Three by three questions: Working Environments and Teamwork – INSIDE NKG | MAG

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Sharing Solutions: How local approaches enable global success

Setting sail for the coffee business of tomorrow: On course to the first ERP rollout for NGUS

Depicting NKG’s growth in Asia: Insights from Mira Yudhawati and Emily Chua

Smart design for a sustainable future: The Ibero Uganda mill project

Behind the scenes

Mail from NG Comms: A personal Update

Virtual Tour: Berindo Jaya

Faces and portraits

Interview with Thomas Silva

Interview with Marcelo de Paula Nogueira

On a Cupping with Maks Mazurkiewicz

A visit with Kayd Whalen

NKG Integrity Champion: Thumbs up for reliable colleagues

NKG Holding who is who: Introducing Legal Department

Breaking the coffee ceiling: Inspiring women at NKG

Out of the box

Three by Three Questions: EUDR challenges and implementation

Time to take action: Neumann Gruppe donates to the promotion of democracy

At a glance

Recap: What happened in half-year one / 2024

It's your turn

Quiz: Spot the Difference

OUT OF THE BOX

Three by three questions:Working Environments and Teamwork

OUT OF THE BOX

Three by three questions: Working Environments and Teamwork

NKG’s greatest strengths are the diversity of our businesses, our teams and our people. But what is it that makes each team work so well? What motivates them, what are their strengths and what are their challenges? To find out, we asked three colleagues from three very different working environments. Our Three by Three questions are answered this time by NKG colleagues from a farm, an exporting and an importing company.

Jeremiah Mwangi

Agronomy Manager,
Kaweri Coffee Plantation, Uganda

What are your greatest strengths as a team or company?

On the one hand, we have a good knowledge of the agronomic requirements for Robusta coffee and have developed and implemented a unique agronomic Robusta concept for sustainable coffee production. Secondly, we have developed a good understanding of different social backgrounds in our multicultural environment. In addition, our management team is experienced and we have good relations with the neighborhood. We trust each other, work together openly and constructively, and discuss conflicts rather than ignoring or glossing over them. Our progressive and appropriate leadership, meets the needs of individuals and promotes team development. In addition, the team reflects regularly to learn from mistakes or shortcomings as well as successes.

What is your greatest motivation as a team or company?

We are motivated to create and maintain a good work environment. We want to make sure everyone understands the importance of the team members and their contributions to team goals. We strive to review and value each other's work. Also set goals as a team after consultation and regular review drive us. Relevant training supports us in this process - using team members to train others in their specialties where appropriate. At Kaweri, everyone is encouraged to contribute and listen to ideas and suggestions, delegating decisions and allowing employees to make and implement them. It is naturally motivating that individual successes and challenges are praised and communicated, and the results and achievements of the organization are explained.

What are your greatest current challenges as a team or company?

Our challenges include global climate change, which affects the performance of the farm and therefore the performance of the team, and sporadic outbreaks of pests and diseases that affect coffee production The labor shortage during the peak of the coffee harvest and the laborious recruitment of workers in distant areas is another challenge. Due to the lack of commercial farming, Kaweri coffee has become an easy target for the recruitment of technical personnel from emerging farms.

What are your greatest strengths as a team or company?

Our People: Our greatest asset lies in our team of highly committed people with a passion for coffee and with deep knowledge of the business after many years of experience. Our team has a strong sense of responsibility guided by the NKG Code of Conduct, a client-centric approach and collaborative teamwork that helps us reach our objectives more easily. The values by which we inter-relate are perceived and well appreciated by our stakeholders.

What is your greatest motivation as a team or company?

We spend more time at work than at home. Therefore, we strive to create a healthy work environment and instill values such as integrity, teamwork, accountability and respect. We are all profoundly driven by our passion for coffee and the producers: We strive to establish long term relationships and provide coffee producers with stability, growth opportunities and sharing their story to the global market to contribute to their success and recognition. Ultimately, our motivation stems from the satisfaction of being able to assist and make a positive impact in the lives of those who interact with us.

What are your greatest current challenges as a team or company?

One of the primary challenges is the need for constant adaptation to change. We have to keep up to date with the changing market trends, consumer preferences, trade policies and regulations. Another crucial challenge we have been facing for several years is the shift in climate patterns. As weather events become more frequent and extreme coffee production is severely impacted. We need to navigate the effects of climate change on crop yields, quality, and supply chain logistics, while also implementing sustainable practices and supporting coffee producers in mitigating the environmental impact.

Ramon Medina

General Manager,
COINCA, Peru

Deborah Righeschi

Head of Quality Department,
NKG Bero Italia

What are your greatest strengths as a team or company?

Our greatest strength, which distinguishes us, is undoubtedly the professionalism, seriousness and competence of each member of our team. The attention we give to our work every day and the passion that underlies everything we do make us a unique team of professionals. In addition, our clients appreciate our after sale service, which is very careful and tailor-made on our customers need and expectations.

What is your greatest motivation as a team or company?

There are several motivations that distinguish us and allow us to achieve the excellent results we are accustomed to. As a company, we are motivated by our leadership position in a difficult market such as the Italian one. As a team, we are motivated by the great working environment and the true spirit of cooperation that drives our daily activities.

What are your greatest current challenges as a team or company?

In fact, we are facing a lot of challenges... The main one is that we want to maintain our leadership position and to do that we have to reject the hard and constant attack we are facing from our competitors. We also want to be at the forefront of everything that is happening in the coffee world, especially the new dynamics that the whole world is facing in various important aspects such as sustainability. Sustainability is one of the key factors that represents a great challenge for us, and that calls for our vision, our strategy and our ability to adapt to future expectations.

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Interview with Ruben Scholz

Ruben Scholz was 23 years old when he joined NKG – and has never left the group since. In his almost 26 years at NKG, he has not only first developed his passion for drinking coffee during intense cupping sessions in the Quality lab. He has also gone through all Trade-related positions from Junior Trader to Managing Director at Bernhard Rothfos, Managing Director of Bero Coffee Singapore to hir current position as Group COO at Neumann Gruppe GmbH.
He has always enjoyed the positive working environment combined with a family-owned company culture where the trust and commercial freedom of the management and shareholder can materialize ideas into businesses.

Interview with Gökhan Kücük

Gökhan Kücük became part of NKG a little more than a year ago as a Senior Controller at Neumann Gruppe Hamburg. Coffee for him was not really a “love at first sip”, but the strong Turkish Mocca Gökhan tried from his parents nevertheless initiated his passion for our product. Here at NKG, he especially likes the supportive environment and the openness from all colleagues around him.

NKG Holding “who is who”: Introducing NG Coaching

Neumann Gruppe in Hamburg consists of departments with a diverse variety of functions and competencies, which both serve the general strategic orientation of NKG and provide specific support for the group companies. Some departments and services are already known to many, while others have been working more in the background. We would like to use our NKG Connected to close this gap and have therefore initiated the “who is who” series. Here, we want to look at what competencies exist in the holding company, for whom these could be helpful and interesting, who is responsible for what, and a lot more.

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Neumann Gruppe GmbH
Coffee Plaza • Am Sandtorpark 4
20457 Hamburg • Germany

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PRIVACY POLICY

Neumann Gruppe GmbH
Coffee Plaza
Am Sandtorpark 4
20457 Hamburg • Germany