quality, NKG Quality Service (Neumann Kaffee Gruppe)
Jörg Peter Schwartze, CEO at Schaerer Ltd. and Vice President at Schaerer Brand
Asli Yaman, Co-founder of KiMMA Coffee Roasters
As outlined in the SCA Bylaws, anyone not selected for the slate had the opportunity to seek 100 member signatures during the month of September and petition to be added to the ballot. I want to thank the four members of the coffee community who sought a petition candidacy. While they were unable to gather the number of supporters required by the bylaws, they have contributed to valuable conversations on the work of the board and the election process.
Thank You
On behalf of the staff and volunteers of the SCA, I want to send a thank you to everyone who has taken part in this important process for the association this year.
I especially want to thank outgoing board directors Vava Angwenyi, Christina Meinl, Choi Seongil, Nils Erichsen, Stuart Ritson, and Sonja Grant for their contributions to the work on the board over the past two years, and for their continued support of the SCA’s mission.
Thank you also to our 2020 Nominating Committee for the hours of work they contributed to this process: Christina Meinl, Colleen Anunu, Juan Luis Barrios, Nils Erichsen, Paul Stack, and Heather Perry.
We will be hosting a special webinar with all eight candidates in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for registration information. Visit our SCA Elections page to learn more about the elections process, find out who on the board is cycling off this year, and for answers to frequently asked questions. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact us via email at elections@sca.coffee or via the contact form at the bottom of the page.
YANNIS APOSTOLOPOULOS is the Chief Executive Officer at the Specialty Coffee Association
Meet the Candidates
Joanna Alm
Managing Director at Drop Coffee
Stockholm, Sweden
I am the Managing Director of Drop Coffee, founded in 2009. Through my experience, I have had the privilege of seeing the full production chain and the coffee industry's value exchange, which has informed my core beliefs and drives my work within the SCA.
In 2019, I wrote the book "Manifesto for Better Coffee," in which I focused on the Coffee Price Crisis. Furthermore, I have been on the Coffee Roasters Guild Advisory Council since its inception in Europe and cycled off as the CRG Sustainability Chair this year. I was also part of the Unification Committee of the Roasting Guilds and have witnessed the community getting stronger by working together as we move towards inclusion and overcoming many historical power structures.
I am one of the co-founders of #shestheroaster and have also been a part of the SCA Sustainability Advisory Council. Professionally, I have won the Swedish Coffee Roasting Championship three times, and am a three-time finalist in the WCRC. I am a business owner, but even more so, I am a part of a fantastic community, and I would love to represent the members of our community on the board.
In an industry of quadruple issues of the coffee price crisis, black lives matter, the ongoing pandemic, and the climate emergency, our industry has never been more under threat. I feel like I am prepared to help and contribute with my experience.
Pamela Chng
Co-founder at The Bettr Group
Singapore
Pamela has over 19 years of start-up and business experience, and is the co-founder of The Bettr Group, a for-profit social business and vertically integrated specialty coffee company in Singapore that aims to change lives through coffee. Through its education brand Bettr Barista and retail brand Bettr Coffee Co., it empowers lives through holistic vocational programs for marginalised women and youth, nurtures direct and sustainable trade across their supply chain, and encourages socially and environmentally conscious consumption wherever it operates.
Prior to founding Bettr, Pamela co-founded, ran and grew a successful web consultancy, Digital Boomerang. Pamela was also part of the pioneer team in the web division of Singapore Press Holdings as Head of International Online Advertising Sales and Business Development during the dot-com boom, juggling a diverse portfolio of responsibilities.
Pamela is the first Singaporean on the Board of Directors of the global Specialty Coffee Association and a World Barista Championship Certified Sensory Judge, World Coffee in Good Spirits Sensory Judge, Licensed Q Arabica Grader, WDA ACTA-certified Trainer and Assessor, and an Authorised Specialty Coffee Association Trainer.
She is also a Six Seconds Certified EQ Assessor and has recently started a non-profit Bettr Lives to attempt to address one of our greatest collective challenges in the 21st century – the mental and emotional health of people.
Vera Espíndola Rafael
Director of Strategic Initiatives at Azahar Coffee Company
Mexico City, Mexico
Vera has a master’s degree in Development Economics and a bachelor’s in international business. She started working in the research arm at ANACAFE and subsequently as Regional Manager for Latin America at UTZ, now called Rainforest Alliance.
From 2016 to 2018, Vera worked for the Mexican Secretary of Agriculture in the Plan for the Care of Coffee. She focused on harmonizing the elements of sustainable coffee production in the national coffee program. During this time, she formed part of the Mexican delegation for the ICO and the Mesoamerican program PROMECAFE.
Since 2019 she is part of the Board of Directors of the SCA and the Coffee Science Foundation. In the last two years, she continued to focus on creating strategies to improve the resilience of coffee farmers as a consultant for different sector actors, mainly also focusing on domestic consumption. Recently her study on this topic got published by the SCA and SAFE Platform, “A Business Case to Increase Specialty Coffee Consumption in Producing Countries”. In 2020, she embarked on a new journey with Azahar Coffee Company, as the Director of Strategic Initiatives, where she currently leads the work on the Sustainable Coffee Buyer’s Guide, a new pricing tool, and exploring operations in Mexico.
