Business Development Manager | FMCG & Industrial Solutions | French-Speaking Africa ; I am an internationally experienced FMCG and technical professional combining business development, customer and supplier relationship management, engineering project management, and strong knowledge of industrial solutions across French-speaking Africa.
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I am a senior international engineering, maintenance, technical operations and project professional with more than 22 years of experience across Cameroon, Seychelles, Angola and regional African assignments. Throughout my career, I have worked in demanding FMCG, beverage, industrial, energy, telecommunications and infrastructure environments, developing a multidisciplinary profile that combines strong technical expertise with project management, stakeholder engagement, supplier coordination, procurement support, operational problem-solving and business-oriented decision-making.
My professional background has been built within international and multicultural organisations, particularly Diageo / Guinness Cameroon, Seychelles Breweries, CAMUSAT and Castel Group, where I have worked with production, operations, engineering, maintenance, procurement, finance, HSE, contractors, consultants, suppliers and international OEMs. This experience has taught me to understand business requirements from different perspectives and to translate operational or customer needs into practical, technically sound and commercially realistic solutions.
A significant part of my career has been developed within the FMCG and beverage sector, particularly through my long-term experience with Guinness Cameroon and Seychelles Breweries. This has given me a strong understanding of the industrial FMCG environment, including production processes, packaging operations, utilities, equipment availability, maintenance requirements, technical services, quality, safety, procurement and the importance of maintaining reliable supply and operational continuity.
I have also developed extensive experience working with international equipment manufacturers, suppliers and contractors. My responsibilities have included defining technical requirements, preparing specifications and RFQs, reviewing technical quotations, comparing suppliers, coordinating procurement activities, managing contractor and OEM interfaces, following up deliveries and installations, supporting FAT/SAT, commissioning equipment and ensuring that the delivered solution meets operational requirements.
Although my career has primarily been in engineering, maintenance and CAPEX rather than a conventional sales career, I have consistently operated at the technical-commercial interface. I have had to understand what internal customers and operational stakeholders actually need, identify appropriate solutions, communicate requirements to suppliers, evaluate technical and commercial proposals, challenge quotations, coordinate different parties and ensure that commitments are delivered. This provides me with a strong transferable foundation for business development and account management.
I am particularly interested in the Business Development Manager opportunity because it combines several areas that are already central to my professional experience: FMCG, international business, Africa, customer and stakeholder relationships, suppliers, logistics, project execution, negotiation, reporting and commercial development.
I am a native French speaker and fluent in English, which allows me to communicate comfortably with French-speaking customers and stakeholders while also working effectively with international suppliers, manufacturers and partners. My professional experience in Cameroon, Seychelles, Niger/regional Africa and Angola has also given me a practical understanding of different African business environments and cultures.
I am comfortable working independently, travelling, meeting customers and stakeholders, analysing operational requirements, preparing structured reports and presentations, coordinating multiple activities and following projects through to completion. I am also accustomed to working with KPIs, performance indicators, costs, risks, project progress and operational data when making decisions.
My engineering background gives me an additional advantage when dealing with technically demanding customers and products. I can understand equipment specifications, industrial applications, utilities, power systems, maintenance requirements and technical constraints, and I can communicate these subjects to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. I believe this ability can be particularly valuable when developing relationships with industrial, FMCG, commercial and infrastructure customers.
I am also internationally mobile and comfortable with frequent travel. My previous assignments have required me to adapt rapidly to different countries, work with multicultural teams and operate in environments where autonomy, accountability, communication and problem-solving are essential.
I am now looking to bring this combination of FMCG industry knowledge, African experience, technical-commercial understanding, stakeholder management, project management and French/English communication into a business development environment where I can develop long-term customer relationships, identify new opportunities and contribute to sustainable growth across French-speaking Central and West Africa.
I am particularly motivated by the opportunity to work for an organisation involved in international food and FMCG export activities and to use my understanding of African industrial and FMCG environments to support customers, suppliers and commercial development.
