FNC’s Luis G Muñoz to step down as CEO

Luis G. Muñoz is leaving his position as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC). The FNC credits Muñoz for his work in overcoming the devastation caused by coffee leaf rust and helping increase Colombia’s average productivity by 50 per cent during his five-year tenure. The organisation said Muñoz drove a campaign to renovate more than 3.3 billion coffee trees, reducing Colombia’s average plantation age from 12 to 7 years. Muñoz’s focus on achieving a sustainable growing strategy helped drive almost 200,000 Colombian farms to follow a certification or a verification protocol, said the FNC. Muñoz was also instrumental in seeing the Juan Valdez Coffee shop strategy reach 314 units in 15 countries, earning farmers more than US$20 million in brand royalties, according to FNC. The Café de Colombia campaign, which focused on attracting younger consumers to Colombian coffee, was also a key area for Muñoz. Muñoz announced his resignation during the FNC Board of Directors (BoD) meeting in Bogota last month. The 15 members of the FNC BoD have agreed to initiate the process of electing a new CEO. The Colombian Coffee Growers Congress (CCGC), which is comprised of 90 people representing Colombia’s different coffee growing regions, will elect the new CEO from three candidates agreed upon by the National Coffee Growers Committee (NCGC). The NCGC is composed of delegates from the FNC and the Colombian Government. Luis F. Acero will fill the position as interim CEO responsible for all FNC matters until Muñoz’s replacement is found.