Dr. Frederick KAWUMA Secretary General Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO)
Frederick S.M. KAWUMA, 60, is a Uganda national, an honours graduate of Bachelor of Commerce (Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda), Master of Arts in Communication & Marketing (Wheaton College Graduate School, IL, USA) and a PhD in Entrepreneurial Leadership (Regent University, VA, USA). He is the outgoing Secretary General of the Inter African Coffee Organisation (IACO), an inter governmental organisation based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (West Africa). He has moved African coffees to a new pedestal and helped to build a brighter future for African coffees. His term at IACO will end in the first part of 2021 but will continue to serve as a goodwill Ambassador for African coffee. He has over 30 years of experience in the coffee industry, of which over 25 years as a CEO of various organisations. He is a visionary who has been involved in many initiative s in the coffee industry that have had national, regional and international impact. He has played key roles in the establishment of projects to support the African coffee industry, with the vision to benefit coffee producers and improvement of quality and quantity of African coffees. He has also had a distinguished career as a leadership and management consultant and trainer and worked on several projects.
Anthony Day Blockchain Partner
Global Business Services IBM UK and Ireland
Anthony is a Partner in IBM’s UK & Ireland Blockchain team. He leads Blockchain transformations and creation of new business networks for IBM clients across a range of industry sectors. Anthony is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of helping clients achieve growth, define impactful digital strategies and launch new businesses powered by exponential technologies (Blockchain, AI, Robotics, Open Platforms, Cloud). He also hosts the Blockchain Won’t Save the World podcast.
Catalina Eikenberg Head of Sustainable Business Unit Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG)
Catalina Eikenberg is currently leading the Sustainable Business Unit at Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG), the largest coffee trading group in the world. This new department at NKG aims to positively impact coffee farmers´ livelihoods through the provision of services like finance, access to inputs and training, as part of the group´s global sustainable sourcing strategy, NKG BLOOM. She began her career 15 years ago in microfinance, building BlueOrchard Finance´s portfolio of investments in Latin America. She then worked for TechnoServe, a global NGO working on business solutions to poverty, as the Colombia Country Manager. Catalina holds a Msc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and a BA in Economics from McGill University in Canada.
Dr. Panos Varangis Principal Agriculture Finance Specialist International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Dr Panos Varangis joined the FIG team in July 2020, as a principal specialist in agricultural finance. Prior to that Panos was the Head for agricultural finance in the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation, Global Practice at the World Bank. Since 2014, Panos has been involved in projects around the globe that facilitate financing for farmers and Agribusiness SMEs by working on public policy issues and financial products that involve the private sector. Prior to that Panos led IFC’s advisory work to facilitate access to finance for SMEs, agribusiness and farmers and improve risk management. Before joining IFC, Panos served as the Deputy CEO of the Agricultural Bank of Greece (2004-2009) and was a member of the board of directors of Agrotiki Insurance and Mindbank, an SME bank in Romania (subsidiary of ABG). From 1987 to 2004, he worked at the World Bank in various positions at the International Commodities Division, the International Trade Division, the Bank’s Research Department and at the Agricultural and Rural Development Department where he oversaw a global program on commodity risk management and index insurance. Panos holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University in New York.
Blanca Maria Castro Chapter Relations Manager International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA)
With more than 14 years within the coffee sector in marketing and trade, started as Marketing Coordinator for the National Coffee Association of Guatemala – Anacafe-. As volunteer, supported IWCA Global projects in Central America and as Coffee Consultant to the International Trade Center in East Africa supporting “She Trades” projects and creating awareness of the coffee sector around the world. Fluent in English, French, German and Spanish, advance student in Italian, with strong network and experience on public relationship and communications, that enabled her to identify needs and solutions to approach the coffee market. Currently working as Chapter Relations Manager for the International Women’s Coffee Alliance supporting and coordinating groups in 27 Chapters in Latin America, East Africa, Asia, Australia, Yemen in the Middle East and last USA in North America.
Marketing strategies, commercial net working with traders, roasters, coffee shops, exporters, coffee growers in farms, cooperative and coffee organizations.
Also, President to the Board of Conservation and Eco Development Foundation – Guatemala – FUNDAECO – since April 2016 and member of the Specialty Coffee Association Advisory Council Committee – Event Committee & Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force since December 2017
Peter Onguka Head of Lending, Africa Root Capital
Peter Onguka is the Head of Lending for the Africa portfolio at Root Capital, a leader in social impact investment in rural communities around the world. In this role, he focuses on providing innovative financial products to coffee enterprises in East Africa and to other small and growing agricultural businesses across the continent. Since starting his career in microfinance, Peter has spent 18 years expanding access to credit for traditionally overlooked populations in his home country of Kenya and beyond. Over more than a decade at Root Capital Peter has developed his expertise in loan structuring, risk assessment and mitigation, portfolio management, pipeline development, and business analytics for agricultural finance. If you ask him what he enjoys most about his job, Peter will tell you that it is that no day is ever the same; working in smallholder finance is action-packed and full of adventure!
Luis Macias
CEO and Founder GrainChain
Luis is an innovator and entrepreneur that has nearly 20 years of experience designing, inventing, and implementing technological solutions in the government, agriculture and insurance sectors. Since 2013, when he founded and implemented SiloSys and developed GrainChain’s transaction platform using smart contracts, he has been focused on viable agricultural solutions. He brings an experienced, relentless commitment to enhancing the performance of business processes and mission-critical deployments to the team, and his pioneering leadership in the technology and agriculture sectors ensures that GrainChain will remain the leader in its market space.
