OUR PEOPLE

Jordan has spent his career advancing sustainable agricultural solutions that benefit farmers, food systems, and the environment. Under his leadership, GrainPro continues to expand its impact by helping producers, traders, governments, and development organizations safely store and transport crops without chemicals.

Before joining GrainPro, Jordan held leadership roles with the US State Department and the United Nations World Food Programme, where he worked extensively across Africa, Asia and Latin America on development and humanitarian operations.

Under his leadership, GrainPro has expanded its global partnerships with major coffee and cocoa companies, international organizations, and the organic sector, while advancing innovations that help preserve harvests without the use of chemicals.

Jordan, who is based in Washington, DC (USA) holds a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master’s degree from Harvard University.

Rose Ndung'u has 15 years’ experience in managing company operations, including marketing entry strategies in various sectors, of which ten have been in key managerial positions. This has been in an East and Southern Africa wide context involving partnerships with governments, private companies and non-governmental organizations. Mrs. Ndung'u is well versed in strategy design and implementation, marketing research, communication branding, competition management, dissemination of fund impact and overall management of company operations. Mrs. Ndung'u holds an MBA in Strategic Management and Human Resource Management from United States International University and a BSc in Food Science and Post-Harvest Technology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. She is a member of the Marketing Society of Kenya, Member of the Eastern Africa Fine Coffees Association, and a member of Eastern Africa Grain Council.

Cleiton Soares is the Chief of Global Coffee, with extensive expertise in post-harvest handling and the application of hermetic storage solutions for agribusiness. With a strong background in sales and marketing, he has successfully led strategies across South America — including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay — supporting the protection and preservation of agricultural commodity quality.

Patrick Plijter became President and CEO of GrainPro Global Support & Production (GSAP) in January 2020. Mr. Plijter's expertises are strategic planning, marketing/brand management, innovation management and general management. He joined GrainPro back in 2017 after having moved from the Netherlands to the Philippines. In the Netherlands, Mr. Plijter worked in the FMCG industry in several marketing and innovation roles. He holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Erasmus University and a Bachelor's Degree in Sales and Marketing Management from the Hogeschool Utrecht.

Sergio Sánchez serves as GrainPro's Corporate Controller, ensuring the profitability of global subsidiaries. Collaborating with the international financial team, he manages tax compliance, budgets, and audits while focusing on key financial KPIs, receivables, and inventory turnover for effective decision-making.

Previously, he led the Finance Department at Hacienda Pinilla, a five-star resort in Costa Rica, overseeing multiple companies involved in construction, real estate, golf courses, and lodging.

His competencies encompass analytical skills, emotional intelligence, teamwork, proactivity, and excelling under pressure. His academic background includes an MBA in Finance from the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, and he holds certifications in Six Sigma and SCRUM.

Additionally, Sánchez champions a foundation dedicated to helping families living in extreme poverty, improving conditions in rural schools, and nurturing academic excellence through scholarships

Hazel Valera is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the manufacturing industry. Mrs. Valera has a strong professional and operational skillset in negotiation, business planning, strategic planning, business development, and business process improvement. Joining GrainPro Philippines as Purchasing and Logistics Manager in 2007, her wide experience in manufacturing and supply chain management made her a key contributor to the increased efficiency of the department and to the company as a whole. Mrs. Valera’s knowledge in strategic analysis, import/export operations, production and warehouse optimization, provides an unparallel focus on operational excellence. Mrs. Valera graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management at New Era University.

Diego Lara as is post-harvest expert, with a high-level knowledgebase of the coffee and cocoa industry, food security, general grains, and organic fumigation. Mr. Lara areas of specialty in business strategy, project implementation, international trade, sales and finance management, social development. Mr. Lara has a Bachelor’s degree In Agricultural Sciences with an Emphasis Management from the Universidad Rafael Landivar.