Garfield Kerr
CEO at Mokha 1450
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I am a Jamaican currently living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where I serve in the role of CEO at Mokha 1450; a Specialty Coffee boutique firm founded in 2013, with a strong Corporate Social Responsibility platform to source truly unique and exceptional specialty coffees primarily from women-owned and operated cooperatives.
I have served as a member of the Specialty Coffee Association’s (SCA) UAE/Middle East Chapter, as well as on the Ad-Hoc Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) Committee. I have also conducted country reviews for the SCA’s Site Selection Committee.
I am a lawyer by training and previously worked as a Corporate Attorney on mergers and acquisitions as well as other large-scale transactions for a Wall Street Firm. Prior to my professional career, I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Miami, followed by a Juris Doctorate degree from Columbia University School of Law.
Mbula Musau
Chief Empowerment Officer at Utake Coffee Limited
Nairobi, Kenya
A social entrepreneur and independent coffee consultant with focus on African specialty coffee. My Coffee vision is for Africa as a continent to join the global leaders / giants in producing and enjoying specialty coffee as it originated here, through equitable economic and social gains. My mission is to equip as many people in producing countries, to understand fine coffee and support in its sustainable production through empowerment and promotion of their efforts.
I firmly believe in accomplishing what I set out to do when I was elected into the BOD almost 2 years ago. This past year has been disruptive due to COVID19, and this has affected plans and aspirations to make progressive change. Serving on the board for an additional term will enable me to continue to represent and engage the people I work with to promote the Specialty Coffee agenda regionally and globally.
Gloria Pedroza
Head of Coffee Quality, NKG Quality Service (Neumann Kaffee Gruppe)
Zug, Switzerland
I have lived in Switzerland since 2004, where I lead the NKG Quality Service department, with a focus on quality assurance and coffee education. My career as a professional coffee cupper started in 1998 in Guatemala, where I was born. My first job was at the local export company of Neumann Kaffee Gruppe. There I discovered my sensory abilities through cupping and decided to continue exploring that field within the coffee industry.
My profession gave me the chance to get involved in the improvement of coffee quality along the supply chain in different countries, from farming, processing, roasting, product development, and coffee education and be part of the specialty coffee movement since an early stage.
I’m an active participant in different coffee industry organizations like the Coffee Quality Institute, where I serve as Q-Arabica and Q-Robusta instructor and board member.
My volunteering service within the SCA (former SCAE) started in 2007, helping in the Swiss Chapter and serving as a judge at different national and World Coffee Championships. I contributed to the content development of the green coffee and sensory skills modules of the Coffee Diploma System and continue supporting the creators’ group of the sensory skills module in the new Coffee Skills Program. Currently, I’m a board member of the SCA Swiss Chapter.
Jörg Peter Schwartze
CEO at Schaerer Ltd. and Vice President at Schaerer Brand
Zuchwil, Switzerland
My name is Jörg Schwartze; I am 51 years old and was born and raised in the north of Germany. After studying engineering at the University of Braunschweig, I did my Ph.D. at the Wool Research Organization in New Zealand and the RWTH Aachen in Germany.
After these studies, I spent ten years in the chemical industry with BASF in engineering research and development, business management, and strategic controlling, followed by seven years with Beiersdorf in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods industry in operations strategy and manufacturing roles.
In 2015 I joined the WMF Group, where I have served as CEO of Schaerer Ltd since 2017. Schaerer is one of the three brands of the Professional Coffee Machines business unit and one of the leading global developers and producers of fully automatic coffee machines for professional use. In the past few years, the Schaerer team has focused on aligning the brand with customer-oriented values of coffee competence, flexibility, and being Swiss.
I am married with two children, enjoy doing all kinds of sports, and I like traveling and seeing this planet's diversity. Sustainability is an important topic for me.
Asli Yaman
Co-founder of KiMMA Coffee Roasters
Istanbul, Turkey
I am from Istanbul, Turkey. I earned an MBA from Istanbul Bilgi University, where my dissertation analyzed the international proliferation of Starbucks. I began my career in coffee 15 years ago as the Trainer and R&D Department Manager at a wholesale roaster and retailer John's Coffee.
I worked with Soyuz Coffee Roasting as Director of Production, where I managed coffee buying, production, and quality control of its specialty coffee line. After five years of experience in Kaliningrad, Russia, I returned to Turkey and worked on my own project to increase the coffee community's knowledge.
In March 2014, I participated in the National Brewers Cup Championship in Turkey, where I took first place in a row for the second time. Following my success in the Turkish championships, I represented my country in Rimini at the World Brewers Cup Championship in 2014 where I took third place in the finals. I have also participated as a judge and coach at the National Championships.
I founded KiMMA Coffee Roasters together with my close friend, Hanife Ozyurt Pekkip, in 2016.
I am an Authorized SCA Trainer in all modules of the Coffee Skills Program and am a certified Q Arabica Grader. I currently serve as Board Member of the Specialty Coffee Association and National Coordinator of the SCA Turkey Chapter.
Learn More About the 2020 SCA Elections
Visit our SCA Elections page to learn more about the elections process, find out who on the board is cycling off this year, and for answers to frequently asked questions. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact us via email at elections@sca.coffee or via the contact form at the bottom of the page.