Meet the Members of the 2027 SCA Board of Directors
Dear members of the Specialty Coffee Association,
As presented to SCA members on August 27, the SCA Board of Directors, led by President Andrew Tolley, nominated a group of three professionals who responded to our annual call for nominations made in June. As the number of candidates this year is equal to the number of open seats, there is no need to proceed with a voting process, and the SCA Board has confirmed the three professionals listed below as members of the SCA Board of Directors, in accordance with Section 7.4(f) of the SCA Bylaws.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)
Sunalini N. Menon, President of Coffeelab Limited
Karsten Ranitzsch, Global Head of Coffee, Nestlé Nespresso S.A.
Were there any petition candidates on the ballot this year?
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.
What happens next in the 2026 election?
The next step in the board election is typically for SCA members to take part in a voting process, which would open on November 1. However, given that the number of candidates this year is equal to the number of open seats, the SCA Board will move forward in confirming the three professionals listed above as members of the SCA Board of Directors, in accordance with Section 7.4(f) of the SCA Bylaws:
“If after the close of the nominating period on September 30 the number of people nominated for the Board is not more than the number of directors to be elected, the Corporation may without further action declare that those nominated and qualified to be elected have been elected, in which case there shall be no election.”
Who are the board members whose terms are ending this year?
We send a warm thank you to a dedicated member of the board whose term ends on December 31, 2026. This coffee professional has provided invaluable leadership to the association and has dedicated countless volunteer hours to make the work of the SCA a success:
Andrew Tolley, Director of Tolley Coffee & Tea
New roles on the SCA Board of Directors in 2027
As we close the 2026 election cycle, we also see a few additional changes to its composition. Per the association’s bylaws, the following members of the board will take on new roles on January 1, 2027:
Nadine Rasch, Founder and Director of Primavera will become President
Jiyoon Han, Co-Owner of Bean & Bean Coffee will become Vice President
Jon Allen, Founder and CEO of Onyx Coffee Lab will become Second Vice President
Thank You
Finally, I want to say thank you to all SCA members who engage in this important process every year. Thank you for supporting the mission of the SCA. I encourage you to visit our SCA Elections page to learn more about the elections process, to find all announcements published in this election cycle, and for answers to frequently asked questions. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us via email at elections@sca.coffee.
Thank you,
Yannis Apostolopoulos
Chief Executive Officer
Specialty Coffee Association
Visit our SCA Elections page to learn more about the elections process and answers to other frequently asked questions.
Can't find what you're looking for? Contact us via email at elections@sca.coffee.
