Monique Gieskes

Chief Executive Officer | Plantations et Huileries du Congo

Mrs. Monique Gieskes is since February 2021 the CEO of Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), the largest industrial producer of palm oil in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In three years, she has propelled PHC to unprecedented height, increasing palm oil production by 77%. This rapid growth has been built on improved productivity while maintaining plantation size, increasing workers’ performance through training, better wages and decent living conditions, and promoting best management and sustainable production practices. She has successfully restored positive relations with communities surrounding PHC’s operational sites. Committed to the new company vision of creating shared prosperity through agribusiness, she has spearheaded numerous social initiatives benefiting employees and neighboring communities.

Prior to becoming PHC’s CEO, Monique Gieskes has had a thirty years career during which she played a pivotal role in transforming the Vlisco Group into a leading luxury goods company in Central Africa. With a background as a patent and trademark attorney, she has been actively engaged in brand protection, both regionally and internationally, and has worked with various International Organizations to promote fair trade practices and reduce unjust competition.

Monique Gieskes’ leadership extends beyond business, as she has served as the first female president of the United Nations Global Compact in the DRC, advocating for socially responsible business practices in the private sector. In 2015, disheartened by the atrocities of the war in the Eastern DRC, she initiated a women's reintegration program which was aimed at providing psychological support, literacy, basic education, training in tailoring and sewing to enable women war victims regain income generating opportunities and rebuild their lives.

Monique Gieskes holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.