“My journey at Stassen began in 1989. Since then, I have gained tremendous exposure and was empowered to improve my knowledge and make contributions to the entire Group. It is heartening to see that commitment towards Quality Management across the organisation has increased beyond expectations. As a tea taster, I have had the opportunity of meeting different people, and travelling on the job has definitely allowed me to gather a vast knowledge on tea. My dream is to grow our standards in Quality and Food Safety to higher levels and develop markets to distribute the ‘Stassen’ brand of tea around the world.”

“Working at Stassen, we are like a family, and every day it is by playing a ‘team game’ that we excel! Joining in 1995, with no background in tea, I was selected as a trainee tea taster out of a pool of 1500 applicants. Since that time, I haven’t had a single occasion to look back. As a tea taster you pick up many skills, both technical and creative and there is a lot of variety in the work that I do. At times there are joint collaborations with customers to arrive at customised blends which is very interesting as you experiment with new ideas to arrive at a great blend. The worldwide tea industry is a competitive one, but 100% Pure Ceylon Tea is unmatchable and it is easy to be passionate about Ceylon Tea. The future of tea is about new blends and new packaging – we’re in an industry that’s moving along with the times, and this requires innovation and energy. I personally look forward to making continuous contributions to the success of our company!”

“In 1995 I joined Stassen Exports (Pvt) Ltd as a trainee with lots of expectations in achieving a high career development. During the last 22 years of my tenure, I have achieved more than what I expected. Stassen’s has encouraged me to earn a Supply Chain Degree and an MBA. Presently I am the Head of the Central Procurement Unit of Stassen Group. Today I manage nearly 13 different companies under the same parent company. I have expanded the department with the support of the Management, by recruiting professionals. Today I use my intuition in supplier selection, negotiations and some tactical administration of procurement, but most importantly, I use my academic learnings, especially in procurement planning, management of supply chain dynamics and continuous improvements in different supply networks with the guidance of top management. I am happy to be associated with Stassens, and I truly enjoy my work.”

“Having joined the Company in 1984, I have worked here for 40 years. My ability to serve for such a long period is because we enjoy the ability to work with independence and there is flexibility in terms of our working environment. Over the years I have received local and international training in places like Germany and Italy which has greatly assisted me in my work as a senior technician and has enabled me to supervise and train new staff. In a way, working at Stassen feels like one is working for one’s own company. The Company takes good care of us, we gain a lot of experience, have the opportunity to travel and we work in a good environment with colleagues who are like family.”