Najeeb is a distinguished banking professional whose expertise extends far beyond the financial sector. While he has achieved significant success in his career, his true passion lies in the art and science of olive oil, a pursuit deeply rooted in his family’s heritage and the rich traditions of Palestine.
Motivated by this connection, he embarked on an educational journey at the ONAOO School, concluding in 2024 with the achievement of a professional taster qualification, marking him as the first from Palestine to achieve such recognition. Originating from the historic town of Birzeit, whose name translates to “olive oil well,” Najeeb grew up immersed in the legacy of olive cultivation.
His family co-owns an olive press in northern Palestine, where they blend generations of knowledge with modern, environmentally sustainable practices to produce exceptional olive oil. Najeeb’s journey reflects the deep, enduring relationship between people, the land, and one of its most revered symbols — the olive tree.
I started studying tasting related to olive oil, one of the subjects I worked in 2010, and got the title of Professional Olive Oil Taster at ONAOO, the first international school in Italy and number one in the world. I am still continuing my education. I have organized olive oil tasting trainings with ONAOO, workshops and at the world’s most famous capital cities (Paris, Roma, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Morocco, Tunisia and Istanbul).
Hilda is a certified Professional Olive Oil Taster since 2017 and a student with ONAOO since 2014.
She is a passionate home cook and baker always looking for new ways to use extra virgin olive oil in her kitchen.
She has published a Mediterranean cookbook, is a distributor of Olive oil (evirginoliveoils.com), has a food blog with lots of recipes (iwanttocookthat.com) and a YouTube channel (@iwanttocookthat3059).
I was born in Japan but have lived in several countries, including Italy for 16 years, where I undertook a course of study.
I began my professional career as an Export Manager for Mitsubishi Italia S.p.A. in the food industry, developing a passion for good food with a focus on olive oil, which soon became my main occupation. Since returning to Japan, I have been working as a Purchasing Manager for a major company specializing in cheese imports
In 2016, I commenced my training with ONAOO, which concluded in 2022 with my designation as a Professional Taster. I intend to pursue this interest further.
Alessandra has been studies in ONAOO since 2020. After the official technical course, which released her the Certificate of Physiological Suitability for tasting, and after the certified tasting session, she has been subscribed in the “The National Register of Technicians and Experts of Virgin and Extra Virgin Olive Oils” of Region Liguria since 2022.
In 2023, passing the exam of the 2-year advanced course, she obtained the qualification of ONAOO Professional Taster and she is in the International Register of Professional Tasters.
Najeeb is a distinguished banking professional whose expertise extends far beyond the financial sector. While he has achieved significant success in his career, his true passion lies in the art and science of olive oil, a pursuit deeply rooted in his family’s heritage and the rich traditions of Palestine.
Motivated by this connection, he embarked on an educational journey at the ONAOO School, concluding in 2024 with the achievement of a professional taster qualification, marking him as the first from Palestine to achieve such recognition. Originating from the historic town of Birzeit, whose name translates to “olive oil well,” Najeeb grew up immersed in the legacy of olive cultivation.
His family co-owns an olive press in northern Palestine, where they blend generations of knowledge with modern, environmentally sustainable practices to produce exceptional olive oil. Najeeb’s journey reflects the deep, enduring relationship between people, the land, and one of its most revered symbols — the olive tree.
Training as professional olive oil tasters is not only a personal pleasure: the universe that revolves around olive oil and its supply chain also offers a wide range of job, growth and specialization opportunities.
The advanced course allows you to consolidate and deepen your knowledge of oil tasting and obtain the qualification of ONAOO Professional Taster, but above all, to be included in the "International Register of Professional Tasters".
Participants learn about varieties, processing, and sensory tasting, with practical exercises under the guidance of experts.
Participants are invited to recognize strengths, weaknesses, qualities and organoleptic characteristics of the various oils