Meet Our
Esteemed Judges
At the heart of the Carthage Olive Oil Competitions lies our esteemed panel of judges, distinguished experts who bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion for olive oil to the table. Comprising industry leaders, sensory specialists, and seasoned tasters, our judges play a pivotal role in ensuring the integrity and fairness of the competition.
Birsen Can Pehlivan
TURKEY
Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne
USA
Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne
Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne is an olive oil consultant, writer and educator. She is the director of Extra Virgin Alliance, the specialty section of the North American Olive Oil Association, working with olive oil producers and experts to foster appreciation, restore consumer trust and create value in the market for authentic extra virgin olive oil
Johnny Madge
UK
Johnny Madge
started tasting olive oil on the panel of the Slow Food Guide “Extravergini” in 2005 in Italy, where he has lived since 1982. Since then he has talked about olive oil for many radio and television programmes of the BBC and elsewhere, such as in New York at the 1st NYOOC in 2013 where he analyzed the concept of bitterness in olive oil.
Sana Zini
TUNISIA
Sana Zini
- 2011-2014: Back office
-2014: Responsible back office (current position)
- 2017-2019: Member of the Virgin Olive Oil Tasting Panel since October
2017 at the SGS /Société Générale de Surveillance SGS Sfax
- 2020: Panel leader since within the SGS /Société Générale de Surveillance
SGS Sfax (current position)
Abderraouf EL ANTARI
MOROCCO
Abderraouf EL ANTARI
Since 2000 he is initiator of model establishment of technological protection of olive oil from local origin in Morocco (Establishment of olive oil DOP). He is Co-author of more than 95 articles and communications. Now, he works in several research projects on olive oil, Argane Oil, and Cactus oil. Co-author of the catalog of cultivated and indigenous olive tree varieties of Morocco 1st Edition, INRA 2022. He’s Coordinator of the Olive program at INRA since 2022 and INRA focal point with the interprofession (Interprolive).
Yara El Ghalayini
JORDAN
Yara El Ghalayini
Dr. Yara El Ghalayini holds a PhD and a master’s degree in applied Linguistics from the University of Granada in Spain, along with a master's degree in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Jordan.
She has been working as a researcher and assistant professor for 10 years and has been translating, editing, and proofreading documents in Arabic, English, and Spanish since 2006.
Maria Katsouli
GREECE
Maria Katsouli
Maria Katsouli is a wine and olive oil sommelier, journalist, educator, hospitality consultant and certified olive oil taster.
Maria is Greece’s first sommelier (since 1990) and one of the most respected figures in the country’s hotel and restaurant industries. In the year 2000 she started attending seminars on the organoleptic assessment of olive oil and table olives, followed by many others in olive growing, olive milling and blending, in both Greece and Italy.
Reni
SOUTH AFRICA
Reni
The first commercial planting of olive trees in South Africa was done by Piet Cillie in 1893 on Reni’s farm and it was this history that inspired her to continue the tradition. From 800 olive trees she increased the plantings to 3,500 by 1995. Reni achieved her Certificate as an olive oil taster from ONAOO at the University of Imperia in Italy and she qualified for her Panel Leader certificate there two years later.
Mokhtar GUISSOUS
ALGERIA
Mokhtar GUISSOUS
2024 : Maître de Conférences A (MCA) à l’Université Mohammed El Bachir EL IBRAHIMI de BBA ;
2018-2023 : Docteur (MCB) enseignant chercheur département d’Agronomie faculté SNV à l’Université Mohammed El Bachir EL IBRAHIMI de BBA ;
2009-2018 : Enseignant chercheur (Doctorant) en Agronomie production végétale, sous le thème : La filière oléicole en petite Kabylie : innovations pour un développement durable ;
Uniting Tradition and Innovation:
Elevating Your Olive Oil Brand Worldwide
WHY CIOOC 2024
A World of
Opportunities for Producers
