Our Global Team
We are a team of experts in development and trade, always open to collaborating with freelance consultants and trainees who are as passionate as we are and share our values and principles. Every day, we work together and support each other!
Bert-Jan Ottens
Senior Adviser
Bert-Jan Ottens is the founder of ProFound – Advisers In Development and Senior Adviser. He is also the founder of Blue Rhino (rural finance) and Green Rhino Kenya (‘Healthy Green Choice’). He has a background in international economic development, and policy and management studies of developing countries.
Bert-Jan is skilled in developing multi-stakeholder approaches for sustainable and traceable supply chains from resource to market; designing biodiversity and livelihood related BioTrade development programmes; designing related micro/rural financing strategies.
He has more than 25 years of experience in developing innovative products and tools for organisations such as RVO/CBI from the Netherlands, UNCTAD BioTrade, SECO and SIPPO, UNDP, World Bank, FAO and IFAD, as well as for private sector actors and sustainability initiatives like FairWild Foundation.
Adriana Tascon
Senior Consultant
Adriana Tascon is a trade promotion expert and economist with an Executive MBA and 18 years of experience in the private and public sectors. Adriana has worked with SMEs in Colombia and Latin America as an independent consultant, assisting them in their international expansion into specialised markets and promoting sustainable trade and innovation throughout the food value chain. She worked for the Colombian government in the trade promotion agency Procolombia for 8 years, promoting agribusiness companies and products and specialising in matchmaking.
Within ProFound Adriana works in project management, new business initiatives like our Webinar Series, Trade Fairs & Matchmaking projects (B2B & trade platforms).
Iris Mota
Senior Adviser
Iris Mota holds a Master’s degree in Pharmacy and Chemistry of Plant Natural Products. She has gained international experience optimizing factories in Peru, Angola, Italy and Portugal, where she worked on plant-based value chains with a focus on vegetable and essential oils.
Her expertise lies in studying production processes and understanding how chemical variations influence product quality throughout the value chain.
Additionally, through collaborations with more than 90 farms across the Iberian Peninsula, Iris has deepened her knowledge of raw material sourcing, regenerative agriculture and agricultural products. She advises on compliance and quality control, determining optimal storage and handling procedures, as well as identifying the best transformation methods and equipment for different products and end markets.
Sonja van Rijswijk
Financial strategies & Human Resources
Sonja works as a freelance finance & administration consultant for the international development cooperation sector and organisations that value sustainable development. She currently assists ProFound with the improvement of various financial processes.
Milena Solot
Communications & Storytelling
Milena works on the interface of our Communications, Community Engagement & Impact Storytelling. She believes strongly that an inclusive and positive message is possible through transformative conversations among the community members we work with.
Milena has a background in communication and is a people-driven writer and researcher, enthusiastic and passionate about storytelling for sustainability and international development projects. She has joined us to weave ProFound’s narrative work, and to build our communication and community of best practices.
Ignacio Carmona
Digital Growth Consultant
Ignacio is advising Profound about how to develop its online digital growth strategy.
He supports the communication team creating the innovative ReGen55! Platform.
Gustavo Ferro
Associate Expert
Gustavo Ferro is an independent consultant, and associate expert of ProFound – Advisers In Development, with 18 years of experience in providing technical assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and business support organizations (BSOs) active in agro-industrial sectors, notably in natural ingredients and fruit and vegetable value chains. Gustavo is skilled in market and value chain analysis, supply chain interventions, strategic marketing and sector planning.
He has been working as a market researcher for the market studies of the Dutch Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) in several agro-industrial sectors since 2007. Gustavo is also experienced in programme design and implementation according to the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach. He is affiliated to the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO), implemented by Swisscontact, as an expert for the natural ingredients and processed food sectors, providing support to seven different target countries and their partner BSOs. He also supports the German Import Promotion Desk (IPD) as an expert in BSO development.
He has also collaborated with organizations such as the German Development Agency (GIZ), UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Gustavo Ferro holds a MSc. in International Development Studies from the University of Utrecht, and speaks English, Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish.
Miguel Camacho
Associate Expert
Miguel has been working with Business Support Organisations and Trade Support Institutions in one form or another for the past 25 years. He has developed and delivered capacity building and advisory programmes on different forms of organisational development in more than 45 countries for a large number of organisations, including ITC, SIPPO, the World Bank, GIZ, among others.
Miguel specialises in helping organisations and teams develop sharper focus, more robust processes and clearer priorities in their thinking and planning to ensure that in operations they optimise the use of their resources while achieving their objectives effectively. He has supported companies develop and implement their internationalisation plans through a number of activities, including market analysis and prospection, international marketing strategy definition, support to trade promotion activities, and others.
Johana Moreno Kuratomi
Associate Expert
Expert in Market Analysis & Natural Ingredients | International Trade & Sustainable Development Specialist
Johana as experience in market research, trade strategy, and sustainable development, with a specialization in natural ingredients for the food, cosmetics, and nutraceutical industries. With extensive experience in regulatory compliance, value chains, and export strategy, she has worked with international organizations, governments, and private sector stakeholders to facilitate access to European markets.
At Profound Consultancy, Johana leverages her deep knowledge of market intelligence and supply chain sustainability to develop high-quality market reports and industry insights. She has a strong background in EUDR compliance, OECD standards, and public-private partnerships, supporting businesses and policymakers in navigating complex trade landscapes.
As the founder of ITABÜ, she also gained hands-on experience in product innovation and sustainable supply chains in the beauty and wellness sectors.
Fluent in English, French, and Spanish, Johana is a multicultural leader with a proven ability to analyze global trends, develop strategic insights, and support companies in unlocking international trade opportunities.
Hugo Lamers
Associate Expert
Hugo Lamers is a trade consultant with 20 years of experience that helps companies with exports, business development and farming. He links exporters from Asia, Africa and Latin America to buyers in the EU market for fresh or processed fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and spices.
He finds solutions for EU based importers, start-up companies or projects in the field of trade, business development, market intelligence, sustainable and socially responsible sourcing, and regenerative and organic farming practices. Besides, he farms various crops at their own family farm in the Netherlands.
Product expertise: Ginger, Chili, Turmeric, Coffee, Fine beans, Avocado, Mango, Jackfruit, Apricot, Mangosteen, Rambutan, Acai, Pommelo, Kokum, Sea buckthorn, Raisins, Almonds, Macadamia, Millets, Chia, Specialty Rice, Dry beans.