Mustafa Koita

FOUNDER & CEO

The team calls him “Chief Everything Officer”. When not supporting his ‘awesome’ team in achieving the brand’s vision through strategic advice, you may find him stalking people in the milk aisles to learn about buyer behavior – he’s not weird, it’s his business! 

Mustafa is all about the company culture. He lives the values in everything he does by exuding honesty, working with a growth mindset, collaborating to make thoughtful decisions, demanding excellence, thinking out of the box and above all, having loads of fun!  

Prior to Koita, Mustafa worked at Boeing (yeah the airplane guys!), a number of tech start-ups, and holds a Bachelors of Science in Business from Northern Illinois University. 

When he’s not on a yoga mat, Mustafa’s on a mission to continuously build an “A team” with ‘culture-adders’ that offer new and diverse perspectives so they can sell the world the best milk ever!

Aparna Mehta

FINANCE

The Koita team is always relieved when Aparna is in the room, which seems logical, since she does magic with numbers. She not only has all the core finance skills (and a pinch of soccer mom), but also adds to the Koita culture perfectly with her witty sense of humor and readiness for a challenge. 

Originally from Chicago, Aparna brings with her a wealth of experience from large multinationals such as Abbott Labs and Arthur Andersen LLP (Big 5 Accounting Firm). She has a Bachelors of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois and an MBA in Finance & Economics from The University of Chicago: Booth School of Business. Aparna is also a CPA from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

And when she isn’t deep into the books, she watches Friends reruns, loves to try new eateries, and is working her way to fulfill her long standing ambition to visit New Zealand.

Saziye Gungor

SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS

She’s a bookworm at heart, an avid traveler, obsessed with trying out new recipes – but it’s not all fun & games for Saziye. When she’s not reading books (sometimes 3 at a time!) she’s ensuring Koita’s supply chain runs as efficiently as possible. She handles everything from logistics, demand planning and even supports new product development! She’s extremely meticulous and loves ensuring 99.99% (with little room to make mistakes) perfection of Koita’s global operations.

Saziye has a degree in Science and Literature from ATILIM University, Turkey. Saziye never stops learning and it’s not a shocker that she is currently enrolled in MITs #1 Globally Ranked Supply Chain Masters program! 

And finally, our supply chain queen is a mother of twins.

MARUIXI ROMERO

MARKETING

She’s a perpetually curious marketer who’s obsessed with figuring things out. With a background that includes 14 years at Johnson & Johnson, running her own digital marketing consulting business, and even a secret talent for e-commerce, Mariuxi has somehow managed to become a force to be reckoned with in the problem-solving department. Yep, she’s the one brands like Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, Carefree, and Johnson’s have called upon, along with those spunky local startups across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon.

Mariuxi is an active member of Dubai’s female business owners community, always ready to lend a helping hand and share her insights. As an eco-conscious mom, Mariuxi champions sustainability for a better future. And in those precious moments of downtime, you’ll find her reading, doing headstands, or bravely tackling early morning runs.

Mariuxi has an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and English Literature from The College of William & Mary.

Nathalie Atallah

HR

So what makes this awesome KOITA team click? That would be where Nathalie steps in😊. “Nat” (as she is fondly known) rushes from virtual calls to café meetings (and still squeezes in the school pick-up) looking far and wide to attract the best and the brightest. 

She has helped shape company cultures and create high performing teams at Johnson & Johnson, Schering-Plough (Merck), Motorola, and Smith & Nephew across the Middle East & Africa, Europe, and the US. 

Nat has an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelors of Liberal Arts, (Government and French) from the University of Austin at Texas (Heee-haw!). 

She makes herself heard (her Lebanese side) and always thinks BIG (her Texan side)!

Ali Husain

BUSINESS UNIT MANAGER

When Ali is not obsessing about all kinds of physical exercise and healthy foods, he is bustin’ his music with his extra big earphones and creating beautiful spreadsheets. Ali’s favorite part of his work is the exposure to varied international markets spanning from Kuwait to Singapore. He has a strong passion for exploiting new business opportunities that help grow Koita’s sales. Extremely direct, and an engineer by education, 

Ali doesn’t care much for small talk – “Let’s talk about the numbers” has him grinning from ear to ear.