Lecture Description
This lecture explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming quality control workflows - making processes faster, more reliable, and easier to manage. We'll dive into how AI supports QC teams in tackling everyday challenges, where its current limits lie, and why professionals in the field can view AI not as a threat, but as a powerful partner rather than a replacement.
Date: Sunday, April 12, 2026
Time: 11:00 am - 11:45 am
Location: Room 25C
Category: Science
Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat.
Speakers
Franciska Apró
Quality Business Process Owner, Sucafina
Franciska Apró is a coffee professional with over 15 years of industry expertise, primarily in quality control. A certified Q Grader and WCC sensory judge for Brewers Cup and Barista competitions, she brings strong sensory and technical insight to her work. At Sucafina NV in Belgium, she manages the quality department and leads global Quality Control initiatives as the group’s Quality Business Process Owner. Her role includes process mapping, process harmonization, identifying best practices, and advising on global quality projects. Passionate about quality, she champions systems and tools that enhance consistency and efficiency across the value chain.
Susan Wilcox
Quality Manager North America & Q Arabica Grader, Sucafina
Susan Wilcox is a Quality Control Manager, licensed Q Grader, and spot sales trader at Sucafina North America, where she leads coffee quality evaluation, sample analysis, and QC lab operations. Her work focuses on bridging sensory evaluation with data analytics to improve decision‑making, consistency, and transparency across the coffee supply chain. Susan develops standardized QC workflows, reporting frameworks, and operational tools that translate cupping data into actionable insights for traders, producers, and clients. Passionate about innovation in specialty coffee, she regularly collaborates across quality, sourcing, and trading teams, and is an active contributor to industry education and knowledge‑sharing initiatives.