Established to transcend international borders and cultivate collaborative learning among ECOM’s emerging talent, ECOM University assembled over thirty high-potential colleagues representing 17 nations and virtually every department within our organization. Split between 7-9 October at the beautiful Trademark Hotel, this year’s program provided both classroom and hands-on learning in the heart of Kenya’s capital. 

A Program Designed for Growth 

ECOM University exists to bring rising talent together and educate them in the inner workings of ECOM’s businesses, strategic directions, cultural expectations, and operational realities. Over the course of those three days, participants dived into workshops, business sessions, and collaborative problem-solving exercises meant to build cross-sectional understanding and individual growth. 

Andre, a colleague I had only known from across a screen until this week, summed it up perfectly: 

“It was an amazing week, I could really see that ECOM is much bigger than I had imagined, and it was fascinating to see how all the pieces fit together” - Andre Ricardo de Santana, Risk Analyst  

The content was comprehensive, building on three months of preparatory online learning prior to arriving in Kenya. Over the course of the program, participants explored a wide array of subjects vital to understanding ECOM' s global operations, including how our five values (Innovation, Integrity, Collaboration, Excellence, Inclusivity) are applied in practice, our global sustainability priorities, fundamentals of supply chain management, trading futures, market volatility, risk management, and legal, just to name a few. 

Every day was as fulfilling as it was informative, blending technical education with ECOM’s values and real-world examples presented by our resident experts. It was a pleasure to hear each topic presented by ECOM’s management and their engagement with us, the participants. 

International Talent, One ECOM 

My fellow participants reflected ECOM’s global reach, with the quality and diversity of expertise and character being an absolute highlight of the experience. Having worked with many colleagues virtually for months or even years, meeting them in person was especially meaningful.  

Our workshops emphasized collaboration both within our technical sections and across them, especially in the ability to evaluate challenges through multiple perspectives, from that of the farmer to the commodity trader.  

Meaningful Time with EXCO 

Another two highlights of the program occurred on the first and then final day, with the opportunity to engage directly with Alain Poncelet (Group CEO) and later, with three EXCO members: Guus de Gruiter, Rahul Gopinath Nair, and Teddy Esteve. In both cases, they delivered strategic insights, shared predictions on our industry's future, and fielded questions from the group, allowing us to draw from their experiences. The active involvement of senior leaders showed the value being put into ECOM University, and the organization’s continued commitment to building a unified global team. 

Immersion Beyond the Classroom 

While our sessions were anchored in the classroom, Nairobi itself played a meaningful role in shaping the experience. Many participants explored nearby markets or experienced the city’s culinary and cultural landscape. On the final day of the program, a field trip to our Dorman’s Coffee facility in Tatu City gave us firsthand exposure to origin-level operations. Observing the journey from tree to roaster brought the supply chain to life, connecting the classroom concepts with tangible experience. 

Collaboration and Initiative 

By the program’s conclusion, participants demonstrated a clear understanding of ECOM’s business processes, its global interdependencies, and a renewed commitment to our shared five values. Most importantly, we have formed lasting relationships among us that span the globe. The motivation and purpose this time have given us has already created change, and new cooperative projects have emerged directly because of the workshops we underwent. 

“The main highlight of the week (aside from the knowledge gained) was the collaborations and new connections made with colleagues within the greater ECOM community. Hopefully, we can further leverage the collaboration that was built within existing and future projects.” - Maurice Bruns, Business Analyst 

Maurice was one of the first to take the initiative and spearhead a new interdisciplinary team centered around leveraging our new Business Intelligence functionalities. I was invited to be a part of this endeavor and am very excited to continue to build off the foundations we have built in Kenya. 

ECOM University and its Impact 

ECOM University is a cornerstone of EXCO and Global HR team's initiative to facilitate a global ECOM community and is a long-term investment in talent, culture, and future organizational capability.  

“2025 was a year of firsts for ECOM University, which is now in its third year. This was the first year we hosted the programme in Nairobi, Kenya and also the first year we ran the programme completely in-house. All the organising, subject-matter expertise, curriculum and content development, and delivery were owned 100% by senior management, supported by our amazing administration colleagues and the country management team in Kenya. 

Nairobi proved to be an outstanding location on many fronts, including the advantage of allowing participants the opportunity to see the complete coffee supply chain from tree to cup.  The entire programme had incredible energy with superb engagement, participation and appreciation from the group.” - Lori Nirenstein, Global Learning & Development Manager 

As each of us has returned to our respective regions, we carry with us a more holistic view of ECOM and a shared responsibility to elevate our surroundings and support the incredible teams we have. Nairobi served not only as a location, but as a catalyst for action and growth in each of us. This city of movement, ambition, and resilience reflects the qualities the next generation of ECOM leaders will bring into the future.