The National Coffee Growers Committee –comprised of the fifteen representatives of Colombia’s Departmental Coffee Grower Committees, the National Planning Director, and the Ministries of Finance and Public Credit, Agriculture and Rural Development, Commerce Industry and Tourism– agreed on the selection process and profile of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation’s (FNC) new CEO.
The National Congress of Coffee Growers appoints the CEO from a list that was previously approved by the National Coffee Growers Committee (see infographic). The selection process of the new CEO will be based on a document prepared and approved by the FNC’s Steering Committee, referred to as Comité Directivo.
The FNC’s new CEO will be at the head of one of Colombia’s most prestigious organizations and will serve as a key player in the development of more than half of the country’s municipalities. Throughout its 88-year history, the FNC has been able to internationally consolidate renowned brands such as Juan Valdez®, position the origin and quality of Colombian coffee in more than 100 countries, and help obtain Denominations of Origin and/or Protected Geographical Indications for Colombia’s coffee in 35 countries.
The FNC works with the National Coffee Research Center (Cenicafé) –which was recognized as one of the leading coffee research centers during the last global meeting of coffee scientists– and with a world-renowned rural Extension Service.
Furthermore, the FNC and its 15 Departmental Coffee Grower Committees and 370 Municipal Coffee Grower Committees have the largest representation of any private association in the country. Because of its programs focusing on the environment, productivity, productive reconversion, climate-conscious coffee growing, purchase guarantee, communitarian infrastructure, and social capital, the FNC is considered a key peacemaking player in rural Colombia.
The FNC operates under the highest transparency standards when it comes to using the resources it receives. In order to finance its initiatives, the FNC and its Coffee Grower Committees build local, regional, domestic and international alliances. This allows the organization to multiply the contributions made by coffee growers.
Profile of the incoming CEO
The FNC’s CEO must be capable of leading structural changes and redesigning a management model based on regional, domestic and international demands.
The FNC will play an important role in an eventual post-conflict scenario in Colombia. Hence, the new CEO must be in tune with the nuances pertaining to the country’s different coffee growing regions and be aware of the industry’s political, social, economic and legal environment.
Similarly, communication with coffee growers and with the value chain’s different stakeholders will also be of utmost importance in order to understand, interpret and manage the needs of producers based on the particularities of each region and subculture.
The new CEO must fully understand the industry’s domestic and international dimensions. The commercialization of high quality specialty coffees and the consolidation of partnerships that benefit Colombia’s coffee growing communities rely on an executive who is able to navigate in the international arena. Ideally, he or she will be an efficient administrator with no less than ten years of experience.
It is critical that the new CEO unites de FNC based on an integral view of the Colombian coffee industry and its complexity. He or she must always protect the interests of Colombian coffee growers as a whole, avoiding actions that only answer to the needs of a specific region, sector or interest group.
Immediate tasks
The new CEO has the mandate to implement the 2015-2020 Strategic Development Plan approved by the National Congress of Coffee Growers in December 2014. He or she will do so while taking into account the recently developed studies regarding the agricultural and coffee growing sectors.
Selection process
The process for selecting the new CEO of the FNC is scheduled as follows:
July 2 -10:The résumés of those aspiring to obtain the position will be presented before the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation’s Steering Committee.
July 13 – 17:The FNC’s Steering Committee will evaluate and choose the top ten résumés according to the established criteria and profile.
July 21:The selected résumés will be presented to the National Coffee Growers Committee and the Committee will define the shortlist to be submitted to the National Congress of Coffee Growers.
July 22 – August 7:The proposals and/or programs suggested by the candidates will be presented to the Departmental Coffee Grower Committees.
12 August:The FNC’s new CEO will be announced at the extraordinary session of the National Congress of Coffee Growers.
