We are pleased to announce that we have further strengthened our senior leadership team with the appointment of Dougal Freeman as WCF’s Vice President of Operations.
Responsible for leading the organisation’s finance, strategy and operations - the appointment plays an integral role in the broader growth and performance delivery of WCF.
Commenting on Dougal’s appointment, Chris Vincent, President of WCF said, "Dougal is an excellent addition to the WCF team. He has the extensive experience and profile we need as we seek to deliver transformative sustainability impacts for the cocoa sector and his role is key to ensuring that we are efficient and effective in the work we do."
With an extensive background spanning more than two decades of global experience across the private sector, civil society organisations and not-for-profits, Dougal has worked extensively across Africa and the Middle East for major international development, food and agribusiness organisations, and has held Deputy CEO and Finance Director roles in a public health consultancy and a Nobel Prize-winning International Development Organisation based out of the UK. For six years, Dougal implemented best practices and led operational transformations at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Switzerland as CFO. He was a board member and CFO at Oxford Policy Management, an international development consultancy specializing in economics. Prior to joining WCF Dougal spent 11 Months at HR Wallingford the UK’s premier water research and consulting organization. Currently Dougal is on the board of Global Canopy, a not for profit involved in the mapping of trade and financing of commodities linked to deforestation.
A graduate of Imperial College London with a BSc in Agricultural Business Management, Freeman also holds an MSc in Agricultural Development Economics and MBA from the University of Reading and Alliance Manchester Business School, respectively.
Commenting on his appointment Freeman stated, "I am delighted to take up this role at the World Cocoa Foundation, an organisation dedicated to improving the sustainability of the cocoa supply chain and the communities involved in it. I am particularly passionate about empowering cocoa communities with improved transparency and traceability, and I believe that localizing decision-making is the key to this. I look forward to working with the talented team at WCF to make a real difference in the lives of cocoa farmers and their families."
About the World Cocoa Foundation:
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) is an international membership organisation representing the global cocoa and chocolate sectors. Its members include farmer cooperatives, cocoa processors, chocolate manufacturers, supply chain companies and other companies worldwide.
WCF’s vision is to be a catalyst for a thriving and equitable cocoa sector that is collaborating to improve farmer income, reverse deforestation and combat child labour. WCF’s unique position at the centre of the cocoa and chocolate sector enables it to create strategic relationships and collaborative programmes with cocoa farming communities, governments and civil society, which deliver transformative impact and systemic reform.
For more information, visit www.worldcocoafoundation.org or contact Nikole Ottolia, email: media@worldcocoa.org
