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.
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
Founder
Andrew 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.
As the team has grown, his “Kaizen” approach to design and manufacturing has helped not only to build hundreds of coffee roasters, but to harness, build and refine the skills of the workshop team.
Managing Director
Ben joined as Managing Director in 2015 and has overseen a period of strong growth since then, seeing IKAWA move to our current workshop, and the team growing from 4.
In return, IKAWA has helped Ben to become more cultured in coffee and he now possesses a decent grinder, espresso machine and aeropress. And a Home Coffee Roaster.
He has previously worked in senior management in the travel industry and founded start-ups in architecture, sports travel and tech, and has a fantastic ability to get excited about the big picture and managing the delivery.
General Manager - IKAWA for Professionals
Alex joined IKAWA to manage a short project – IKAWA’s Kickstarter Campaign for the IKAWA At Home system – but quickly realised the project really starts when the campaign finishes. He has enjoyed the ride of delivering our Home Coffee Roaster, as well as marketing the Sample Roaster and drinking some fantastic coffees along the way.
Before joining IKAWA, Alex worked for UK coffee brand Cafédirect and founded Espresso Mushroom Company, which he runs in his ‘spare time’. He was a finalist for IGD Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2014.
General Manager - IKAWA at Home
Bradley joined IKAWA in 2015 to head up our Sales and Business Development team and has the perfect niche combining his love of coffee with application of start-up business theory, particularly anything Seth Godin.
He is a qualified UKBC judge and in charge of keeping the team in good coffee. His choice of brewing equipment in the office reflects the growth we’ve achieved – moving from a 3-cup to 6-cup Chemex, through a Technovorm Moccamaster, and we now have two Wilfa Svart a Linea Mini and selection of V60 and Kalita filters. He’s doing a good job!
Head of Operations
Daniel joins IKAWA with an impressive background in Operations, including time in senior management with McLaren Racing as well as Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains.
After growing up in Hamburg, he relocated to London in 1994 where he studied at Brunel University, and continues to live with his young family.
You might find him outside IKAWA on his cruiser board commuting to work or discovering the city’s pinball halls on the weekend!
Head of HR & Legal
Finance Manager
Maria brings years of experience working as an Accountant for companies in the private, public, and NGO sector. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina and moved to London in 2015. Maria loves traveling but loves coffee even more.
The love for coffee started from a young age with Maria as she was drinking coffee from 2 and a half years old because she didn’t like milk!
Sales Manager
Sales and BDM for USA & Canada
Complex, with notes of umami and a zippy acidity; Miles joined IKAWA to open our US office in Los Angeles, and help the business create a foothold across the pond.
She brings a wealth of speciality coffee knowledge (note how we’re maintaining the second i in speciality), most recently working as Director of Education at Royal Coffee New York, and previously Production and Roasting Manager at Allegro, and Roaster at Blue Bottle.
We’re delighted she’s part of the team, and it’s a pure bonus that we’ll have to spend time in LA – we’ll also be making the most of sharing roast profiles and doing calibrated cross-Atlantic cuppings!
Account Manager
Ansel has experience working in kitchens, high fashion, and highly collectible coffees. He joins IKAWA as a former customer - he was using the IKAWA Sample Roaster everyday as a coffee trader in London.
Before his career in coffee, Ansel studied Fine Arts and Architecture in Italy, cooked in an Italian restaurant, sold high-end fashion and art, and finally trading the higher priced coffees at a coffee importer in London.
In his time outside work he’s still cooking, exploring Dalston, and exploring natural wines.
Wholesale Account Manager
Customer Service Executive
Brad is always first on the pourover station in the morning at IKAWA, and will generously encourage you to try whatever brew he's exploring that day.
You might see Brad around London on his skateboard, trying not to spill his coffee, or you may have seen him managing the coffee program at Bonds in Hackney, a coffee/concept store that's taking off.
All in all, Brad has a passion for food and drink (flavours!) which started when he would make trips into London from his hometown just outside Cambridge. He's never too far from his family dog, unless he's off exploring - he is, like a lot of our team, an avid and active traveler!
Product Manager
Geoff first encountered IKAWA before most of us, meeting Rombout at SCAA about five years ago, and became an IKAWA customer this year in his previous role as Director of Coffee for DETOUR, one of Canada's top speciality roasters. “Coffee is a bit of a rabbit hole” Geoff told us when discussing quality coffee. It’s one he’s dived in deep, which is great because Geoff is in charge of educating our customers on the finer points of coffee.
Beyond coffee, you’ll find Geoff playing squash, exploring his new home city London, searching out the best ramen, and appreciating our relatively milder climate!"
Origin Business Development Manager
Tony grew up in the highlands and coffee producing region of Panama. Tony has a family background of over 100 years in coffee production–it’s in his DNA.
Growing up in coffee, and working for both roasteries and coffee importers, has meant that sample roasting has been a big part of Tony’s professional career. In-house, he might have the highest roast count on the IKAWA!
Before joining IKAWA Tony completed his Masters from the London School of Economics in Public Policy and International Migration. Tony is an avid traveller, multi-linguist (9 languages!), and despite being from Panama, he says he loves working in London and the weather isn’t as bad as people say!
Pro-Marketing
IKAWA At Home Projects and Advertising Manager
Project Manager
Operations Executive
HR Officer
Ask Sophie about her hot sauce and/or fridge magnet collection, both of which are impressive.
Sophie has a degree in marketing and experience in restaurant management. She’s run the Midnight Sun Marathon in Norway, enjoys making latch hook rugs. To know what's on, what's cool, and where it's worth visit - ask Sophie.
Finance Assistant
Ornella was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina and moved to London in early 2018. She studied and became an Accountant in Argentina and after moving to London, joined our Finance Team alongside Maria.
An avid traveller, Ornella is now soaking in the culture in Camden and slowly but surely coming around to our office coffee. She still favours her Grandmothers, who mixes and grinds two special types together, her secret recipe!
Buyer
Production Engineer
We have welcomed George back into a full time position after his 3 month internship with IKAWA in 2016. While studying engineering, George was part of the team that created the bike that holds the current human powered British land speed record!
When not working with production and R&D at IKAWA, George is a bit of a chef, making fresh and local meals at home. He even takes the time to forage and grow his own food!
R&D Project Manager
Harriet says she’s probably a little too keen on Bill Murray so she obviously fits in well here. Her time in fashion and branding gave her some interesting opportunities but felt drawn to hospitality which eventually led her to coffee.
She's a bit of a green thumb and grows her own veg when she’s not dancing to Talking Heads and sampling London’s best Negroni’s.
Service Station Technician
Lydia joined IKAWA as a Production Technician, coming from the world of prop production and finance. Lydia enjoys working with her hands and creating. She also loves coffee and so IKAWA has been a natural choice where she is part of the incredible team that builds each roaster in London, UK.
When not working you may find her at a music gig or walking around town taking photographs with a camera in one hand and a coffee in the other.
Production Team Leader
Production Technician
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!
Now Managing Director of Olam 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 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.
Managing Director
Founder, CTO and Chairman
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.
Andrew’s career has been based at Deloitte where he’s worked and lived in London, Birmingham, Melbourne and Paris. His roles include Partner, Vice Chairman, Global Head of Mergers and Acquisitions; Transaction Services and European and UK Head of Mergers and Acquisitions.
Since his retirement, he and former colleagues have invested in a number of young developing businesses – and IKAWA is fortunate to benefit from his wisdom.