World Cocoa Foundation debuts new board leadership
Tricia Brannigan, VP, Hershey, has been appointed chairperson of the board.
courtesy of: World Cocoa Foundation
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has announced the election of its new board officers, following the completion of the previous officers’ two-year term.
Tricia Brannigan, VP and chief procurement officer at The Hershey Company and formerly the WCF vice-chair and treasurer, has been appointed chairperson of the board. Brannigan’s industry knowledge and commitment to the WCF mission will support the organization in furthering its mission. She will provide strategic leadership and guidance as WCF continues to promote sustainability and resilience across the cocoa sector through collaboration, innovation, and industry leadership, it says.
Brannigan succeeds Christine McGrath, SVP and chief impact and sustainability officer at Mondelēz International, who completed her term in May. Liberato Milo, head of confectionery, ice cream, cocoa beverages, and permissible snacking SBU at Nestlé and a member of the WCF Finance and Audit Committee, has been appointed vice-chair and treasurer.
“We thank our outgoing chair Christine McGrath for her dedicated leadership and valuable contributions and are delighted to welcome Tricia Brannigan as our new chairperson and Liberato Milo as vice-chair and treasurer,” says Chris Vincent, WCF president. “With increasing regulatory expectations and growing demand for traceability and assurance, WCF remains committed to supporting its members through strong governance, advocacy and coordinated solutions that strengthen sector-wide resiliency, compliancy, and sustainable impact.”
Brannigan comments: “I am honored to take on the role of chair and look forward to supporting the continued evolution of the WCF strategy. Together, we have the opportunity to drive meaningful change for the cocoa sector and shape a more sustainable and resilient future for the entire value chain.”
Tejinder Singh Saraon, CEO of ofi's global cocoa platform, will continue as board office and secretary, and Kojo Amoo-Gottfried, managing director cocoa and chocolate, North America and indulgence at Cargill, will remain as vice-chair.
These appointments were confirmed at the latest WCF board meeting and come at a pivotal moment for the cocoa sector, which is grappling with a litany of challenges including climate change, disease, declining productivity, evolving regulation, supply deficits, and market volatility, WCF says.
Related: WCF publishes assessment revealing accuracy of key maps
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