Leadership

Shirley serves as the Secretary-General and Chief Operating Officer of the Cocoa Association of Asia (CAA). With over 30 years of leadership experience in multinational organizations, including Abbott Medical, Alibaba, Bayer, Viacom and Cargill, she has partnered closely with C‑suite leaders as Chief of Staff and senior executive support, driving strategic initiatives, organizational transformation and key project delivery. 

In her current role at CAA, Shirley leads the Association’s strategic direction and marketing initiatives such as the biennial conference, cocoa diplomacy efforts and the International Farmers Network Forum, while championing Public‑Private Partnership (PPP) programmes, deepening member engagement and overseeing the Association’s financial performance, including revenue growth and full P&L responsibility.

Ani brings nearly 30 years of experience in the cocoa sector, having held diverse roles at leading multinationals including Petra Foods, Barry Callebaut, and Mars Symbioscience Indonesia. Her expertise spans cocoa sourcing, procurement, supply chain management, and sustainability program leadership, with a strong focus on business development in sustainable agriculture.
With knowledge of the cocoa supply chain—from trading and quality control to both on-farm and off-farm challenges—Ani has also worked extensively on sustainable certification & verification schemes.
Driven by impact, her top aspiration is to improve cocoa farmer livelihoods and support Asia’s self-sufficiency in cocoa supply.

Chermaine Yue is responsible for conducting data analysis and managing the collection and processing of relevant reports to support the Association and its members. In addition, she executes marketing initiatives across social media and other platforms including RSS feeds, newsletters, events, conferences, and course promotions to enhance visibility and foster engagement among members and industry stakeholders.

Sew Hoon is our Accounting & Office Administrator overseeing the daily financial operations and administrative tasks essential for the smooth functioning of our organization. With a keen eye for detail as an Engineer, Sew Hoon is committed to ensuring accuracy in financial reporting. Her role also involves streamlining office procedures, maintaining records, Human Resources function and supporting team members in various administrative capacities. She supports the office on a part-time basis certain days a week.