Professional Experience (summary)

October 2002 – To date

Independent consultant – based in Pakistan (1989-1992), USA (1992-1997), India (2000-2004), Thailand (2005-2009), United Arab Emirates (2014-2019),  Japan (2020 to date) and France (in between time spent in these countries).

Contracts – Currently with GFA Consulting group (a Germany-based firm), with Landell Mills (headquartered in Ireland) since 2015, with ECORYS (a Dutch consulting firm) from 2008 to 2014, with SOGREAH (a French consulting firm) from 2002 to 2007.

Activities/ Responsibilities – Monitoring of over 95 national and regional-level interventions funded by the European Union in Asia in multiple fields, with a focus on poverty alleviation, rural/agricultural development and environment mainstreaming. Extensive exposure to a large spectrum of development strategies, NGOs and institutional bodies operating as project authorities, stakeholders and/or beneficiaries. From 2009 to 2015, mission leader for most monitoring missions, coordinating teams ranging from 3 to 11 consultants on the ground. Quality control expertise (in charge of reviewing/editing monitoring reports of other experts for the benefit of the EU). Contribution to a thematic study on food security and rural development projects. Key expert in 2018/2019. Currently in charge of developing a monitoring framework for the worldwide initiative “DeSIRA” (Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture) funded by the European Union.

 Sectors (Main) – Rural Development, Agricultural Development, Livestock Management & Economics, Environment & Climate Change, Governance & Civil society

More details on projects monitored

July 2000 onwards

Position – Independent consultant & director of Agriversal Ltd; based in India, France, Thailand and now in the UAE

Contracts – UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), the French Embassy in New Delhi, several European SMEs and NGOs

Activities/ Responsibilities

Assisting European companies (dairy, feed, beverages) in developing a production capacity and/or a market in India.

2003, one-year assignment (UNIDO): identification, preparation and analysis of agro-industrial projects in India, in view of promoting the presence of French agribusiness companies in India.

Assignments with NGOs (in India, Nepal) on rural and social development issues.

Assignments with European textile & home decoration companies in India, in charge of handicraft products development & production for the European market.

From 2002 onward – Developed a small textile crafts production with Kashmiri craftsmen; design the collections, organize and manage the production, the logistics and the marketing of textile pieces in Europe, the United States and the Middle East.

Sectors – Agribusiness, Agriculture, Rural development, Textiles and crafts

August 1992 to June 2000

Position – Associate consultant

Contract – CEREOPA, Center for Studies and Research on the Economics and the Management of Animal Productions, Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (INA PG, now known as AgroParistech, is a leading Graduate Institute in Science and Engineering in France)

Activities/Responsibilities

Based in France (October 1997 to June 2000) – Designed and developed an information on the international strategies of American food and feed companies (several missions in the USA). Identified and assessed the American quantitative and qualitative information resources on world food supply and demand. Assessed the poultry production costs in the USA.

Based in the USA (August 1992 to September 1997) – Carried out research studies on the competitiveness and the international development strategy of the US agribusiness industry: Competitiveness and international development strategy of the US poultry industry; Competitiveness and structural changes of the US pork industry; International development strategies of US grain, feed and meat companies ; The US livestock industry and the utilization of hormones, antibiotics and other growth promotants ; Profile of the US corn industry and study of the production, consumption and marketing of the corn gluten feed ; Impact of the federal policy on the economics of the US and Canadian grain marketing industry ; Impact of new technologies on the US agriculture ; Policy and public issues related to the development of the ethanol industry. From 1992 to 1997, managed the operations of CEREOPA in the USA: definition of the strategy, identification of research studies to be conducted, raised funds accordingly, executed the surveys, planned and coordinated missions in the USA and Canada for French agribusiness executives.

Sectors – Agribusiness, Agriculture

 June 1989 to June 1992

Position – Independent consultant, based in Islamabad (Pakistan)

Contracts – RONCO (a US Consulting firm), the World Bank, Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (French NGO), SATEC (a French consulting firm), FRALEX – UFAC (a French feed processor), Land O’ Lakes (a large US dairy cooperative)

Activities/Responsibilities – Identification of agribusiness opportunities (oilseed, fruits & vegetables, livestock sectors) for potential French investors (chief of mission); Feasibility of an oilseed commodity system for a large US firm (team leader); Analysis of animal production systems in the Pakistani Himalaya for a French NGO (chief of mission); Agricultural pricing policy analysis for the World Bank (research assistant); Country representative for a French firm producing animal feed and health products; Brief missions to Morocco and Mali for US private firms.

Sectors – Agribusiness, Agriculture

 December 87 to May 89

Position – Secretary general – based in France

Employer – UCARDEC a network of small ruminants projects funded by the French ministry of Foreign Affairs (a Governmental non-profit organization)

 Activities/Responsibilities – After a 3-month internship as a research assistant sponsored by the French Embassy in Egypt (1986), started and managed an advisory and policy orientation body in charge of the technical support, coordination and review of development projects funded by the French government in Algeria, Brazil, Egypt, Morocco, Zimbabwe (etc.), aimed at promoting the French goat industry worldwide.

 Sector – Animal production; Agribusiness