MEET THE TEAM.

It’s people that make a company. As we grow we’re always on the lookout for great people to join the team. See which roles we’re recruiting for here

ANDREW STORDY

Founder

 

Andrew, the inventor of IKAWA, grew up in coffee growing countries including Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Burundi.

Andrew is an engineer and industrial designer and developed the concept for IKAWA while studying Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art in London. He’s dedicated years of toil to making IKAWA a reality.

EMILY JACKSON

Business Growth Manager

 
Emily came to IKAWA in 2021, after 3 years of doing freelance work for IKAWA and working at Climpson and Sons as a Production Manager for over 4 years, a whole 100 metres away from IKAWA HQ. But Emily started her journey in coffee all the way back when she was in high school in the US.  She was part of the Home division for over 4 years and has now transitioned into being our Business Growth Manager and helping us reach more coffee businesses.  She spends her free time working on perfecting her gluten-free vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe and knitting endless pairs of socks for her friends and family. 

HELEN SCHLUTER

Head of HR & Legal

 
Helen is a guiding force on the IKAWA team, and also has one of the most interesting backgrounds. Her Law experience is comprehensive in Switzerland, where she lived for 12 years, spent a month in Jersey and finally ended up in Liverpool where she is based today. Helen has always been close to coffee, being married to a coffee trader, and has been around IKAWA longer than anyone else - she was hired to help IKAWA's founder Andrew before there was a single IKAWA employee. She's a proud mom of 4 children, and now a new puppy.You can ask her about doing loops in small aeroplanes or meeting Robbie Williams!

SARAH REED

Senior Engineering Manager

 
Sarah's professional journey began as a Design Engineer at Dyson. She then brought her expertise to Musto, where she designed Team GB's Sailing Kit for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Her passion for coffee ignited when her Swedish colleagues introduced her to Fika, and it grew even more after joining IKAWA. In 2021, Sarah joined IKAWA as an Industrial Design Engineer and has recently transitioned into the role of Senior Engineering Manager. Outside of work, she loves to travel and seek out new adventures.

JOANNA MITURA-PUKSZTA

Senior Reseller Executive

 
Joanna joined us in 2023 as part of our IKAWA Pro Sales team. She has a degree in Biomedical Engineering and has worked in the medical industry before moving into coffee and joining our team. You can now meet Joanna in (almost) every global event we're hosting or attending, as our Senior Reseller Executive. In her free time, she experiments with coffee roasting at home and enjoys long hikes.

PAULO VIEIRA

Sales Executive

 

Paulo was born in Portugal and raised in Liverpool. His journey with coffee began at UCC Coffee, where he discovered a passion for delivering excellent training and sharing his coffee knowledge with others. He developed a deep appreciation for the art of coffee and found joy in creating exceptional coffee experiences.

As his career progressed, Paulo transitioned into green coffee trading, where he expanded his expertise in coffee processes and roasting techniques. Now, as a team member at IKAWA, he is eager to apply his knowledge and collaborate with businesses to help them achieve their goals.

Outside of work, Paulo enjoys CrossFit, having taken part in competitions around the UK and Portugal and finishing every workout session with a coffee form his local coffee shop!

ED GREENALL

Technical Support Manager

 
Ed is yet another IKAWA team member with an awesome user-to-employee story. With over a decade of coffee experience at UK roasteries including Origin, HasBean and Crankhouse, Ed has moved through the ranks from Production Assistant to Head of Coffee Operations and (almost) everything in-between. Outside of keeping customers happy for IKAWA, you'll find Ed soaking up the latest NFL scores, catching the latest Marvel movies and navigating the galaxy as an avid Star Wars fan.

TIMO SSALI

Production & Quality Team Lead

 

Timo brings an impressive technical background with him to IKAWA. He studied Mechanical Engineering at London South Bank University and worked as a Production Technician making submarines!

Timo was born and raised in Jinja, Uganda (“the most beautiful part of Africa”) and brought with him a love for sports. Since he moved to the UK, he’s been part of the National Baseball League playing for the London Pirates!

