Andrea Illy studied in Switzerland at the University of Trieste, completing a dissertation on 'The quality of expresso from a chemical perspective.' He has worked at the Nestle Research Department and illycaffe, where he has been manager of the Quality Control Department and Manageing Director since 1994.

After graduating from the University of Pisa, Riantonio Viani studied at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA, USA. He went on to carry out postdoctoral research at Duke University, NC, USA, before moving to the Nestle Research Laboratories in Switzerland. He was appointed Scientific Advisor of the Technical Division of Nestle in the Coffee and Beverages Scientific Business Unit, and is former Chairman of Physiological Effects of Coffee and former President of ASIC.