The Team

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My experience in farm management will support the Mt. Sunzu Coffee Estate with a sound strategy and business structure. 

• Worked at Läderach (Switzerland) AG at the interface between country of origin and Switzerland
• Luca has deep insight into the food processing scene in the high quality segment and understands the needs of European buyers
• Experience in setting up and managing farms (rubber, cocoa, agroforestry) on around 1000 hectares in Africa

After finalizing my master’s thesis on the impact of multinational enterprises in emerging countries, I went to Côte d'Ivoire where I was responsible for the management and implementation of farms. The focus was on the production of rubber and cocoa as well as the implementation of a new project – initiated by the Swiss entrepreneur Fredy Hiestand – with the goal of developing a sustainable agro-forest production system. 

After three years working for Läderach (Schweiz) AG where I was responsible for the cocoa supply and partnerships, it was time in 2021 to follow the call of wild and started full-time working for Mount Sunzu Coffee.

My skills in accounting, business planning and my experience regarding legal topics supplement the team perfectly. 

• Manager at Capitalmind; responsible for M&A transactions and succession planning, previously with the corporate finance team at PwC
• Experience in transactions, business valuations, financial modelling, business planning and business optimisation

During my studies of Business Administration at the University of Zurich, I was supporting two young entrepreneurs leading their own private equity start-up with the acquisition of their own company. This enabled me to gather experience in the realms of mergers and acquisitions, as well as the management and development of established companies. For four years I worked at PwC in the Corporate Finance and Deals Team and was responsible for financial modelling, business planning and enterprise valuation. In my current position as an analyst at Affentranger Associates I am responsible for corporate finance mandates in the private equity and M&A transaction sector. Based on my experience, I am certain that no company can be successful in the long-term without a functioning operative and strategic controlling, proper accounting and an understanding of administrative and legal processes surrounding the daily business activities. 

I gained various practical insights in farm management, which I will use for the local management of the daily business. 

• Worked for one of the world's largest agribusinesses in researching yield optimisation and sustainable cultivation in coffee
• Managed a coffee plantation in Tanzania
• Completed an internship on a Zambian cattle farm
• Large network in Zambia

During his studies Fridolin enhanced his practical knowledge about agriculture with various internships in different agricultural businesses in Switzerland and abroad. While completing his Master of Science in Agricultural Science at the ETH Zurich he had the chance to complete an internship on a Zambian farm. Since then, it has been Fridolin’s dream to develop his own farm in Zambia. After finishing his Master’s, Fridolin is gaining leadership experience in the coffee production. He built a network of contacts in Zambia and is ready to take the leap to become an entrepreneur. The last five years, Fridolin worked for one of the world’s largest agricultural businesses and was responsible for yield optimization on a large-scale coffee farms. 

Since 2020, Fridolin dedicates his time and knowledge to Mount Sunzu Coffee Farm.