Dr. Karen Hadem and Jens Sorgenfrei Appointed Co-Managing Directors in HRNS Leadership Transition
July 2 - 2026
Coffee Geography Magazine
After more than two decades of transformative leadership, Michael Opitz is stepping down as Managing Director of the Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS), passing the torch to a new dual leadership team that will guide the foundation into its next phase of growth and impact.
Dr. Karen Hadem joins Jens Sorgenfrei at the helm of the organization, which has empowered over 360,000 smallholder farming families across 18 countries since its founding in 2005. The transition, part of a carefully planned long-term succession strategy, marks both an end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for the Hamburg-based foundation.
"It has been a great privilege to build Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung together with a visionary founder, an exceptional team, and strong partners around the world," said Opitz, reflecting on his tenure. "It has always been a collective achievement—driven by the commitment of our staff, our local partners, and the active support of the Board of Trustees."
Opitz played a decisive role in building and shaping HRNS even before its formal establishment in 2005. Under his stewardship, the foundation grew from individual projects aimed at improving coffee production and processing into a comprehensive global program for rural community development.
Dr. Karen Hadem with Michael Opitz
Today, HRNS operates as an independent, non-profit foundation dedicated to empowering smallholder coffee farming families to improve their livelihoods. The organization manages its field operations through six regional offices and employs over 250 specialists worldwide, with its headquarters in Hamburg and a strategic office in New York City.
The foundation's reach spans three continents, with active programs in East Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania), Latin America (Brazil, Guatemala, and Honduras), and Asia (Indonesia). Its work has evolved to address global megatrends, including poverty alleviation, climate change mitigation, and gender inequality.
What began as a focus on coffee production has expanded into a multifaceted approach addressing the complete ecosystem of rural development. HRNS's programs now encompass climate-smart agriculture, youth empowerment, gender equality, and cooperative development, all while maintaining coffee as a central economic foundation for the communities they serve.
The foundation has become a critical bridge between the international coffee supply chain and rural development, partnering with major global brands including The J.M. Smucker Co., Tchibo, and Lavazza to fund long-term resilience projects in producing countries. HRNS co-founded the global initiative coffee&climate, testing climate-smart agriculture techniques to help smallholders handle extreme weather conditions.
In regions like South Sumatra, Indonesia, HRNS trains coffee farmers in economic diversification strategies. Through initiatives like the Stiftungsallianz für Afrika (SAfA) in Tanzania and Ethiopia, the foundation tackles high youth unemployment by teaching agribusiness and agro-logistics skills.
Jens Sorgenfrei, who has served on the foundation's management team for many years, will continue in his role to ensure institutional continuity. Dr. Karen Hadem brings extensive experience in international development cooperation and the global philanthropy sector, complementing the leadership team with fresh perspectives.
"Michael Opitz has built and shaped Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung with great clarity, integrity, and impact. This provides an excellent foundation," said Dr. Hadem. "I am very much looking forward to working together with Jens Sorgenfrei, our international team, and our partners to further develop the foundation's work and sustainably strengthen its impact for groups of young people and smallholder farming families."
Founder Michael R. Neumann paid tribute to the outgoing Managing Director: "Michael Opitz has built Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung from the very beginning with extraordinary dedication and has played a decisive role in shaping its programs. For this, he has my sincere gratitude."
"At the same time, I am very much looking forward to working with Dr. Karen Hadem and Jens Sorgenfrei," Neumann added. "They represent continuity while also embodying the future of the foundation at a time when partnership-based and impact-oriented approaches are more important than ever."
With an endowment of approximately €150 million, HRNS maintains a sustainable basis for its long-term work. Since 2015, supporting young people in both the Global South and Northern Germany has become an integral component of the foundation's activities.
In Northern Germany, HRNS creates new educational and future opportunities for young people and strengthens their ability to assume social responsibility. The foundation views supporting young people and protecting nature and the environment as logical complementary focus areas that complete its holistic programmatic approach.
The organization has also developed programs to protect nature and biodiversity as integral parts of its mission, working with local partners to advance and safeguard these efforts in ecologically significant regions over the long term.
Together with the Board of Trustees, the new leadership team aims to lay the foundation for continued development, fresh momentum, and the long-term future of an organization that has become a vital force in empowering coffee farming communities worldwide.