CASTEL SOBA / CASTEL GROUP – ANGOLA
Head of Electrical, Automation & Instrumentation
May 2026 – June 2026
In my most recent assignment with Castel SOBA in Angola, I was responsible for electrical maintenance, industrial automation and instrumentation within a major beverage manufacturing environment.
My role required close coordination with Maintenance, Production, Engineering, HSE, contractors, suppliers and OEM specialists. I was responsible for understanding operational requirements, identifying technical priorities, coordinating resources and supporting the implementation of engineering and improvement projects.
One of the major projects I supported was the KRONES Line 5 CIP automation project, based on a Siemens S7-300 PLC platform. My responsibilities included electrical cabinet modification, field wiring, instrumentation, pneumatic valves, PLC integration, testing and commissioning preparation.
The position required strong stakeholder coordination and the ability to work under operational pressure while maintaining attention to cost, schedule, quality and safety.
From a business-development perspective, this experience strengthened my ability to:
Understand customer and operational requirements.
Coordinate different technical and commercial stakeholders.
Work with OEMs and specialist suppliers.
Evaluate technical solutions.
Identify equipment and service requirements.
Follow project progress and delivery commitments.
Communicate technical information clearly.
Resolve problems and manage interfaces between different parties.
Work effectively in a new African market and multicultural environment.
The assignment also strengthened my adaptability and ability to take responsibility quickly in a new organisation and country.
SEYCHELLES BREWERIES / DIAGEO – SEYCHELLES
Senior Site Electrical, Automation & CAPEX Engineer / OT Cybersecurity Lead
August 2018 – March 2026
I spent many years working with Seychelles Breweries within the Diageo environment, where I held a senior site engineering position covering electrical engineering, automation, instrumentation, utilities, maintenance support, reliability, CAPEX and technical project execution.
This was a particularly important part of my career because I operated in an international, English-speaking FMCG environment with high expectations regarding safety, quality, governance, project execution, supplier management and operational performance.
I supported and delivered more than 45 engineering and CAPEX projects, working with internal stakeholders, international OEMs, engineering contractors, consultants and suppliers.
My responsibilities covered the complete project lifecycle, including:
Understanding operational requirements.
Developing technical scopes.
Preparing technical specifications.
Preparing and evaluating RFQs.
Supporting supplier selection and technical evaluation.
Reviewing quotations and technical proposals.
Coordinating suppliers and contractors.
Managing installation activities.
Coordinating FAT/SAT.
Testing and commissioning.
Managing project interfaces.
Monitoring project progress.
Supporting cost and risk control.
Preparing technical reports.
Supporting final handover and operational integration.
My experience also included direct exposure to major international equipment manufacturers and technologies, including KRONES, KHS, GEA, Padovan, OMP, Siemens, Schneider Electric and SolarEdge.
Selected projects included packaging and process equipment, a Padovan Flash Pasteuriser, OMP 120 Keg Washer, fire hydrant infrastructure, electrical and automation modernisation, utilities reliability improvements and a 99 kWp grid-connected SolarEdge photovoltaic installation.
My electrical modernisation activities were associated with approximately 35% fewer electrical failures, with plant availability maintained above 98%.
Working in Seychelles also gave me extensive experience in an island market where procurement, logistics, supplier availability, transportation and delivery lead times can have a significant impact on business operations. This required careful planning, supplier follow-up and close coordination between technical, procurement and operational stakeholders.
This experience is highly transferable to business development because I learned to understand not only the technical characteristics of products and equipment, but also their business value, operational impact, availability, lifecycle requirements, maintenance implications, cost and suitability for the customer's application.
I also developed long-term professional relationships with suppliers, OEMs, contractors and business stakeholders, which strengthened my communication, negotiation, relationship-management and coordination skills.
CAMUSAT – REGIONAL AFRICA / NIGER
Power Systems & Telecommunications Field Engineer
2018
At CAMUSAT, I worked on power systems and telecommunications infrastructure in regional African environments, including Niger.