ANA SILVA

Production Technician

 

IOANA BOMBEA

Marketing Executive

 
Ioana is part of our IKAWA Pro Marketing team, working as a Marketing Executive. She has extensive experience in the Coffee and Marketing industries across 3 different countries, ranging from barista work, community management in the alternative milk industry, and even organising music festivals (!). Ioana is taking care of all things social and IKAWA community-related activities which means you’ll most likely get to see more of her at our global events. Feel free to ask her about what’s in her current brew bar rotation. @ioanabombea

ANDREA PANIGHELLI

Operations Executive

 
Andrea came to IKAWA after several years working in hospitality, with a focus on the coffee industry and over 4 of those years spent at WatchHouse, a UK-based world-known coffee brand. His daily duties involve making sure that every shipment leaves IKAWA HQ exactly as it should. If you have ordered from IKAWA in the past years, chances are Andrea was the person double-checking your order. In his free time, Andrea enjoys drinking many coffees from the amazing selection of speciality cafes in London, trying out new and exciting restaurants, and spending time with his partner exploring the world. 

GREGORY EPPS

Head of Projects & UX

 
Greg brings deep expertise in new product development, both in technology and commercially, through his experience as a start-up founder developing robotic metal forming technology and robotic simulation software, as well as building mobile robots such as robotic dogs and self-driving cars. He has a passion for products where hardware meets software, and so found a natural affinity with the IKAWA roaster. He has worked with IKAWA developing new products as a consultant since 2020 and more recently in a full-time role since 2023. As Head of Projects & UX, he is in charge of user research, hardware design, user interface design, market testing and new product introductions. He spends his free time reading challenging books about the state of the world and walking his dog in the beautiful nature that surrounds his house. Usually after a cup of speciality coffee.

MATHULAN PARAMSRI

Finance Assistant

 
Mat was born in Italy, has moved to England when he was 13 years old, but his background is Tamil Srilankan so his unique skill is that he can speak all three languages. His passion for accounting & finance comes from the example his father set while running multiple businesses in Italy during Mat's childhood.
Since he joined IKAWA, Mat says he has learned a lot about what it takes for him to be able to have his coffee in the morning, from the farm, all the way to his cup. At IKAWA, Mat is running day-to-day finance processes and ensures that our company stays healthy and sustainable!
Outside of his work for IKAWA, Mat enjoys trying new food spots, both in the City and in his travel, and attending music events.

OUR NON EXEC BOARD

PHIL SCHLUTER

Now Managing Director of Covoya Speciality Coffee Europe Ltd, and formerly of Schluter Coffee a coffee trading company specialising in East African speciality coffee. Phil was a founding member of Speciality Coffee Association of Europe and while based in Liverpool, works all over the world.

Phil has been involved with IKAWA from our early days and his knowledge of the coffee sector – and using IKAWA roasters across the business – has been invaluable.

CHRIS SWORN

Chris brings a wealth of experience from the manufacturing sector to his role as Finance Director on the IKAWA board.

During Chris’ career, he’s been Technical Manager, General Manager and Finance Director of RPC Group PLC which is now a global design and engineering company with centres of excellence worldwide and a turnover in excess of £2bn following floatation which he oversaw in 1993.

ANDREW STORDY

Founder, CTO and Chairman

HIKMA ALI

Hikma has established a large product trading company in Ethiopia, after her studies in Computer Science and International Finance. She was introduced to IKAWA in 2021 and joined our board later that year. Beyond her professional pursuits, she’s a proud mother of two wonderful girls.

ROMBOUT FRIELING

As a co-founder of IKAWA, Rombout joined forces with Andrew in the early days at the Royal College of Art, after previously studying at Stanford University and Imperial College London.

He now works independently as an award winning designer, engineer and researcher, and loves to develop new experiences that unleash unused human potential. Rombout has worked with Siemens, Merck and Proctor & Gamble and directed one of Philips’ open labs in Eindhoven where he’s based.