🔴 Historic event
Signing of a historic agreement with the Swiss refinery DBCH SA for gold from GoldConnect production on the sidelines of the Invest in Africa Forum.
Mr. Geerlings received his law degrees from the University of Amsterdam as well as from New York University. Mr. Geerlings started his career as a lawyer in 1993 in Amsterdam specializing in the field of financial law at one of Europe’s most reputable law firms. In 1997 he was promoted by his law firm to the New York office which he ultimately led as management partner.
In New York Mr. Geerlings was mainly engaged in Wall Street related transactions particularly specialized in large scale project finance transactions, structured finance, commodity trading, corporate finance and capital market transactions. Mr. Geerlings became an acclaimed attorney in the field of Project Finance and acted as lead lawyer and project director in many large scale multibillion dollar projects including prestigious projects for Petrobras (structuring the financing and operational system of three oil fields on the coast of Brazil), for Dutch Railroads (sale and lease back of the Dutch National Rail Road infrastructure), for Dutch Telecom (sale and lease back of the Dutch National Telecom infrastructure), for Royal Dutch Shell (structuring the financing and operational system of different land based oil fields), Pfizer, Orange Israel, GM, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Disney and many more.
For his work as a lawyer in New York Mr. Geerlings was nominated for “Leading Lawyer International Transaction of the Year Award” by the International Financial Law Review; This is considered the highest regarded award for global top level international financial lawyers. Mr. Geerlings client base in New York consisted of JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Chase Manhattan, Citi Bank, Bear Stearns, Morgan Stanley, BNP, Deutsche Bank, ABN AMRO etc. In the Netherlands Mr. Geerlings was one of the lead lawyers of the Netherlands Central Bank, ABN Amro, Rabobank, Nissan Finance etc.
After returning to The Netherlands Mr. Geerlings started his own business and private law firm primarily engaged in the field of international project finance using his experience and expertise to help different governments on a case by case basis to finance their infrastructural needs.
In addition Mr. Geerlings is engaged in large scale commercial transactions both as a lead lawyer as well as private investor.
Mr. Geerlings is an advisor to the Dutch Government, to the Board of the City of Amsterdam, lectures as a guest professor at the Liberal University of Amsterdam on talent in sports and business, has been granted by the Mayor of Amsterdam the Honorable Andreas Medal and is happily married with two children.
Gilles is an expert in public governance, ESG strategies and geopolitical dynamics applied to development. With 45 years’ experience, he has piloted educational reforms in Europe, managed multilateral projects in Africa and Latin America, and co-designed innovative digital sovereignty programs. At the crossroads of public action, responsible finance and technological innovation, he develops concrete solutions to strengthen traceability, inclusion and transparency, notably through several digital finance programs in Africa.
Its approach is based on the proven 4P method (Priorities, Policies, Planning, Performance) and a recognized ability to articulate ESG issues with sovereignty imperatives, in complex geopolitical contexts.
From the beginning of his career in the mid-1980s, Stephen has been interested in the field of the environment, which was then an emerging sector. He obtained a specialization in Environment at university. He continued his studies at the graduate level in this field in the early 1990s. Over the past 40 years, through his actions and knowledge, Stephen has contributed significantly to the development of the environment by carrying out a series of studies, research, and concrete projects. From impact studies that meet all the criteria for sustainable development to the completion of hundreds of projects, his achievements have left their mark on the environmental sector here and around the world.
Starting out at a time when the first global environmental regulations were being written and continuing to this day when the field has become extremely complex and ramified, he has always been able to adapt and generate ideas to advance science. Stephen is therefore one of the pioneers and leaders in this field. He has become a reference in the field, first in Quebec, then in Canada and elsewhere in the world, particularly in Central America and Africa.