My responsibilities included power solutions for remote telecommunications sites, generators, DC power systems, rectifiers, batteries, hybrid power systems, renewable-energy solutions, remote monitoring, testing, commissioning and troubleshooting.
This experience strengthened my ability to operate independently in remote environments and interact with customers, technical teams, suppliers and field partners.
It also exposed me to the intersection between energy, telecommunications infrastructure, remote-site operations and regional African markets.
From a business-development perspective, this experience developed my ability to:
Assess customer/site requirements.
Understand infrastructure constraints.
Identify appropriate technical solutions.
Coordinate field teams and suppliers.
Support commissioning and implementation.
Work with remote customers and sites.
Manage practical operational challenges.
Travel and operate across African markets.
It gave me valuable exposure beyond traditional industrial manufacturing and strengthened my understanding of infrastructure-related business opportunities in Africa.
GUINNESS CAMEROON / DIAGEO – CAMEROON
Electrical, Automation, Instrumentation, Utilities & Asset Reliability Engineer
September 2003 – August 2018
My career with Guinness Cameroon / Diageo provided the foundation for my extensive FMCG and industrial experience.
I progressively developed responsibilities covering electrical power generation and distribution, automation, instrumentation, utilities, maintenance, reliability, troubleshooting, engineering projects and equipment performance.
I worked with industrial equipment and systems including:
Generators and power-generation systems.
LV distribution and MCCs.
Transformers and switchgear.
Motors and variable-frequency drives.
PLCs and HMI systems.
SCADA and industrial communications.
Process instrumentation.
Pumps and compressors.
Refrigeration and glycol systems.
Steam and boiler auxiliaries.
Compressed air.
Water treatment systems.
Production and packaging equipment.
I also worked closely with OEMs, contractors, suppliers and internal departments during maintenance activities, shutdowns, troubleshooting, equipment upgrades and engineering projects.
This experience developed my understanding of the FMCG production value chain, from equipment and utilities through production continuity, maintenance, reliability, quality and operational performance.
It also taught me the importance of understanding the customer's actual business problem before proposing a solution.
For example, equipment selection cannot be based only on technical specifications. Factors such as reliability, availability of spare parts, local technical support, energy consumption, maintenance requirements, supplier responsiveness, lifecycle cost and compatibility with existing infrastructure can have a major impact on the customer's decision.
This customer-oriented technical perspective is one of the strongest transferable elements of my engineering career for a business development position.
UNIVERSITY OF DOUALA – IUT DE DOUALA, CAMEROON
Bachelor of Technology / Licence de Technologie – Energy Engineering & Energy Efficiency
Energy, Environment, Automation & Project Management
My university education provided me with a multidisciplinary engineering foundation combining energy systems, electrical engineering, automation, environmental considerations and project management.
This academic background has supported my professional development in electrical power systems, industrial automation, energy efficiency, project execution and technical problem-solving.
The combination of energy, automation and project-management knowledge has allowed me to work across different industrial disciplines rather than being restricted to a single technical speciality.
IUT DE DOUALA – CAMEROON
DUT / Higher National Diploma – Industrial Engineering & Maintenance
Electrical & Automation Option
My earlier technical education focused on industrial engineering and maintenance, with a specific emphasis on electrical systems and automation.
This provided the practical foundation for my subsequent career in industrial maintenance, electrical engineering, automation, instrumentation, utilities, reliability and engineering project management.
Throughout my career, I have complemented my formal education with extensive professional training, including Siemens SIMATIC S7 / STEP 7, industrial automation, HV/LV electrical systems and safety, KHS/KRONES production equipment, power systems, renewable energy, telecommunications infrastructure, HSE, PTW, LOTO, risk assessment, incident investigation and project-management development.
I am also currently preparing for the PMP certification, which is a professional development pathway and not yet a completed certification.
