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.

Marco’s academic credentials—a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Banking, a Master’s degree in Family Mediation, and twenty years of work at a banking institution—did not dissuade him from pursuing a new career path in 2016.

His roots were firmly planted in his family’s olive grove in upper Tuscia (meaning the Viterbese area and generally upper Lazio). From an early age, this location represented leisure, feasting, and conviviality during the harvesting and oil production seasons.

As he matured, he embarked on a new adventure with the goal of emulating his Etruscan ancestors, the first true ambassadors of the culture of olive oil of exceptional quality. He pursued his education primarily through the large family of ONAOO and in March 2022, he graduated as a Professional Taster.

For the past three years, he has been based in Bavaria, where he runs a business offering both advisory services to specialty retailers and restaurateurs and the import and sale of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Guy started his educational path with the technical course at ONAOO in 2021 and ended in 2024 by earning the qualification of professional taster. During this period, he further expanded his skillset by attending courses at other institutes in Italy and at the New York Olive Oil Times, obtaining certification as an olive oil sommelier.

He is the owner of “Frantoiani”, a company specialising in the selection and importation of high-quality extra virgin olive oil from various regions in Italy. The company’s product range includes approximately 20 artisanal producers and 45 labels, enabling Guy to provide advice to enthusiasts and gourmets through direct sales in his store in Mechelen, Belgium, and through his e-commerce platform. The company also supplies restaurants and wine shops with fine Italian olive oils.

Additionally, Guy is an expert in the field, regularly conducting masterclasses on extra virgin olive oil and food pairing for both private and commercial audiences, as well as culinary schools. His passion for olive oil drives him to share his knowledge and introduce people to this fascinating and flavourful world. In addition to his oil business, Guy owns a winery under the brand name “Suedtiroler” and serves as a forensic accountant.

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.