De Sousa Coutinho, Independent Board Member, (Portugal), who was elected to a three-year term, currently serves as a board member with Banco CCT, Portugal, and since 2021 is a member of the International Advisory Board at the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics. During her career, she has held various senior positions with international retailer Jeronimo Martins (Portugal) and with Groupe Casino in Brazil. She was founder and CEO of Ocean Participacoes/Benjamin’s Bakeries in Brazil before moving on to advise Walmart’s Sam’s Club in China on accelerating growth.

Her deep knowledge of food markets and large international retail players, her skills acquired working in complex and competitive international markets, as well as her art of asking probing questions will be an excellent addition to the Board.

De Sousa Coutinho was elected during Fairtrade International’s General Assembly in June.

“On behalf of Fairtrade International I would like to thank Eric Salmon & Partners for their exemplary work. The Board and Governance Advisory Practice, particularly the dedicated team of Hagen, Wai Leong, Tim, and Elena, demonstrated exceptional professionalism and expertise throughout the assignment,” said Laurence Tanty, Chair of the Fairtrade International Board, who was also re-elected for a second term. “Eric Salmon & Partners played a crucial role in helping us appoint two outstanding Board members, successfully navigating our complex diversity requirements which reflect the global nature of our business. We greatly appreciate the high caliber of candidates presented, their extensive international experience, and the team's ability to swiftly adapt to changing circumstances. Their commitment and meticulous approach have been invaluable to us.”

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