Stephen serves as a mentor to his team as General Manager of Environment at Tetra Tech. His knowledge shines through all Tetra Tech offices around the world. He is committed to sharing his knowledge and improving practices in the field. He has developed a multidisciplinary team that is unique in Canada, bringing together dedicated experts who work to find the best solutions or develop new ones. Under Stephen’s leadership, the ideas put forward aim to continuously improve projects for clients. When he was general manager, his environmental team worked in the areas of GHG, waste, contaminated soil, air, wildlife and plant inventory, clean fuel, and all legal aspects related to these areas.
An accomplished designer, he has participated in numerous projects of varying scope. He has developed plans and specifications for CET projects; set up facilities for the collection, sorting, combustion, and recovery of biogas; conducted greenhouse gas (GHG) assessments and evaluations of waste collection and management methods; led numerous projects in the field of construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) waste, both in terms of recovery and containment; and conducted impact and feasibility studies for the implementation of new infrastructure. He has also contributed to the development of numerous waste management plans for entire territories in order to reduce landfill use and improve the quality of life of society.
Honorary Governor of the Province of North Ubangi – Democratic Republic of Congo. A rising figure in governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malo is an expert in diplomacy, public governance, and institutional development. With more than 15 years of international experience, he brings his expertise and leadership to local development, the modernization of public services, and the strengthening of territorial governance.
With degrees in public relations and management from France and the United States, he has held several key positions in both the public and private sectors in Africa and Europe. He has served as provincial governor, director of financial services, and consultant in strategy and economic diplomacy. With strong analytical skills, a keen sense of dialogue, and a deep understanding of international issues, Malo is recognized for his ability to mobilize stakeholders around concrete, innovative, and sustainable projects. His deep commitment to the well-being of populations and the promotion of effective partnerships makes him a credible agent of change.
Honorary Governor of the Province of Sud-Ubangi – Democratic Republic of Congo. Trained as a lawyer and expert in public governance, Jean-Claude has over 30 years’ experience in Congolese administration, trade policy and customs regulation. A former national deputy and senior manager of the Congolese Control Office (OCC), he has contributed to the modernization of import verification systems, the establishment of a single foreign trade window and the negotiation of strategic partnerships with SGS and Bureau Veritas.
Committed to effective governance and a stable investment climate, during his tenure he worked to promote South Ubangi as a local development platform open to public-private partnerships, transparency and institutional innovation.
A seasoned businessman with experience in creating and developing businesses in the DRC, particularly in the mining and financial services sectors. His experience ranges from setting up operations to managing large entities. His skills include regulatory, legislative, and political oversight of a company, as well as public sector perspective, board governance processes and procedures, and management of executive teams.
With over 30 years of experience in the mining sector, Simon began his career in South Africa with the JCI Group in 1992, where he was assigned to the platinum division, which was later integrated into Anglo-American Platinum. After a four-year stint at Bateman Equipment from 1997 to 2001, he returned to the DRC to head the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons in Joseph Kabila’s first government. During his tenure, the Mining Code and Regulations were enacted, revolutionizing the mining sector and attracting investors such as BHP Billiton, De Beers, American Minerals Field, Glencore, Ivanhoe, Freeport McMoRan, CMOC, Zijin, and others.
After the signing of the 2002 San City peace agreement and the formation of a national unity government in 2003, he returned to the private sector, joining the Federation of Enterprises of Congo (FEC).
He became an administrator of the Federation of Enterprises of Congo (FEC) and National Vice-President, in charge of the mining sector.
He has chaired the Mining Industries Association of Southern Africa (MIASA) since September 1, 2019, for a two-year term.
In the private mining sector, where he has successively held the positions of:
In the financial sector, he was a member of the board of directors of Access Bank and, more recently, a member of the board of directors and then chairman of the board of directors of Standard Bank DRC.
Simon holds a master’s degree in mining and a diploma in business administration.
As the founder of an international fintech company and a pioneer in trade finance, Hervé helped build the infrastructure for global trade back in the days of SWIFTrade®, even before most people knew what SWIFT was. Today, Hervé is once again leading the charge, bringing compliance, identity, and authenticity to Web3 through blockchain.
