GERMANY – Germany-based green coffee conglomerate Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG) has announced a strategic shift in its executive leadership structure by introducing three regional CEOs to oversee its operations in the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) regions.
The change, effective February 1, 2025, aims to enhance resilience, market leadership, and sustainable growth in an increasingly complex global trading environment.
Nicolas Rueda Latiff, a seasoned coffee trader and former president of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafe), will take on the role of CEO for the Americas region.
Ruben Scholz, previously Group COO in Hamburg, will lead the Asia Pacific office as CEO, based in Singapore.
The EMEA office will continue to operate from Hamburg under the leadership of Group CEO David M. Neumann.
In a press release, NKG highlighted that this decentralization reflects a commitment to fostering regional empowerment and adapting to global market challenges.
Group CEO David M. Neumann stated, “By enacting real regional empowerment and rethinking how we work, we are building a stronger, more dynamic organization poised to navigate future challenges and opportunities. We are moving closer to our business, opening for talent where talent is, and moving away from our traditional setup with a very dominant center.”
The company also announced changes to its Board of Directors, reducing the number of members from eight to three: Neumann, Group Chief People Officer Maren Uzarek, and Group Chief Financial Officer Justin Schulze-Smidt. Together with the regional CEOs, they will form a new NKG Executive Board.
NKG operates more than 60 business units across 28 countries globally, offering a comprehensive range of services and products along the green coffee value chain, including farming, imports, exports, logistics, warehousing, and quality control.
In 2024, NKG expanded its global presence with significant initiatives in Asia. In August, the company opened its first trading office in China, responding to the country’s rapidly growing green coffee import market, which reached 3.2 million 60-kilo bags in 2023/24, according to USDA GAIN statistics.
Earlier in the year, NKG launched an importing company in Indonesia to meet domestic demand among roasters.
In the U.S., NKG Group companies include high-volume trader Rothfos, which imported 1.5 million 60-kilo bags of coffee in 2023/24, along with InterAmerican Coffee and Atlas Coffee Importers.
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