Born in 1957 in Managua / Nicaragua. Mr Fritz A. Grobien started his business education with an official apprenticeship programme in a company dealing in international trade in grain and feedstuff in 1978. He graduated in 1980.

After graduation he studied European Business Administration which included studying and working in Germany (Deutsche Bundesbank) and England (Grimsdale Trading Ltd.).

At the end of 1984 he joined Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co., Bremen, an international cotton trading company and became partner in 1985.

Mr. Grobien became President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange for the first time in 1991. He was elected for a second and third term. Currently he is Vice President and member of the board of the Bremen Cotton Exchange.

Between 1992 and 1994 he held position as Chairman of CICCA (Committee for International Co-operation between Cotton Associations, Liverpool).

In 1999 he was nominated as member of the Private Sector Advisory Panel of the ICAC (International Cotton Advisory Committee), which he chaired in his final year 2001.

Between 1998 and 2006 he was member of the Board of The Liverpool Cotton Association, Ltd. In 2005 Mr. Grobien became the First President of the International Cotton Association after the name change of The Liverpool Cotton Association, Ltd.

2004 and 2005 he served as Chairman of the Joint Cotton Committee of ITMF (International Textile Manufacturers Federation).

Since 1998 Mr.Grobien is member of the Cotton Advisory Group to the European Commission DG Agriculture and Rural Development for the Trading Sector.