His career began with a deep understanding of trade finance and banking operations. He progressed through the ranks of financial analyst roles, quickly rising from junior analyst to become the youngest Senior Vice President. His career culminated in a leadership role where he pioneered SWIFTrade®, the world’s first collaborative online trading platform. He designed this application despite skepticism from traditional technology providers who claimed, “The Internet will never work for commercial banking.” This revolutionary solution, recognized as a case study by Microsoft, illustrates his ability to merge financial services with cutting-edge technologies. It also earned him the prestigious US Presidential E Award for Excellence in Export Services, a major milestone in his career.
His expertise in innovation was further recognized when the US Department of Commerce invited him to represent the United States at the APEC Trade Ministers’ Meeting in 1998 in Kuching, Malaysia.
In Asia, he served as President of a bank, successfully leading a strategic turnaround, notably by working closely with the National Bank of Cambodia to implement FATCA.
Last year, they launched TradeEnabler, the first platform to use blockchain technology for issuing letters of credit. By using blockchain, TradeEnabler improves financial transparency, prevents fraud, and promotes financial inclusion through responsible decentralized finance. This year, TradeEnabler will expand its services to include the authentication of legal entities on the blockchain, thereby eliminating corporate identity fraud.
Winstant Ltd. has developed a range of solutions, most of which focus on financial services, digital identity, and fraud prevention.
A mind honed by experience in intelligence and theaters of war, where precision and strategy are the only weapons. An expert in the art of surveillance and detection, capable of deciphering the most subtle signs. But beyond technique, a humanist who believes in the ability of human beings to develop and flourish. Aurélien is a former member of the French armed forces, entrepreneur, and strategist, now based in Canada. He is co-founder of the MAGNI group, an independent organization dedicated to optimizing existing technological systems—including long-endurance drones, mobile logistics, sovereign data, and strategic security—with a focus on sovereignty, territorial autonomy, and the development of strategic resources. All of this is guided by a single principle: restoring each nation’s ability to act independently.
His operational background has given him rare expertise: transforming fragmented systems into coherent ones, rooted in reality, and controlled by the states themselves. Neither an engineer nor an inventor, he is an architect of sovereign functionality, focused on efficiency, transmission, and resilience.
But at the heart of his commitment lies a vision: that of technology that reveals rather than crushes, of power that reconnects rather than dominates. For him, sovereignty is not a tool of control, but a living link between peoples, their land, and their destiny.
As co-founder, alongside his wife Manon, of MAGNI and as part of the GOLDCONNET project, they aim to establish an elite group capable of capturing, analyzing, and structuring data from our world’s best sensors, so that the DRC, in collaboration with CEMAR, can regain sovereignty over its data.
Graduated in Advertising Design from the International Academy of Design and trained in Intercultural Communication at McGill University, Julie has been evolving for several years at the crossroads of marketing, communication, and strategic design. Her diverse background and sharp sense of human relations allow her to accurately identify client needs and develop marketing strategies that combine creativity and efficiency.
As an entrepreneur and manager, she founded Gestion WAM, an agency specialized in web, administration, and marketing. There, she supports ambitious companies in deploying their brand identity, optimizing their digital presence, and implementing impactful advertising campaigns. She stands out for her strong availability, attentive listening, and ability to transform ideas into tangible results.
Open-minded, visionary, and attuned to market trends, Julie leverages a rich and diverse experience to design elegant, relevant, and audience-tailored solutions. She now works with a young and creative team, fostering innovation and talent synergy to address today’s marketing challenges.
Both strategic, creative, and rigorous, Julie embodies an approach to marketing that combines excellence, discernment, and impact.
With a master’s degree in international economics from Panthéon-Assas University and an executive master’s degree in international Wealth Management from ESCP Business School, Lorenzo de La Rochefoucauld began his career at Afer, France’s leading savings association, where he was appointed Chief of Staff to the President in 2014. He then became Chief of Staff, before moving on to the position of General Delegate of Afer in 2018.
