Raja Saoud
COFFEE EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
I began my coffee career in the early nineties working in raw coffee and cocoa bean intermediation in Cote d’Ivoire before completing my MBA in international trade from Texas A&M International. I started my professional career in 1996 as a coffee merchant trainee with Cargill. I joined Olam in Singapore in 2004, after spending six years in Geneva. More than 27 years of coffee experience spanning across 5 continents and expertise in strategy, farming, sourcing, origination & farmer supply chains, trading and sales, people management, operation controls, stakeholder management and P&L management.
INVOLVEMENT WITH GCP AND / OR OTHER SUSTAINABILITY ORGANIZATIONS
I have not had any previous personal involvement with GCP or other external sustainability organization. I have recently become the global head of the coffee sustainability team in ofi. While not a sustainability expert, with my coffee experience in most of the coffee growing origins and across the coffee value chain I am confident that I can add value and bring a different perspective to coffee sustainability.
HOW WILL YOU SUPPORT GCP’S WORK AND GOAL?
Transparency, level playing field, practical and scalable solutions for farmers and support from international donor community.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR A SUSTAINABLE COFFEE SECTOR?
Sustainability leadership in the agriculture industry.