Before taking up her new post at the WCF, Verbruggen served as the Director of Global Communications at Cargill, one of the world's leading cocoa suppliers, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the global communication strategies for its cocoa and chocolate business.
About the WCF
The World Cocoa Foundation is an international membership organisation representing the global cocoa and chocolate sectors. Its members include farmer cooperatives, cocoa processors, chocolate manufacturers, supply chain companies, and other worldwide stakeholders.
She also brings a wealth of experience and expertise in corporate communications, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement within the cocoa sector, making her a valuable addition to the WCF team.
Chris Vincent, President of the WCF, said: "We are delighted to welcome Mariette to the World Cocoa Foundation. Her extensive communications experience in the cocoa sector signifies a significant step forward in strengthening WCF’s ability to drive positive sustainability change in the cocoa and chocolate sector. Mariette will also play an important role in strengthening our stakeholder engagement programme.”
Verbruggen’s main priority at the WCF is to lead the Corporate Affairs team in advancing the organisation's mission to create an equitable and thriving cocoa sector.
She will oversee WCF's global communications strategy and stakeholder engagement, articulating a vision for sustainability in the cocoa sector and driving the strategy priorities of the WCF.
"I am honoured and humbled to be a part of the World Cocoa Foundation. Driving change in a sector as complex as cocoa can only happen through an informed debate about the challenges we face. I hope that WCF continues to be a leading industry voice for cocoa sustainability while contributing to achieving meaningful impact across the cocoa value chain,” Verbruggen said.