Gabriela Rojas
Accounting Auditor | since 2016
Gaby revises and executes online orders and payments. She is detail-oriented and demanding, diligent and focuses on every detail of her job. She enjoys eating healthfully and when she is finally off her computer, she goes out for runs, dances, reads and when possible, travels.
Andrea Zambrano
R&D; Quality control | since 2016
Andrea is responsible for all quality control processes in our lab. While wearing her almost astronaut-looking outfit, she perfectly measures the scovilles and humidity levels of our chilis. We admire her creativity and dedication to produce high quality products and appreciate her kindness and friendliness with all employees. She enjoys spending time with her family and going to the beach.
Tania Escobar
Plant Manager | since 2013
Tania started working in Proaji as our intern and now she is our plant manager. She is in charge of all projects and activities in our processing plant. She is detailed oriented and demands our best each and every day, while also encouraging us to grow and improve professionally. In her free time she likes to play basketball and boxing.
Valeria Freire
Sales | since 2017
Vale started working with us as an intern. Now she is in charge of all commercial transactions. Vale is detail oriented, hardworking and diligent and is our shipping genius! She manages to plan all of our export logistics in a timely manner to countries all over the world. When she is not figuring out how to get a chili container from one location to the next, she likes to watch movies, spend time with her family, and dance.
Nora
Ag Coordinator | since 2018
Nora promotes the planting and harvesting of our myriad of chili spices. She works directly with farmers, and promotes sustainable agricultural practices. Thanks to her patience and ability to communicate with people from all walks of life, she supports farmers in their agricultural pursuits. In her free time she enjoys cooking, knitting, designing clothing and making arts and crafts.
Javier Zambrano
Plant Supervisor | since 2009
Javi has been promoted through every job position in our processing plant. Because of his experience, he can manage and coordinate all production activities in a fluid and efficient way. His hard work has allowed for him to grow in Proaji, and he now supervises all our processes to produce high-quality chili products. Javi seems shy, but when it comes to getting his work done, he brings everyone together and puts our people and machines to work.
Mercedes Merce
Mensajera | ‘circa’ 1994
Merce has worked for Proaji since our very beginning. She has seen us through challenging times and at our best; she has witnessed our mistakes, seen us learn from them, improve and arrive at where we are today. When she first started working for us, she cleaned and organized our office a few times a week, as the years went by she was assigned more responsibilities and she is now our full time assistant. Her fabulous sense of humor makes our office a positive place to work and brings us together as a team.
Johana Cosme
Accounting | since 2018
Johana works for both our accounting and agriculture divisions. She is self-driven, a fast learner and is willing to take up any project that is assigned to her. She is passionate about exploring the Ecuadorian landscape and also spending time in the fields.
Paul Vallejo
Jefe Agroindustrial | Since 2015
Paúl manages our agricultural department. He is strategic and values teamwork and is constantly providing ideas new goals and projects our team should strive for. He has the skills to bring people together, motivate us to achieve our goals and work smoothly as a team that embraces confidence, unity and creativity. On his days off, he spends time with his friends and family, plays basketball, and when inspired, he writes.
Sebastián Fernández
Maintenance | since 2016
Sebas is responsible for the maintenance of our machines. He also collaborates in preparing domestic and international exports. Working with Sebas is entertaining and fruitful, and his lively demeanor promotes a friendly working environment—he makes us laugh! Sebas keeps himself busy while he is working, and in his free time he takes trips on his 4X4 or goes on mountain biking excursions.
Rider Moreira
Extensionista agrícola | since 2000
Rider visits farmers and promotes sustainable agricultural practices. What he likes the most about working for Proaji is the opportunity to work with farmers and teach them to harvest chili peppers. He is cheerful and optimistic, his ecstatic personality and constant smile makes working with him fun and positive. Rider loves to go to the ocean, play volleyball, chez and while he’s at it, takes the opportunity to give whoever is willing to argue with him a thorough overview of Ecuadorian politics.
Juan Andres
Extensionista agrícola
Juan provides technical assistance to farmers and loves working with them in the fields. His interest in agriculture and inexhaustible patience makes him accessible to all farmers, allowing him to successfully promote good agricultural practices. When he is not in the fields, he reads the news (especially those regarding soccer) and spends weekends with his family.
Cristian Quintana
Plant manager | since 2014
When Cristian began working for Proaji in 2014, he was hired to improve our factory’s infrastructure and machinery. Now he is responsible for our accounting and operations. Although he may seem reserved, with a just a little time and effort, you can have the most pleasant and thoughtful conversation with him. Cristian likes to play soccer on Fridays and spend the rest of the weekend with his family.
Alicia
Processes, R&D | since 2006
Alicia supervises our processes and quality control. She has been the backbone for all our projects and improvements in Peru. She is relaxed and often quiet, but persistent a recursive, allowing her to efficiently follow through with each project she is given. She is a very dedicated mother, and spends most of her free time with her children.
Andrés Veléz
Extensionista Agrícola | since 1993
Since Andrés has been traveling around Ecuador from North to South and East to West for 25 years, he knows the Ecuadorian countryside better than any tourism agency. His kind and gentle personality enables him to communicate effectively with farmers and promote Proaji all around the Ecuadorian countryside. At the end of the week he returns from a long and arduous agricultural journey to Santo Domingo and spends the weekend with his family.
Carlos Miguel Muirragui
Jefe Comercial | since 2018
Carlos Manuel es jefe comercial. Su visión comercial, personalidad perceptiva y habilidad de conversar y comunicarse con otras personas fácilmente le permite aportar ideas perspicaces y pragmáticas. Además Carlos Manuel es una persona analítica, tolerante y paciente lo cual nos permite trabajar con él de manera tranquila y constructiva. Cuando tiene tiempo libre, le gusta hacer actividades en la naturaleza como trotar en senderos, y navegar.
Paúl Palacios
Accounting | since 2013
Paúl manages all economic transactions. He started working with us as a financial consultant, and now manages Proají’s finances. He is a creative, driven and productive person that is able to focus and execute projects. He is incredibly sociable and values family, something he has been able to find in Proaji. An interesting fact about Paúl is that cars are his passion.
Luz María Soto
Ingeniera agricola | Since 2018
Luz Ma coordinates trainings for chili farmers and is responsible for making sure that what we teach is being applied in the field. She also develops projects to improve our production processes. It is thanks to her proactive and responsible personality that we have been able to undertake innovative projects that will benefit our agricultural communities. She enjoys spending time in nature, playing soccer and occasional breaks for deep conversations.
Plant Personnel
In our processing team we have musicians, bakers, farmers and fishermen. Without their hard work, we would never be able to export chilis, and they keep our processing plant up and running every day. They load and unload chili crates, and process each and every fruit that makes it to the factory. Every chili that travels abroad has been prepared by them, it is thanks to their tenacity, dedication and perseverance that we are able to successfully export high quality chili products in this long and intensive agricultural process.