Lindsey Bolger receives CQI’s highest honour

Keurig Green Mountain’s Lindsey Bolger has been awarded the Coffee Quality Institute’s (CQI) highest honour, the Leadership Medal of Merit. Bolger, the Vice President of Coffee Sourcing and Excellence for Keurig Green Mountain, was recognised for the work she has done over almost three decades, improving coffee quality and the lives of producers. Craig Holt, founder of Atlas Coffee Importers and Chair of CQI’s Board of Trustees, presented Bolger with the award at CQI’s 17th Annual Luncheon at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s The Event in Seattle. Holt worked alongside Bolger at his first coffee job at Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters two decades ago. “Lindsey Bolger is a fantastic ambassador for the coffee trade,” said Holt. “Her enthusiasm, integrity, and dedication to improving the lives of coffee producers is unparalleled.” Bolger’s 2004 assignment to Rwanda initiated a national focus to improve the quality of its coffee. The development of cupping in Rwanda has helped the country generate almost US$50 million annually from its coffee trade. “We wanted to make an investment in [the Q Coffee System] but needed to understand what return on investment we could get. When I look back and think about the founders [of CQI], the benefit is immeasurable and the impact is immense,” said Bolger. The Leadership Medal of Merit is CQI’s most prestigious honour and has been presented at SCAA’s annual exposition for nearly a decade. It is given to an extraordinary person who embodies CQI’s mission to improve coffee quality and the lives of people who produce it. Past recipients include Sunalini Menon, Coffee Board of India; Timothy Schilling, World Coffee Research; and Sergio Fajardo, Governor of Antioquia, Colombia. Global Coffee Report spoke to Lindsey Bolger about Keurig's role in addressing the recent rust crisis in Latin America and protecting its own supplies.