Laura Mackenzie SVP Financial Inclusion
Global Consumer Product Mastercard
As senior vice president, Financial Inclusion for Mastercard, Laura is responsible for developing, executing, leading and adapting the global product strategy to deliver Mastercard’s Financial Inclusion commitment to the World Bank to include 1 billion people into the digital economy by 2025 through the development and deployment of innovative products and delivery channels.
Prior to this role, she spent 12 years leading Mastercard’s US Merchant acceptance for core merchant verticals. Laura began her career in fashion with luxury global brands Ralph Lauren, Anne Klein and Nicole Farhi before making a move into the financial sector with South African start-up joint-venture e-commerce companies. She has spent many years living and working overseas in London, Barcelona and Johannesburg.
Dr. Rocco Macchiavello
Associate Professor London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Rocco Macchiavello holds a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Rocco was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford University, Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Professor at Warwick University before returning to the London School of Economics in the Department of Management. Rocco’s research interests are in private sector development and he has done extensive work on the coffee value chain. In partnership with private and public sectors stakeholders, Rocco has conducted quantitative analysis of the coffee chain to better understand constraints to access to finance, the functioning and impact of buyer-driven sustainability programs, the role of competition and vertical integration and is currently working on traceability initiatives. His work on coffee has been published in leading peer reviewed journals and has featured in policy publications, including the 2020 World Bank Development Report and the 2021 Coffee Development Report by ICO.
Juan Esteban Orduz President Colombian Coffee Federation Inc. FEDECAFE (North America)
Juan Esteban Orduz is the President of Colombian Coffee Federation, Inc., the subsidiary in North America of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC). In 2003, Mr. Orduz joined the FNC, a non-profit association that represents more than 540,000 Colombian coffee growing families both domestically and internationally, after ending a year as fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University (2002-2003).
Besides leading all FNC’s commercial, cooperation, marketing and advocacy areas in the region, Mr. Orduz’s is responsible for many global initiatives, such as Colombia’s participation in the International Coffee Organization, Colombia’s 100 – 100 Sustainability Program and the World Coffee Producers Forum.
Among Mr. Orduz’ international experience in the public and private sectors, he was Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Colombia to the United States in Washington, D.C. (1998-2002), where he was one of the leaders in the design and implementation of Plan Colombia -the largest U.S.-Colombia bilateral program for security and social and economic development- and the extension of trade preferences through the Andean Trade Preferences and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), and legal VP of Cemex Colombia, associate at Consultores Jurídicos y Económicos and advisor to the minister of economic development.
Mr. Orduz serves in many boards of directors in different countries, including the Global Coffee Platform-GCP (Germany, NL), Rainforest Alliance (USA and NL), the Coffee Quality Institute CQI (USA), American Friends of Fundación Cardio-Infantil 501(c) 3 (USA), co-vicechairman of the Advisory Board of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars – Latin American Program (USA, Washington D.C.) and leads the Colombian delegation to the International Coffee Organization (ICO).
Mr. Orduz earned a law degree (J.D.) from El Rosario University in Bogotá, where he received the highest distinction “Colegial de Número” for his academic excellence; he also earned a postgraduate degree in Finance at Los Andes University in Bogotá and is fluent in Spanish (native), English and German.
Christopher Brett
Lead Agribusiness Specialist World Bank
Christopher Brett was appointed as the Lead Agribusiness Specialist with the World Bank in November 2016 and joined the Agriculture and Food Global Agricultural Practice, based in Washington DC. He has a Master’s Degree in Management for Agricultural Development from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom. He has more than thirty years’ experience of working within the public private and voluntary sectors in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Prior to working with the World Bank, he worked for 9 years as the Global Head of Sustainability for a large multi-national agricultural supply chain management company, as part of the senior management team, Chris supported the company’s transition from a trading-based company to a global agri-business supply chain management company.
From 2001 to 2007, he undertook a range of consultancies for leading development organisations and the private sector, such as; the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, African Development Bank, European Union, United Nations Development Programme, commercial banks and infrastructural development companies. He also worked for 6 years in Central America as a Private Sector Development Advisor (1995-2001) for the UK Department for International Development.
Gerardo Patacconi Head of Operations International Coffee Organization (ICO)
Gerardo Patacconi is the Head of Operations of the International Coffee Organization (ICO). An economiststatistician and agribusiness development expert, after a significant experience with the private sector in manufacturing and banking in Italy, he joined the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in 1987 as associate Expert in Papua New Guinea. His latest position with UNIDO was Director of the Department of Agribusiness Development with a portfolio of US$40 million. In 2013 was one of the two shortlisted candidates and run for the election for the post of Executive- Director of the International Sugar Organization (ISO).
At the core of his experience is policy and strategic advice, development, fund raising and management of large-scale operations and development projects to address poverty and sustainability, with emphasis on Public-Private Partnerships covering the coffee sector and other agribusiness value chains.
An excellent communicator, Gerardo Patacconi is often invited as a public speaker and a moderator in ministerial meetings, international conferences and events in English, French, Spanish and Italian and has also published on topics relating to development and industry, agribusiness and sustainability.
