SMC grad helps Numi Organic Tea make its global mark
By Vera Kochan
Brian Durkee in Jiangxi, China - the country s largest Fair Trade Tea cooperative. Photo provided Most would think working for an organic tea company would be all zen, without much strife. But when Brian Durkee, who was recently promoted to CEO after several years serving as the company s president, traveled around the world on behalf of Oakland-based Numi Organic Tea, it was not without its dangerous moments. On a trip to Egypt in 2011, Durkee was there working on the chamomile and mint products when a revolution took place. I wasn t allowed to leave the hotel. I had to grow a beard and wore a scarf around my head. When I traveled, I had to have armed guards with me. If something went wrong there was no infrastructure to get us out of trouble. It was like something out of an Indiana Jones movie!
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