Being a woman in a male-dominated industry is never an easy feat. Even today, when female leadership is more accepted globally, steering a company on the brink of bankruptcy comes with its own set of challenges. It takes a strong, capable individual to withstand them – and Monique Gieskes has proven she is exactly that.
Her resilience and competence in leading a traditionally male-dominated organisation have made her a force to be reckoned with. And if being the chief executive officer of a major palm oil company in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is not impressive enough, try being the CEO who turned the company around financially.
Gieskes transformed Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), once a loss-making entity, into a profitable institution in less than four years.
Speaking to Twentytwo13 during her visit to Kuala Lumpur last week for the 2025 International Palm Oil Congress and Exhibition (PIPOC), she said her presence has had a meaningful impact on women interested in the economy.
“Having a female leader at the helm has inspired other women in more ways than one,” she said.
One of the most significant developments is the rise of women within the company – many who started as team leaders are now running entire estates.
“These women, after successfully moving up from team leaders to estate managers, are now looking forward to developing their careers further. They are inspired and motivated, and it is such a wonderful thing to see,” she added.
Gieskes has also noticed increasing interest among young women who want to become agronomists after seeing what she has achieved at PHC.
“They tell me they want to be agri-leaders – not only in PHC but in the country,” she said, adding that PHC has established a women’s empowerment unit where participants handle various crops beyond palm oil.
“This is creating such positive energy and dynamics among these women. We want to leverage their expertise and competency to lead smallholder farming and help them grow in agri-business as a whole,” she said.
This ties into PHC’s vision of shared prosperity through agri-business.
“While running a profitable business, we reinvest our wealth into infrastructure such as hospitals and schools. So far, in four years, we have built 45 schools. We are also constructing boreholes to provide clean water for the community,” she said.
PHC is also building docks for boats.
“The DRC operations are along the Congo River. Having a dock promotes traffic flow and creates an economic ecosystem for the surrounding communities,” she said.
Reinvesting revenues into healthcare, education and infrastructure has benefited the people tremendously.
“Now the community has internet access, allowing them to stay connected and exposed to the rest of the world. This will further develop the nation, attract foreign investments and create more jobs,” she said.
With 38 million hectares of land suitable for oil palm cultivation and ample labour resources, the DRC is poised to become a major palm oil player.
“We are prepared for new investments and are looking forward to them. The DRC is positioning itself as a land of opportunities – we have the resources needed to grow,” she said.
Gieskes, who is legally trained and has worked with various international organisations to promote fair trade, is no stranger to global partnerships. She highlighted the potential of working more closely with Malaysia and Indonesia, two of the world’s largest palm oil producers.
“It would be very special to work with Malaysia and Indonesia. Given the DRC’s land and resources, we are a strong potential partner for oil palm plantations. We just haven’t developed the industry the way Malaysia and Indonesia have, which means there is room to link up and share expertise,” she said.
She also pointed out that the oil palm seed variety used by Malaysia and Indonesia originates from Yangambi in the DRC.
“It is a legacy that the DRC shares with the world, and it is time for us to be more involved,” she said proudly.
Focused on transforming lives through entrepreneurial skills and agri-business knowledge, Gieskes has high hopes for PHC’s role in the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC).
“We became a full member in March 2025. Since then, we have hosted a training session for 50 smallholder farmers. With guidance from CPOPC members, they gain knowledge that will help them become agri-preneurs. This will change their lives, increase their income and improve their family’s future,” she said.
PHC currently has 50 participants in the CPOPC programme, and Gieskes expects the impact to grow steadily.
“It will take three to four years for the training to bear fruit. We are confident the number will triple within the next four years as we are already registering those interested in seed distribution and best management practices,” she said.
She also sees immense potential for PHC to contribute to the DRC’s economic transformation.
For a country heavily reliant on mineral resources, developing agri-business would be a valuable – and lucrative – addition to its economy. With vast natural resources and a trained workforce, PHC may well be the next big thing to emerge from Central Africa.