THIS MUCH
I KNOW...
WITH COKI FISSEHA

Words of wisdom from Coki Fisseha

Coki Fisseha has been with Finlays for 12 years. After a long career in R&D, she moved into a commercial role in 2020. Here she shares her pearls of wisdom including her passion for creation, the power of the pivot, and why you never know where the next beverage innovation will come from….

THIS MUCH I KNOW…WITH COKI FISSEHA

01

Living in other cultures shapes you as a person. I was born in Ethiopia, and because my dad was a diplomat, I lived in lots of other countries growing up, including India and North Korea. Moving around so much shaped me as a person and taught me so much about how to celebrate life and celebrate culture.

02

I believe in the power of the pivot. My first degree was in engineering, but I realised it wasn’t for me and switched to study culinary nutrition. And after a long time working in R&D roles, around five years ago I moved into a sales role. It was overwhelming at first, but I love my new role so much now. I get to work with wonderful people and customers, travel the country… and nothing beats seeing a product out on the shelves that you have worked on. The best advice I’ve been given is “You’ll figure it out” and my career is testament to this!

03

An R&D background is extremely useful when it comes to supporting our customers. Having technical product knowledge makes it so easy to talk to customers, and I can leverage my passion and experience to help them solve challenges and provide expert guidance. If any product developers out there are thinking of making the switch, I’d highly recommend it!

04

Product developers are the unsung heroes of the beverage industry. I’m always in awe of product developers, and what they’re bringing to market. There’re helping to drive our industry forward and I’m always excited to see the next big innovation.

05

You never know where the next innovation is going to come from. These days ideas for beverages can come from anywhere. There’s so much freedom of expression on social media and anyone, anywhere can create a product in their kitchen that takes off and shares their culture and values with the world. It’s an incredibly exciting and dynamic time in beverages.

06

I’ve always had a passion for creation. I’ve always loved experimenting with new flavor combinations in my kitchen and trying them out on people. I think that’s why I started an Instagram channel called Bevies for Foodies with my colleague Stephanie Thornton. This is all about us sharing the latest trends and product launches with the wider world. Make sure you drop us a follow @BeviesForFoodies.

07

Finlays has always been so supportive of my career. I’ve been with Finlays for 12 years, and whether it was when I was in R&D, or since I made the switch into sales, I’ve always felt so supported. I love the community and culture here – and once you’re in, it’s hard to leave!

08

I’m a big believer in learning from your neighbors and seeing where it takes you. There are so many cultures around us, it’s easy to forget how many wonderful things there are in the world that we can learn from. I was in South Korea last year and noticed how big matcha was, and now almost overnight in the US, everyone wants matcha. I love how globally, we’re emerging as one.