Phil is Managing Director of Covoya Europe. From 1997 he ran his family green coffee business Schluter Ltd. until its acquisition by Olam in 2016, and he has been MD of Covoya since.
Phil was born in the USA and spent his childhood in Nairobi, Kenya. He then moved to the UK in 1982 where he completed his education, graduating from Oxford University in Geography with a focus on African development, and subsequently joining his uncle in the family coffee business. He spent a number of years working at our office in Nyon, Switzerland before moving to reopen Schluter's historic office in Liverpool, UK, where he now lives with his wife and 4 children.
Phil says: "Throughout my life I have maintained a big heart for Africa, especially the people who are full of an infectious optimism which has stayed with me since my childhood."
Funnily enough, he also has a big passion for coffee. He is one of the founders of the SCAE (now merged with the SCA) and was on the board of trustees for CQI. He is a Director of IKAWA coffee, producing the world’s first digital micro-roaster, and a licensed Q-grader, having taken part in the first ever UK Q-grading course. He also has 30 years experience working as a coffee trader with a particular focus on East African specialty.
