Helen Leake

Helen has been part of Nordic Approach since 2022, working from Ethiopia where she is responsible for logistics and documentation in Addis Ababa. She guides and supervises exporters throughout the shipping and documentation process, while coordinating shipping operations and working closely with shipping lines to help ensure coffees move smoothly from origin to destination.

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Role and responsibility

Helen is responsible for logistics and documentation for Nordic Approach Ethiopia. Her role covers the full shipping process, from guiding exporters through documentation requirements to coordinating bookings and overseeing shipping operations.

She works closely with exporters, shipping lines, and internal teams to keep shipments moving and to resolve issues that can arise along the way.

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Approach and ways of working

Helen’s approach is focused on planning, coordination, and keeping a close eye on the many details involved in moving coffee internationally. Logistics does not stop once a shipment is booked, so she follows the process through the different stages to help ensure coffees reach their destination as planned.

This means anticipating potential challenges, staying in close communication with the different parties involved, and working through unexpected issues when they arise.

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Experience and background

Helen has worked in the coffee business since joining Nordic Approach in April 2022. Before that, she worked for a shipping company in Ethiopia, where she handled shipments for Nordic Approach. Her experience with the company from the shipping-line side eventually led her to join the Nordic Approach team.

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Industry exposure

Helen is based in Ethiopia and has travelled to coffee-producing areas including Gedeb, Sidama, and Hambela. Her work gives her a close view of the logistics side of the Ethiopian coffee supply chain, as well as the practical challenges involved in moving coffee from exporters at origin to customers around the world.

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Perspective

For Helen, logistics is an important part of the buying process. A coffee needs to meet the expected quality standards, but it also needs to arrive where it is going, when it is expected to arrive.

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“It’s not only about booking the shipment and submitting the required documents; there are many steps involved in making sure the coffee reaches its destination on time.”

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She points out that a booked shipment does not automatically mean everything will go according to plan. Vessel rollovers, delays at transshipment ports, container shortages, documentation issues, and other unexpected obstacles can all affect delivery timelines.

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“From a logistics perspective, I consider a coffee to be truly great when it not only meets the expected quality standards but is also delivered on time and smoothly to its destination.”

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Education

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management and a Master of Art in Organizational Leadership. Helen is also currently completing a FIATA Diploma in International Freight Forwarding.