At its last General Assembly in London, the Board of Directors of the European Cocoa Association (ECA) appointed Mr. Chris Beetge, Regional Head Europe and Global Head Cocoa Operations at ofi (olam food ingredients), as the new President of the Association for the upcoming two years, starting on 6th of May 2026.
Mr. Guus de Gruiter, Co-CEO of ECOM Cocoa, has also been appointed as the ECA Vice-President, and Olivier Werbrouck as the ECA Treasurer. Mr. Beetge, Mr. de Gruiter and Mr. Werbrouck will form the new ECA Executive Committee.
As part of his first reaction in his new role, Mr. Beetge thanked Mr. Christian Vollers, former ECA Chairman, for his great achievements and leading role during his chairmanship, notably on the successful European Cocoa Forum 2025 and his positive impact on the Association during his long presence on the ECA board.
Commenting on his new role, Mr. Chris Beetge said: “The cocoa industry is living through a period of profound change. In times like these, unity is not optional; it is essential. The European Cocoa Association must be a stronger, more cohesive voice than ever before, and my ambition is to deepen the ties that bind our membership together. We have the people, the platform, and now the strategy – the only thing left is to deliver.”
The ECA Board of Directors also decided to approve the appointment of two new Directors. Mr. Albert Rius, CEO of Nessentis in the Processors category and Mr. Alec Gunn, CEO of Commodity Centre in the Logistics category. The Board of Directors now consists of 11 Directors.
