Curriculum Vitae
contact : willfrith at gmail dot com
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Currently based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Full-Time Industry Experience
2021-present: BEL
Concept and Design Consulting, Coffee Quality, Coffee Training, Cofounder
Buildout and bar flow consulting
Creation of concept and design
Layout and installation
Coffee vision, Execution, Maintenance
Training & Coaching - Barista, Service
Technical, R&D
Quality Control
Career development coaching
Business development
2019-present: Building Coffee
Founder & Director
Green coffee sourcing and buying strategy
Go-to-market strategy
Ideation, iteration, and innovation in product
Business development and relationship management
Consulting and advising on B2B customer equipment selection, installation, and maintenance
Trade shows and events, cross-platform marketing
Technical customer support
Quality Control
Training and education
Team leadership and coaching
Industry thought leadership
2015-2018 Modbar Llc (La Marzocco)
Regional Business Development | Western USA
Customer Support & User Engagement, Sales & Consulting, Technical Support, R&D, Relationship Management, Installation & Bar Flow
Trade shows and events - coordination, logistics, operation & representation.
Pre-sales, sales, and after sales transitional strategy and support during Modbar / La Marzocco merger
2014 - 2015: The New Black, Singapore
Director of Coffee
Technical, R&D; Menu creation and development; Quality control/systems; Equipment selection, implementation, commissioning and maintenance, curriculum & training; workflow systems & bar design; supplier network; SOP creation and development
2011-2013: Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, Olympia, Washington
Production roasting, roaster maintenance (Diedrich HR-1 and IR-12 and Jabez-Burns Sample Roaster), quality control, assistant to green coffee buyer, research and development, barista training, wholesale client consulting and support. 2013 Micro Roaster of the Year, Roast Magazine.
2007-2011: Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters, Olympia, Washington
Production, barista training, research and development, quality assurance, customer support and consulting
2001-2004: Mod Coffeehouse, Galveston, Texas
Barista, baker, staff manager, trainer
Skills & Training Subjects
Cupping: daily production cupping, green coffee buying, facilitating cupping sessions for current and potential clients, organizing and facilitating public tasting events
Roasting: sample roasting, roast profiles development (production roast levels, espresso for competition and guest espresso in retail and wholesale), post-roast blend development, production roasting, roaster maintenance and troubleshooting
Teaching and Training: curriculum development, training programming, on-site customer support, barista (espresso, automated and manual brewing), cupping and roaster training, retail and production/manufacturing consulting.
Equipment (installation, operation, maintenance and repair): Various Espresso Machines, Grinders, Brewers, & Roasters
Customer Service: on-the-bar experience, training and education, tours of facilities and retail locations, consulting for startup and existing retail coffee locations, ordering and procurement, equipment maintenance and repair
Competition/Participation: Sensory Judge at various regional, national, and international Barista Competitions (USA, Singapore, Vietnam 2009-present); Station Instructor for BGA espresso workshops; Station Instructor for Roasting and Cupping workshops; Regional Brewer’s Cup finalist (2011, 2012); Various Community Coffee Events (planning, hosting, logistics, execution, and of course lots of dish washing)
References upon request
Consulting & Industry Leadership
Speaker — Re:Co Symposium, Specialty Coffee Association Expo, 2022, Boston: “Vietnam: A New Vocabulary.”
Jungle Coffee Coalition, Southeast Asia, Online, June 2021-present: Founding member of a group of SE Asian coffee professionals with a monthly podcast that aims to highlight work in the Southeast Asian Specialty Coffee sector. JCC acts as a bridge between SE Asian coffee professionals to provide greater access to shared resources and experience.
Ro/Ar Coffee Alliance, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, February 2019-present: Founding member of an organization designed to develop awareness of transparency across industry and consumer populations in the Vietnamese coffee community. Focused on raising both the quality of life of producers and the quality of end product. Providing leadership in technical exchanges and organized events.
Speaker and Panelist — World Coffee Leaders Forum, Cafe Show Asia 2019, Seoul.
Lam Dong Center for Agricultural Development, Department of Production and Preservation, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, February 2019: Evaluation of raw product, sample preparation and roasting to SCA standard. Head judge for cupping panel representing different segments of the specialty industry. Led the analysis of existing arabica varieties in the Dalat region. Presented findings and analysis to the department.
Micro Wet Mill Project, Dalat, Vietnam (present): collaborator, technical and operational consultant, including field research, mill design, and land surveying for a proposed wet mill to designed to introduce market access to local growers, increasing available volume of specialty arabica for the domestic market. Responsible for project team leadership, design phase initiation and management, technical quality control, and sourcing subcontractor expertise from established sources.
World Coffee Research On-Farm Trials, Dalat, Vietnam, 2018-2020: Project lead, originating WCR’s research in Vietnam and serving as interim country liaison. Convening stakeholders and subject matter experts, including local growers and processors, Dalat University Department of Agriculture, and Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (WASI), a department of the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture. Project management, field research identifying potential test plots and partners, and outreach to local operators.
The Workshop Coffee, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2015-2021: Production systems design, wholesale program development, roaster training, QC systems, product development, barista training and support.
La Viet, Dalat and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2015-present: Barista and roaster training, QC systems, equipment support, training and education systems, business development. Wholesale program development.
Vietnam Coffee Republic, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2015-2018: Production systems design, roaster and wholesale training and education development, barista training and support.
[a] café, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2013-2016: Roaster and barista training, customer service training, event planning
Bolaven Farms, Pakse, Laos, 2013: Roasting machine commissioning, Basic operator training, Quality Control Basics training.
Eastgate Cafe, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2013: Roaster training, barista training, branding, green coffee sourcing, quality control, roast profile building
Mach Coffee, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Hong Kong, 2013: Quality control, roast profile building, product development
Golden Bell Coffee, Dalat, Lam Dong, Vietnam, 2013-2015: Roaster training, barista training, roast profile building, green coffee improvement, quality control
Temple Hills Coffee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2012-2014: Business strategy consulting, training, green coffee development
Mod Coffeehouse, Galveston, Texas, 2012: Barista training, business development, consulting