The team

Farming and business experience across Africa.

Meet the team

Charles Moncheur de Rieudotte

Co-Founder & CEO

Charles co-founded Kivu Tilapia after managing another tilapia project together with Markus Reichardt in Burundi. Before entering the tilapia business, Charles worked as finance and country manager for various exploration and resources companies in sub-Saharan Africa, gaining deep experience in operations, logistics and project management on the challenging African continent. Charles holds an MA in Economic Law from the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

Heimo Vincenz-Burrow

COO

Heimo joined Kivu Tilapia in 2017, after working as Managing Director of the Burundian bottling group “Liquids sprl.”, where he remains a shareholder. Previously he was head of distribution and logistics at the UN World Food Programme in Burundi, Managing Director at “Savanor S.A.”, Burundi’s largest manufacturing company, and worked in technical development for Mercedes-Benz. Heimo is an engineer, diving instructor and pilot.

Damien Desprez

CTO

Damien has over 30 years of practical fish farming experience, having established, managed and advised aquaculture ventures in France, Madagascar and across West and East Africa. He worked as Head of Farming and General Manager for Lake Harvest, covering its three lake-based tilapia farms in Zimbabwe (8,000 tons), Zambia (1,200 tons) and Uganda (800 tons). Damien holds a PhD in Aquatic Science from Liège.

Dr. Markus Reichardt

Co-Founder

Markus co-founded Kivu Tilapia together with Charles. For the past 15 years Markus has advised firms on corporate strategy and conducted due diligence in various sectors in emerging markets. He has initiated, implemented and occasionally seed-funded a series of agricultural and aquaculture ventures across southern and eastern Africa, including mushroom, shellfish and pet fish production. He is co-founder and owner of Cultura Fresh Ltd, South Africa’s second largest hydroponic salad producer. Markus holds a PhD in Restoration Ecology from Wits University.