15 de Jan 2019 | Cocoa
Eduardo Montauban, The Coffee Gentleman
Business union leader with an important trajectory died on Saturday 12. Dedicated 42 years to the sector
The coffee and cocoa sector in Peru is in mourning, Mr. Eduardo Montauban Urriaga, General Manager of the Peruvian Chamber of Coffee and Cacao has left us. An important promoter of the sector is lost, who for more than 42 years worked for a country with a coffee and cacao culture.
Mr. Montauban came to the sector in 1976 to the Public Company of Commercialization of Flour and Oil of Fish (EPCHAP), like analyst of coffee in charge of the sectoral statistics and responsible to manage the certificates of origin of the International Organization of the Coffee-OIC. In the 1980s he stayed through various public bodies: Export Products Manager of the National Company of Input Marketing (ENCI), Director of the former National Coffee Board from where he managed the National Coffee Fund of Peru.
In 1991 he was invited to manage the nascent Chamber of Coffee Exporters, now the Peruvian Chamber of Coffee and Cocoa (CPC). Since the CPC has promoted key processes: the first organic coffee production project, the implementation of technical standards, the reduction and subsequent elimination of the penalty for the delivery of Peruvian coffee to the New York Stock Exchange (NYBT), has also led to the training of more than 1,400 coffee quality tasters. Its management leaves two transcendental events: the National Coffee and Cacao Convention, which with 21 editions is the technical space with the greatest continuity; and the recent Cafeteria Contest in Lima. In addition, Eduardo presides over the Coffee and Cocoa Technical Standards Committees, was president of the Expo Café Committee and a member of the National Coffee Council.
In 2017 was selected as a finalist for the position of Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the main intergovernmental organization that deals with coffee issues since 1962. The ICO brings together governments of exporting and importing countries to address, through cooperation international, the challenges facing the world coffee sector. Its Members represent 98% of world production.
Eduardo was a person of principles: punctuality, transparency, chivalry, loyalty and decency. All his friends consider him a special person, and as few, of great confidence, great kindness and good heart. He was also very precise, lover of art, particularly painting, film and music; He was also an exceptional conversationalist.
His departure leaves us several lessons, some of which we outline: (i) not faint or be overcome; (ii) we must raise the level of the discussion, look for the best technicians; (iii) be methodical; and (iv) always thank. That we can see his perseverance in the House, the hundreds of letters of thanks that each exponent of the events he has directed has sent.
As an institution, it takes us to assume his departure and follow the work we entrust him, replacing the one he has given for 27 years is a challenge, but his path and the personality that he has transmitted to the Chamber guarantees that we will stay on the right track.
Someone is going away who like few, that at the end of character, kindness and perseverance has gained a great place in the coffee and cocoa sector of Peru, there will not be anybody with the voice or presence of Eduardo.