During his seven years in the world of bancassurance, Lorenzo contributed to the transformation of the Afer model, particularly at the international level, as well as to the modernization of its image and the expansion of its brand. Driven by the desire to defend the interests of members and give greater meaning to savings, he worked on the theme of financing the real economy and invested in the diversification of management and products.
In 2021, he co-founded Rhéa Conseil, a public affairs firm that advocates for responsible, fair practices that respect institutions and individuals.
In the spring of 2025, Lorenzo joined Phoenix Capital B.V. as Vice President of Communications and Strategic Partnerships.
Lorenzo is also passionate about public affairs. Involved in politics at university, he ran for office in the 2017 legislative elections in the 1st district of Seine-Saint-Denis. A music lover without being a musician himself, he created the Senlis en Musique festival in the eponymous town (Oise) in 2018, sponsored by Stéphane Bern, which notably welcomed pianists Boris Berezovsky and Khatia Buniatishvili.
As part of his Executive Master’s degree at ESCP, he wrote a thesis on France’s attractiveness and business succession in Europe.
A civil engineer with a degree from Laval University, Serge Fortier has over 30 years of experience in construction, civil engineering, and complex project management in Quebec. His career has led him to hold strategic leadership and management positions for large-scale projects in areas such as urban, environmental, and industrial infrastructure.
Since 2015, he has been President and CEO of Groupe S Fortier Inc., where he also acts as owner’s engineer. His expertise covers planning, selecting technical solutions, developing strategies, and negotiating with stakeholders to ensure the quality and profitability of projects while meeting the specific needs of clients.
He met Alain Lemieux in 2017, with whom he discovered affinities, shared values, and strong professional complementarity. This relationship led to the creation of a strategic partnership in 2019, enabling them to develop several projects together, including the MACC initiative and, more recently, GOLDCONNECT. For these projects, he is responsible for technical aspects, organizing the infrastructure of the Kisangani operations center, and relations with partners and suppliers. As Vice President of Operations at Phoenix Capital B.V., he also provides support and coordination for the technical management teams based in Montreal and the DRC.
Passionate about innovation, continuous improvement, and knowledge transfer, he makes it a point of honor to train and mentor his teams to support business growth and contribute to the sustainable development of communities.
Shpresa Gashi is a specialist in economic diplomacy, institutional relations, and strategic intelligence, with proven expertise in supporting projects with high sovereign, economic, and regulatory stakes. She works primarily at the intersection of public policy, responsible investment, and international cooperation.
Trained in international affairs, law, and economic diplomacy, she brings a rigorous analytical approach and a capacity for strategic alignment between public and private actors. Her experience has been built in multicultural, politically intense environments, where she has contributed to the structuring of complex projects, the conduct of high-level institutional dialogues, and the consolidation of partnerships at the regional and multilateral levels.
Multilingual and dynamic, she stands out for her ability to thrive in regulated, sensitive, or emerging contexts, ensuring that actions are consistent with governance, legitimacy, and strategic performance requirements.
Today, she is part of a dynamic effort to contribute to major economic and diplomatic transformations on the African continent, with a vision centered on sovereignty, responsible innovation, and sustainability.
Expert strategist in sustainable finance, entrepreneur in the climate economy, lobbyist and facilitator of institutional integration. With over 15 years of involvement at the interface between sustainable development, climate finance, public policy transformation and sustainable endogenous development, Junior has established himself as one of the most influential players in the new climate economy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A self-taught visionary, he combines strategic intelligence, community roots, and high-level mobilization skills to structure innovative, high-impact investment ecosystems. A key player in the dialogue between the state and the private sector on sustainability issues, he advises the highest authorities in the DRC, facilitates inter-institutional alignment, and supports the structuring of climate investment funds in line with international standards.
Versatile, resilient, and unifying, Junior is now a national leader in integrated carbon strategies, climate governance, CSR, sustainable market development, and environmental diplomacy.
