IBA Board

IBA Board 2024-2025

Guillaume Marie, President (France)

Guillaume Marie is the head of the French Association of red and black currants (ANCG). He farms blackcurrants, but also potatoes, onions, wheat, corn beetroot, hazelnuts, flax and other crops on his family owned farm “Les Deux Ormes” 100 km South-West of Paris.

At the IBA grower meeting in 2023 in Herefordshire, he has been elected vice president of the IBA.

Jakub Osrodek, Vice President (Poland)

James Wright, Secretary (United Kingdom)

James Wright is a farm manager on Whittern Farms in Herefordshire. At the grower meeting in Miltenberg 2022, he was chosen to be Secretary of the IBA.

Heiko Danner, Treasurer (Germany)

Heiko Danner is a wine growing engineer who started growing blackcurrants in 1991. His passion for the black power pearl and his pro-active nature led him to plant a test field for blackcurrant varieties from all over the world, and to create the “Cassismanufaktur”: the production of blackcurrant products on his own.

He therefore now grows blackcurrants, and produces and markets a full range of blackcurrant products. His investment in the international blackcurrant family brought him to become the treasurer of the IBA in 2020.

Stefan Lampl, Austria

Dipl. Ing. Stefan Lampl has been the Manager of the Styrian Berry Cooperative (StBoG) for many years. The main crop marketed in this cooperative is elderberry. Nevertheless, many growers and Stefan himself also grow blackcurrants.

Jens Holme Pedersen, Denmark

Jens has grown blackcurrants in Denmark conventionally and organically for tens of years. He is head of the Danish grower cooperative Hortiadvice .

Fujikuma Jun san (Japan)

Fujikuma Jun san is the Executive Officer of the Beneseed Co., Ltd. Beneseed was established by Japanese philanthropist and business philosopher, Katayama Genjiro san. This company already assisted the initial development of the IBA as a “family of global business” back in 2008.

A film director for 30 years, Jun san specialized in filming world heritage sites for documentaries. In 2004, he met Katayama Genjiro san. Inspired by the social business philosophy, Jun san joined Beneseed. He now works in the area of international business development. Blackcurrants are a key part of Beneseed’s highly successful flagship product.

Lauran Vermue, Netherlands

Lauran Vermue runs the Coöperatieve Nederlandse Bessentelers (Cooperative of Dutch Blackcurrant Growers). This cooperative was founded in the mid 1980’s. Today, it consists of nearly 20 member farms in the southwestern part of the Netherlands. All farms grow blackcurrants in combination with other agricultural crops (e.g. potatoes) and fruit (apples, pears). Their blackcurrants are mostly processed for food ingredients such as soft drinks.

Mike Callagher, New Zealand

Mike Callagher is currently General Manager of the New Zealand Blackcurrant co-operative and long term member of Black Currants New Zealand (BCNZ). With his professional experience as an industrial biochemist, he had been involved for 30 years with pharma / nutraceutical extraction. He came into the blackcurrant world as a manager of the “Just the Berries” brand.

Anna Ralph (Independent Director)

Anna Ralph is the Managing Director of Pixley Berries (Juice) Ltd. As part of the the blackcurrant business for more than 10 years, she brings a customer perspective to the IBA’s strategic development.