Meet the Team

Kate Cavallin

General Manager

London, United Kingdom

Experience in Industry:

19 years in industry, since 2007.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

Brownies baked with the excess cacao leftover from the labs.

Favorite Field Memory:

Riding horseback to visit the picturesque cacao cooperatives on her first day with the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic.

Team Superpower:

Making lists, checking things off, and persevering through obstacles to turn dreams into reality.

Jamie Paradise

US Head of Sales

New York, United States

Experience in Industry:

Since 2023.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

Nibs in homemade cookies.

Favorite Field Memory:

Awakening each morning to the sounds of the village while living amongst the Three Mountains farming communities.

Team Superpower:

Analysis and adaptability while employing a "get it done" mentality.

Jose Altamirano

Trade & Logistics Coordinator

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Experience in Industry:

9 years in industry, since 2017.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

Melted on bread.

Favorite Field Memory:

Venturing deep into the Ecuadorian jungle to observe the operations and traditions of a remote community of cacao farmers.

Team Superpower:

Providing rapid and reliable support on all things exporting with a “no task is too small” attitude.

Valentina Bosia

Head of Quality

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Experience in Industry:

10 years, since 2016.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

I love a cup of hot chocolate on a winter night.

Favorite Field Memory:

Bringing chocolate that I have made to the farmers who grew the cacao. Tasting it together and discussing their impressions felt like a long journey coming full circle.

Team Superpower:

Sensory analysis and bean-to-bar making experience. Once a chocolate maker, always a chocolate maker!

Tara Durieux

Transparency Coordinator

Delft, The Netherlands

Experience in Industry:

Two internships in Indonesia and Colombia in 2015 and 2017, and from 2023 full-time.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

To eat the sweet pulp around the cocoa beans directly from the pod.

Favorite Field Memory:

Racing through the mountains and the forest on our journey to meet with Indonesian cocoa farmers in Sulawesi.

Team Superpower:

A blend of being well-organized, boundless adaptability, and always being up for a good laugh :)

Olwyn Hayes

Accounting Manager

London, United Kingdom

Experience in Industry:

Entered the cocoa industry in 2021.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

In the evening with a hot drink when relaxing.

Paula Navarrete

Cocoa Quality & Masterclass Manager USA

New York, United States

Experience in Industry:

10+ years as an ingredient, 6 years fully diving into just cocoa.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

As a Colombian, in a hot chocolate with lots of cheese.

Favorite Field Memory:

Spending a season at Zorzal and learning from their team. All the great chocolate making at origin with Sully and laughs with Ramon.

Team Superpower:

A passion for food, and love for exploring complex flavors. I enjoy building systems and keeping things organized.

Melanie Boty

France Head of Sales

Marseille, France

Experience in Industry:

Started in 2019 as pastry chef.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

Only dark chocolate, around 11.30 in the morning, when I start to get hungry.

Favorite Field Memory:

Really excited to go to origin one day!

Team Superpower:

Organisational skills and responsiveness, as well as a real understanding of the use of cocoa in pastry-making.

Cristina Nuno

Logistics Coordinator

London, United Kingdom

Experience in Industry:

I returned to working with cocoa beans in 2023, building on my experience in the industry from many years ago.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

Any time, everywhere.

Favorite Field Memory:

No favorite field memory... yet!

Team Superpower:

Proactive mindset and attention to detail to help meet customer needs and deadlines.

Claudia Mecozzi

Italy Head of Sales

Campofilone, Italy

Experience in Industry:

Started in 2025.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

As a chocolate bar, at every time of the day.

Favorite Field Memory:

Brazil, my first field experience... unforgettable.

Team Superpower:

Curiosity and determination to always find solutions to satisfy customers — all in full Italian style.

Travis Reed

Quality Specialist

London, United Kingdom

Experience in Industry:

Since 2024, started making chocolate first and now working in quality.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

70% chocolate.

Favorite Field Memory:

Tasting with farmers and trying different origins in Ghana.

Team Superpower:

Making chocolate for the team.

Madeleine Morley

Operations Project Manager

London, United Kingdom

Experience in Industry:

Pretty new to the cocoa world! I bring 8 years of experience in the food industry and am excited to dive deeper into the complexities of cocoa.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

I can’t go to bed without a piece of dark chocolate after dinner – it’s my daily ritual!

Favorite Field Memory:

Discovering a cocoa plantation nestled in the lush landscapes of Minca, Colombia – it was a magical introduction to the world of cocoa.

Team Superpower:

An adventurer at heart, I help shape bold ideas into practical systems – building from scratch, scaling with clarity.

Marina Cullen

Trade & Position Support Analyst

London, United Kingdom

Experience in Industry:

A few years within soft commodities but only recently within the cocoa industry itself.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

Paired with a full-bodied red wine which have similar profiles to great 70% dark chocolates.

Favorite Field Memory:

Yet to be created, but very much looking forward to it.

Team Superpower:

Pairing the analysis with action points to streamline processes and create a smoother workflow within the whole team.

Khalid Aziz

Head of EU Sales

London, United Kingdom

Experience in Industry:

Since 2025.

Favorite Way to Eat Chocolate:

A few pieces of dark chocolate as a treat after dinner.

Favorite Field Memory:

Experiencing the aromas of fresh cocoa beans while cracking cocoa pods in one of the Three Mountains Cocoa communities in Ghana.

Team Superpower:

Seeing challenges as opportunities for learning and growth.

Meet the Team

Kate Cavallin

Jamie Paradise

Jose Altamirano

Valentina Bosia

Tara Durieux

Olwyn Hayes

Paula Navarrete

Melanie Boty

Cristina Nuno

Claudia Mecozzi

Travis Reed

Madeleine Morley

Marina Cullen

Khalid Aziz

REQUEST INFORMATION ABOUT A LARGER ORDER