On 5 May 2021, the International Pepper Community turned on a new chapter with the appointment of the new Executive Director, Ms. Firna Azura Ekaputri Marzuki replacing Mrs. Hoang Thi Lien who held the post of the Executive Director of IPC since 2017. Before joining IPC, Ms. Ekaputri was the Principal Assistant Secretary of the Cocoa and Pepper Industry Development Division under the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Malaysia. Along with her extensive experience in the international affairs and first-hand knowledge of the pepper industry, Ms. Ekaputri brings with her some valuable experience and unique expertise to manage the IPC Secretariat to its best efforts for the advancement of the pepper industry and its stakeholders.
During the Handover Ceremony from Mrs. Lien to Ms. Ekaputri which was officiated by Mr. Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono – Director General of the International Trade Negotiation, Ministry of Trade Indonesia who is also the Chairman of the International Pepper Community for 2021, the newly appointed Executive Director elaborated that she and her team in IPC Secretariat would be focusing on tackling the immediate obstacles of the pepper industry among others, price stabilization mechanism, to encourage more membership from the pepper producing countries, to engage with the IPC member countries in order to understand their strategic planning and challenges for post COVID-19 along with continuing the projects and work programme of the IPC. She also sought the support of IPC member countries moving forward so as to ensure the success of the IPC future works and projects as well as the sustainability of the pepper industry and its stakeholders.