Executive Management
MONIQUE GIESKES
Director General
In a career spanning more than 30 years, Ms. Monique GIESKES has built a rich portfolio of managerial, commercial and legal experience in three operational areas: Africa, Europe and Asia. She started her career as a patent and trademark lawyer before launching the Vlisco Group in the DRC, which she grew from a start-up to an iconic luxury goods company in Central Africa within three years.
In addition to her senior positions as Representative for Central Africa for the Vlisco Group, she has accumulated high-ranking functions in the protection of brands at the group level, she has led under these functions, operations of protection of brands in 3 operational zones (Asia, Africa, Europe) including 12 countries including the head office in the Netherlands.
She has played a leading role in various European and international organizations such as theEuropean Brand Association the Comité Colbert, the United Nations Forum, the World Customs Organization (WCO), and the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) to obtain import tariff reductions as well as to advance the cause of intellectual property rights and reduce unfair competition in global markets.
In the same vein, Ms. Gieskes influenced the creation of a synergy of efforts with, on the one hand, brands such as Richmond Cartier, Chanel, LVMH, Unilever, Lacoste, Novartis, Nestlé and on the other hand, with local governments and Dutch diplomatic missions in various countries.
She has been at the forefront of major brand protection revitalization actions in Africa and has been at the source of judges’ training in Togo, and has worked closely on major activities such as Biyela and Vice-Grips II by the WCO.
A very influential woman, she was the first to assume the presidency of the Global Compact (UN Global Compact) in the DRC, a United Nations initiative aimed at encouraging companies to adopt a socially responsible attitude.
She is also a registered trademark agent in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her client base includes brands such as Heineken, Toyota, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Nissan, Airtel, Vodafone, Orange, the entire MHCS portfolio (Dom P, Moët, etc.), L'Oréal, SADC, Carrefour, Lexus, Facebook (New Meta Platform).
In February 2021, Ms. Gieskes was appointed to her current position as Director General of Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), where she is leading a large-scale business transformation to double the company's production.
Ms. Gieskes holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.