Rob Stephen

Senior Trader, InterAmerican Coffee, Inc.

President & Founder, Coffee Solutions, Inc.

 

An accomplished cupper, trainer, roaster and supply chain expert, Rob Stephen has worked in every facet of the industry, from tree to cup. From his early days with industry legend George Howell, to his recent stewardship one of the largest coffee businesses in the world, Rob's experience has taken him around the world and allowed him to form relationships at every level of the business.

Rob gives numerous presentations at coffee trade shows each year, as well as writing articles for industry publications. Since founding Coffee Solutions, he has been honored to represent the USA at the International Standards Organization, and to work as a subcontractor for USAID, training young Central Americans to be specialty coffee tasters.

Relevant Experience

• 1988 - 1993 Store Manager, Company Trainer - The Coffee Connection
  
• 1993 - 1998 Roaster, Plant Management - Peet's Coffee & Tea/Quartermaine Coffee Roasters
• 1998 - 2000 Roastmaster, Coffee Buyer - Frontier Organic Coffee
• 2000 - 2003 Coffee Product Development Manager & Supply Chain Strategist - Dunkin' Donuts, Inc.
• 2003 - Present President & Founder, Coffee Solutions, Inc.

Other Credentials

• President, Specialty Coffee Association of America (2006)

  • Conference Committee Chair
  • Vice-chair, Technical Standards Committee (2002-2003)
  • Founding Chair, Governance Committee (2003 - 2004)

• Past President, Organic Coffee Association
• President, Coffee Kids
• Chairman of the Board, World Barista Championship, Ltd. (2004)

"Rob Stephen understands the big picture in the complex, dynamic world of coffee. He applies this knowledge to foster ground-breaking partnerships between diverse industry participants, valuing the contribution of each stakeholder in the chain of custody from tree to cup."
       
        -Kimberly Easson Director of Strategic Relationships, Transfair USA