Adham Yonis

Works as Country Manager for Nordic Approach in Ethiopia, leading the company’s work at origin with a focus on sourcing, supply chains, and relationships. Born in Dire Dawa and raised in Texas, he has worked in coffee since 2014, with a background spanning trading, sourcing, and operational management within Ethiopian coffee.
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Role and responsibility

His role centres on how coffees are sourced, prepared, and brought to market, with responsibility for exporter relationships and the development and management of supply chains.

The work includes collaboration with exporters, washing stations, and producers, ensuring that coffees are handled in line with both quality expectations and market requirements.

Approach and ways of working

A central part of the work is maintaining consistency and reliability across the supply chain — from sourcing through processing to export.

This includes a strong focus on relationships, communication, and execution at origin, and on how decisions made early in the chain affect quality, availability, and performance in the market.
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Experience and background

Has worked in Ethiopian coffee since 2014. Prior to joining Nordic Approach, spent seven years with an export company in Ethiopia, progressing from Sales Manager to Director of Operations.

During this time, worked across the full supply chain, including sourcing, trading, station management, processing, milling, and export. Experience includes developing and managing large-scale supply chains, as well as hands-on involvement in coffee production and preparation.

Before entering the coffee industry, served eight years in the US Army.
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Industry exposure

Work has included exposure to multiple markets, including Saudi Arabia, China, Korea, Japan, the UAE, Hungary, and Ireland, contributing to an understanding of how coffee is positioned and traded across different regions.

Perspective

Places particular emphasis on the role of exporters in coffee sourcing, where experience, structure, and reliability are key factors in how coffees perform over time.

Also highlights the realities faced by producers, noting that financial stability is often limited to harvest periods, which has direct implications for how coffee is produced and sold.

When evaluating coffees, focuses on more specific origins such as kebele or sub-district, rather than broader regional classifications, as a more precise indicator of profile and quality.

Education

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Texas at Dallas.

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