The Women in Cocoa & Chocolate Network (WINCC) has announced the launch of the WINCC Mentor Academy, a new mentorship and leadership development programme designed to support, retain, and advance women across the global cocoa and chocolate value chains.
The launch comes at a pivotal moment for the cocoa sector. While the industry grapples with unprecedented market volatility, climate impacts, and the implementation of new due diligence regulations, a critical factor often receives less attention — human capital.
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According to WINCC, resilient and profitable cocoa supply chains depend not only on policy and technology, but on experienced leadership capable of navigating complexity and driving innovation.
Women play vital roles across producing and consuming countries, yet remain significantly under-represented in decision-making positions and certain functional areas, such as sourcing. Many also encounter mid-career barriers including limited sponsorship, unclear progression pathways, and health-related attrition. When experienced women leave the sector, the result is not only a loss of talent, but a measurable erosion of institutional knowledge, professional relationships, and execution capacity.
Research shows these challenges emerge precisely when women’s expertise is most valuable — a stage associated with systems thinking, innovation, and resilience. Studies further indicate that around 80% of women over 40 experience work-impacting health symptoms, contributing to an estimated 10% workforce attrition.
At the same time, persistent gender pay gaps and limited transparency continue to undermine retention — issues that the EU Pay Transparency Directive, effective June 2026, seeks to address through mandatory disclosure and corrective action.
“Gender inequality in leadership is not just unfair, it is inefficient,” says Beatrice Moulianitaki, Founder and Chair of WINCC. “At a time when the cocoa sector is under pressure from all sides, we cannot afford to lose talented and experienced professionals because systems fail to support them.”
A Structured Response to a Sector-Wide Challenge
The WINCC Mentor Academy is designed as a practical response to these challenges. The programme offers structured mentorship, leadership development, sponsorship opportunities, and cross-company networks to strengthen retention and advancement — both within companies and along the wider supply chain.
“I didn’t always have the right support in my career and learned a lot the hard way,” says Marika van Santvoort, Lead a.i. of the Mentor Academy. “In a complex sector like cocoa, having a mentor who understands the system and can offer perspective when you’re stuck can be the difference between giving up or pushing on.”
WINCC is inviting participation from:
- Mentees — women seeking growth, visibility, and leadership development
- Mentors — experienced professionals committed to sponsoring emerging talent
- Sponsors and Partners — organisations investing in talent, ESG goals, and long-term sector resilience
Launch Event During Chocoa 2026
The Mentor Academy will officially launch on 17 February 2026 in Amsterdam, during Chocoa 2026, coinciding with WINCC’s 10-year anniversary. The evening will bring together female and male allies committed to advancing women in the cocoa sector, while fostering dialogue on leadership and human capital needs.
Speaker guests include, singer/songwriter Kris Berry, Jenny Davis-Pecoud / Partner Sustainability at Bain & Company, Merlyn Casanova Loor / CEO at Anecacao, Antonie Fountain at Voice Network.
Event details
Date: 17 February 2026, Amsterdam (open to female and male allies)
Time: 19:00–21:00 (ticket includes access to the WCF Reception from 17:30–19:00)
Tickets: €35 via chocoa.nl
Programme info: Events | WINCC
Cocoaradar's takeaway
With the Mentor Academy, WINCC positions women’s leadership not as a diversity add-on, but as a strategic imperative — essential to building a more resilient, innovative, and sustainable cocoa sector.
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