Alumni in the News: Dominique Coombes

In our latest Alumni in the News feature, we meet former Worth student Dominique Coombes who now has a key role with a company selling premium olive oil used by celebrity chefs.

Having been born in France and after spending eight years at Worth, Dominique Coombes (Rutherford, 1994) headed to Oxford to do a Masters in Modern & Medieval Languages and then moved to Italy, where his parents were living. Whilst searching for jobs in Milan, he accepted what he thought would be a temporary job in Umbria, as press officer for the opera theatre in Spoleto, where he stayed for two years.

While working there Dominique was head hunted by a company which pioneered the extra virgin olive oil and salad dressings packed in single portion bottles aimed at the airlines’ First and Business Class services. The company was acquired by Terre Francescane, who have been producing premium extra virgin olive oil since 1639 and are purveyors to Michelin Star restaurants and celebrity chefs across the world.

Dominique told us: “I initially started in sales and marketing and have now moved into the role of business development manager, following the challenging phases of the company’s growth. We have been lucky. Although we have suffered Covid-related setbacks on our travel retail and airline catering channels, we have been rapidly expanding in other trade channels and markets.

“I am very fortunate to work with an amazing, tightly knit team. We are currently focused on developing our presence in the export market and our corporate social responsibility which has seen us develop 70% green energy in-house and support the Serafico di Assisi charity based in Assisi, home to St Francis, patron saint of Italy.”

Dominique (right) is pictured with 7 Michelin Star Chef Bruno Barbieri.

Worth Society is the School’s thriving alumni association that enables former pupils and staff to stay in touch with one another for business and social networking purposes, providing careers advice, support and lifelong guidance.