Manuela was born in Genoa but spent her entire childhood in Imperia. She currently resides between Imperia, Shanghai, and Bangkok.

She represents the fourth generation of can makers and is actively involved in the “Guatelli Museum”, which houses the Family Collection of Italian Olive Oil Cans. This collection comprises over 6,000 pieces of olive oil cans and lithographic stones, which provide important evidence of the flourishing industry related to the oil trade that developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

In 2006, Manuela relocated to Asia with her husband and four sons. Despite the distance, she has not forgotten her roots. She has promoted the prestige of extra virgin olive oil, the history and flavors of Mediterranean cuisine beyond national borders through organizing Italian cooking classes, on-demand chefs and catering.

Her passion for extra virgin olive oil has its roots in her family; in fact, her father dedicated his life to the production of oil cans. My father, who crossed Europe every week to sell his cans, would return home on weekends with stories and anecdotes about this fascinating industry.

Having a global vision of the oil market, he could grasp even the smallest nuances of it, which made me want to be part of this wonderful world. In recent years, she finally managed to crown her passion by attending the ONAOO Course and becoming a Professional Taster in 2024. Manuela is actively engaged with several Italian associations abroad, promoting the history, culture, and art of extra virgin olive oil tasting on a global scale.

Angela has a degree in Psychological Science and Techniques. She is an agronomist, landscape architect and lecturer in agricultural sciences.

Angela oversees the production of her family’s historic olive grove in the Cilento area of Castellabate (SA), using sustainable agronomic practices in the belief that “agriculture can and should be integrated with the natural resources of a territory, with the aim not only of protecting the environment, but also of pursuing the best quality characteristics of the product, contributing to the creation of “well-being in place”, a fundamental element of the health of each of us.” In 2016, he became a member of ONAOO and began his educational journey.

In January 2020, he will complete his studies by obtaining the ONAOO Professional Taster qualification. On May 15, 2024, the Genoa Chamber of Commerce added Angela to the National List of Technicians and Experts of Virgin and Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

Marina has a degree in Food Preparation Sciences. She is currently the Quality Manager at the “Oleificio Pietro Coricelli S.p.A.”.

Marina deals with quality certifications, contacts with customers and consumers. It also deals with the surveillance of the quality of products and processes, the control of incoming oils from a sensorial point of view. She was also Head of Quality Assurance at “Carapelli Firenze” and Quality Manager of “Agnesi Spa” for the production of pasta in the Danone group. Marina has been an ONAOO Professional Taster since 2001.

Marina was the winner in 2015 of “THE GREAT CHALLENGE – THE WORLDWIDE OLIVE OIL TASTERS’ CHALLENGE” at the Milan EXPO. She regularly attends refresher courses organized by ONAOO of which she has also become a member of the Council in 2019.

Berk is a researcher at the World Bank with a PhD in economics.

He has been an ONAOO Professional Taster since 2022. His partner, Sarah Baird, and he have young olive trees in the South Island of New Zealand (Aotearoa) and they hope to produce extra virgin olive oil from their grove.

They live with two dogs and two sheep, love animals, and enjoy plant-based cooking.