With over 30 years of business management, capital investment insight, and operational leadership, Christophe-Emmanuel Boulicault serves as Chief Operating Officer, driving the strategic execution of the company’s vision. His career has been defined by a hands-on leadership style, a deep understanding of global markets, and a proven ability to transform complex operations into streamlined, profitable systems.
As founder and CEO of Bull Commodity Trading, Christophe managed international trade and high-value negotiations in raw materials and consumer goods, successfully expanding revenue and profitability across multiple continents. This direct experience with capital flows, risk management, and large-scale transaction oversight shaped his ability to navigate financial ecosystems with precision and trust — skills essential to any organization operating in a high-value, high-transparency environment.
Christophe is also deeply passionate about decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenization, and blockchain technologies. With a growing passion for coding languages and a vision for leveraging smart contracts, he brings a forward-thinking approach to building secure, transparent, and efficient ecosystems. His interest in merging traditional capital strategies with emerging blockchain applications positions him at the forefront of operational innovation in the financial and real estate sectors.
Today, Christophe leverages his decades of cross-sector experience — including leadership of multi-site hospitality groups, international trading companies, and design & renovation enterprises — to build resilient, scalable operational frameworks. His focus is on aligning investor expectations, regulatory compliance, and market opportunities, ensuring that the organization not only achieves but surpasses its strategic goals. Committed to transparency, sustainable growth, and long-term value creation, Christophe sets the operational standard for a new generation of responsible, investor-focused ventures.
As a seasoned CFO with two decades of experience, he has dedicated his career to serving the government, international organizations, and foreign governments. He has demonstrated excellence in budget development, oversight of multi-stakeholder programs, management of multi-billion-dollar budgets, strategic planning, and national security.
His expertise lies in the ability to generate positive financial results in complex global contexts by optimizing resources and developing effective strategies.
A native of Jamaica, Marc moved to the United States to pursue his higher education, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a double major in finance and economics. Since 1996, he has lived with his family in the Frankfurt area of Germany, where he has continued to pursue a distinguished career in financial strategy and leadership.
From 2022 to 2025, Marc served as CFO of the intergovernmental organization World Sports Alliance (WSA-IGO), where he played a central role in the global restructuring and strategic transformation of the organization.
By aligning long-term financial planning with the WSA’s international mission, he ensured the effective deployment of resources supporting youth development and sports diplomacy around the world.
Previously, he served as CFO at Coin Analyst and Cogia Analytics, where he provided strategic and financial leadership in the rapidly evolving sectors of cryptocurrency and AI-based data analytics. His insights enabled CEOs to make informed decisions in high-growth, innovative-driven environments.
From 2011 to 2017, Marc was CFO of NATO Special Operations in Belgium. In this role, he secured funding from the United States and 30 partner countries and led complex financial negotiations and multinational budget planning. He contributed to the support of classified missions and infrastructure development, successfully creating five new organizations and overseeing the launch of a new headquarters.
Since 1996, Marc has also held financial management positions within the US Department of Defense in Heidelberg and Stuttgart, Germany. He has managed multi-billion-dollar budgets and strategic initiatives for the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), the US Command for Europe (EUCOM) and the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), directly supporting mission readiness, risk mitigation and advanced technology deployments in US and NATO operations.
Former Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of Sint Maarten. Political advisor | Legal expert | Public sector leader | President of an intergovernmental organization.
Born in Nieuw Nickerie, Republic of Suriname, Perry grew up and studied in the Netherlands. A Dutch national, he has built a distinguished career spanning more than three decades in public administration, governance, and financial policy. After studying Dutch law at the University of Amsterdam and graduating from the prestigious Clingendael Academy for International Relations, he held several senior positions in government, diplomacy, and institutional leadership.
