The Board

Anita Aerni is an executive coach and consultant specializing in sustainable leadership and change management. She holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Applied Ethics from the University of Zurich and a CAS in Corporate Responsibility from ZHAW. Anita has worked in the coffee sector for more than 30 years, first as green coffee trader at Blaser Trading and then in the sustainability sector, including leadership roles at UTZ and the Rainforest Alliance.

Riccardo Seitz, active in the Management of Illycafé AG, has been with the company since 1989. He studied at the University of Zurich and leads the company founded by his father in Switzerland in 1939. Illycafé played a pivotal role in revolutionising coffee culture in Switzerland from the 1950s onwards by introducing the Italian espresso culture to Switzerland, becoming a key figure in the country's coffee history.

Pratyush Singh is a Senior Vice President for Coffee Marketing Europe at ofi, based in Geneva. With over 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, he specializes in commodity risk management, agribusiness, and FMCG. Before joining ofi in Switzerland in 2013, he held leadership roles across diverse geographies and worked closely with farmers and suppliers in coffee-growing regions of Vietnam, Honduras, and Colombia. Focused on trade, marketing, and sustainable coffee, he addresses evolving customer needs across Europe. Pratyush Singh holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Delhi.

Daniel Imhof is the Head of Agricultural Affairs at Nestlé. With a degree from the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), he has extensive experience in agriculture and its integration into sustainable business practices. Daniel has played a key role in advancing Nestlé’s efforts in sustainable sourcing and fostering collaboration with agricultural stakeholders worldwide.

Esther Haldimann is Director of Advisory Services / Senior Advisor for Sustainable Agriculture & Extension and a member of the Executive Management Team at Helvetas. She holds an MSc in Agronomy and has worked in international development cooperation since 1996, taking on roles as Country Director in Asia and Latin America from 2004 onwards. Throughout her career, she has planned, coordinated, and advised on numerous projects across Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, primarily focusing on the sustainable use of natural resources and rural economies.

Philippe Schneuwly is a private-sector development specialist with 25 years of practical experience in international cooperation. He is the CEO of Swisscontact, a leading international NPO that implements skills and value chain projects in over 40 countries. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and is the author of studies and publications on international trade, competitiveness and innovation. He has lived and worked for twenty years in eight countries in Latin America and has managed and overseen trade projects in the commodity sector.

Ingrid Fromm is a Senior Research Associate and Lecturer at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland. She specialises in value chains, rural development, and sustainable agriculture. Ingrid has extensive experience working with smallholder farmers and cooperatives in Latin America and Africa, aiming to improve livelihoods through sustainable practices and market integration.

Monica Rubiolo is the Head of Trade Promotion and leads SECO’s efforts to make trade in developing countries socially responsible, environmentally friendly, inclusive and thereby sustainable. She holds a PhD from the University of Tübingen, Germany and worked as an Assistant Professor at the Catholic University in Cordoba (Argentina) as well as in the private sector in Argentina, Taiwan and Spain, before joining SECO in 2003.