He served as Minister of Finance of Saint Martin (2018-2019) and, concurrently, as Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Justice in 2019. During his tenure, he led the development of Saint Martin’s Financial Recovery Plan (FRP) following Hurricane Irma, which received significant support from the World Bank, the IMF, and the Dutch government. He also oversaw crucial reforms in fiscal policy and public financial management and successfully negotiated a $200 million emergency financing mechanism for the rehabilitation of Princess Juliana International Airport, including substantial grants and loans at below-market rates.
Before taking up his ministerial duties, he was a member of Parliament (2017-2018) and previously held diplomatic positions in The Hague as director and deputy director of the office of the minister plenipotentiary (2011-2017). Earlier in his career, he worked in fiduciary services as head of trusts at SMITCO for more than two decades, and rejoined SMITCO after his political career, where he currently serves as managing director and chairs the supervisory board of the Sint Maarten Land and Cadastral Registry. He is also president of the World Sports Alliance (WSA), an international governmental organization. Perry is also CEO of Phoenix Capital B.V.
His expertise also extends to international representation and education. He has been a national expert and instructor at the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in Amsterdam since 2012 and has represented Sint Maarten at several interparliamentary consultations of the Kingdom (IPKO), including as head of delegation.
A strong advocate for structural reforms and international cooperation, he has held leadership positions in various parliamentary committees, NGOs, and policy working groups, particularly in the areas of health, social affairs, and constitutional affairs.
He holds several advanced certificates in international economics, public management, and European project development, and is a former member of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ diplomat training group (“Het Klasje”).
Alain Lemieux, a Canadian national, holds a degree in business administration from the University of Sherbrooke (Canada). He is a proven visionary entrepreneur with an impressive track record and a diverse professional background combining technology and commercial enterprises. Intuitive and tenacious, he has been recognized for his consistent ability to successfully navigate complex, results-oriented negotiations and transactions. Over the past 40 years, Alain has gained extensive experience in private and public affairs, government and intergovernmental affairs, start-up projects, infrastructure, financing, mergers and acquisitions, including the development and implementation of bilateral government operations on an international scale.
In early 2017, Alain left New York for Sint Maarten after spending ten years in sports diplomacy. He led a multi-stakeholder public-private partnership initiative that became an intergovernmental organization (IGO). He has extensive experience in diplomacy, working with African governments in direct contact with heads of state, prime ministers, and ministers on public-private partnerships to encourage and strengthen countries’ participation in their own sustainable and responsible development
Prior to 2007, Alain founded and served as president and CEO of a publicly traded company in the sports turf industry, a manufacturer and distributor of the revolutionary XL TURF technology invented by Alain and protected by a portfolio of patents in 42 countries. To promote XL TURF surfaces throughout the European soccer community, Alain implemented an innovative sponsorship and promotion initiative involving the greatest soccer players of the time, such as Thomas Berthold (Bayer Munich FC), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid FC), Ronaldinho de Gaucho (FC Barcelona), Christophe Dugarry (FC Bordeaux), Jean-Pierre Papin (AC Milan), and Ian Rush (Liverpool FC). The company was listed on the NASDAQ OTCBB and had its manufacturing plant in Montreal. In May 2007, Alain sold his patents and the trade names “XL Turf” and “XL Generation” to APW International, a Korean company based in Seoul
Alain provided consulting services in business development, corporate structures, and integrations for several international companies, governments, and start-ups, mainly in the green energy, innovative technologies, carbon credits, branding, and marketing sectors.
In 2023, the governors of the five provinces of Greater Equateur in the DRC entrusted him with the overhaul of their MACC initiative, as well as the development of a sustainable and bankable model. Following the success of this restructuring, the Ministry of Mines asked him in October 2024 to adapt the same concept to the artisanal gold mining sector, in collaboration with SAEMAPE. This approach led to the creation of the GOLDCONNECT initiative in early 2025, which is progressing with the WinstantGold tokenization program. The latter is in preparation for the launch of an ICO scheduled for early October 2025, through its company Phoenix Capital B.V., in partnership with the fintech company Winstant Ltd.
