Management Team & Board Members

We are a team of cross-sectoral specialists with over 100 years combined experience.

Management Team

Nick de Swardt

CEO Cicada Plantations

  • 21+ years of experience, 10 of which with the Group

  • Previously worked for Moody’s in Structured Finance and PIMCO in the Structured Debt Advisory group in London

  • Several years of experience in managing commercial farming operations in Zimbabwe

  • Has an MSc in Financial Mathematics from University of Cape Town and a BSc Hons in Mathematics from the University of Edinburgh

  • Zimbabwean National

Lysius Karimanzira

CFO Cicada Plantations

  • 18+ years of experience, 12 of which with the Group

  • Previously the CFO of Border Timbers, Zimbabwe's largest commercial forestry operation

  • Extensive experience in financial management of agricultural businesses in Africa

  • Has an BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes

  • Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Regsitered Public Accountant Zimbabwe (RPAcc)

  • Zimbabwean National

Jonathan Wood

Managing Director Cicada Solar

  • 30 years of experience, 9 of which with the Group

  • Previously worked for Standard Bank as head of Project Finance. Prior to that he held senior roles in Barclays Bank and Hambros Bank

  • Extensive experience in African capital markets

  • Has an MSc in Corporate and International Finance from Durham University, a B.Com Hons from University of Capetown, and a B. Econ from Rhodes University

  • Zimbabwean National

Karen Jiri

Commercial Director

  • 15+ years experience, of which 8 years were previously with Takura Capital Group in various senior leadership roles

  • Extensive experience in the Agriculture sector and related downstream agro-processing, FMCG manufacturing and retail sectors

  • Holds a Masters in Business Leadership (MBL) from the UNISA School of Business Leadership

  • Has a BCompt (Hons) degree in Accounting Science through UNISA and completed articles of clerkship with Deloitte Zimbabwe

  • Zimbabwean National

Jenna van Niekerk

Chief of Staff and Sustainability

  • 16 years of experience in the agricultural and environmental space, 12 of which are specifically in ESG, 2 of which with the Group

  • Previously worked for a Zimbabwean-based private equity fund, with extensive DFI experienced proficiency in IFC Performance Standards and international best practices.

  • Holds a BSocSc (Hons) in Environmental and Geographical Science from the University of Cape Town

  • 30 years of experience, 12 of which with the Group

  • Previously worked in private practice in Harare and the City of London

  • Has extensive experience in corporate and financial transactions in sub–Saharan Africa

  • Has a BA LLB from University of Cape Town

  • Admitted as a Legal Practitioner in Zimbabwe and a solicitor in England and Wales

  • Zimbabwean National

Andrew Mills

Group General Counsel

Board Members

Thomas Høegh

Chair of Cicada Holdings

  • Decades of experience founding and building companies globally including LoveFilm (acquired by Amazon) and Arts Alliance Media (acquired by Luxin Rio)

  • Founder and CEO of Arts Alliance Advisors, Chairman of Rift Valley and Director of Höegh Capital Partners

  • Holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and trained as a theatre director at Northwestern University

Paul West

Deputy Chair of Cicada Holdings

  • 29 years of experience, 11 of which with Rift Valley Corporation

  • Joined the group in 2011 as Group CFO

  • Extensive multinational experience. Previous positions include CFO at African Lakes Corporation and Commercial Director at New Forests

  • BSc in Social Science from UCT and qualified accountant with Ernst & Young in the UK

  • Zimbabwean National

Carlo Ravizza

Investment Director at Höegh Capital Partners

  • 17 years experience across banking and consultancy, 12 years at Höegh Capital Partners

  • Serves on the Boards of several companies within the HCP portfolio including Rift Valley Corporation, Rift Valley Energy, Border Timbers, Cicada and HMLP

  • Previous experience at McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, JP Morgan, Alvarez & Marsal and AlixPartners

  • Holds an MBA from London Business School and a bachelor degree – summa cum laude – in Finance and Accounting from Turin University

David Allen

Non-Executive Director

  • 17 years of business experience in Jersey

  • Extensive London experience in the financial services industry and has operated logistics, carbon and energy businesses in countries within the SADC region of Africa

  • One of the founding shareholders of ICECAP

  • A qualified chartered accountant and a member of the South African and ICAEW institutes

  • Jersey resident

Martine Holter

Non-Executive Director

  • 35 years of experience in investing, investment banking, and management consulting.

  • Senior Advisor to the Höegh Group following 17 years as CEO of Höegh Capital Partners. Board experience includes Höegh Autoliners, Höegh Evi, Partners Capital Investment Group, Cicada Holdings and Arts Alliance Media amongst others.

  • Previously with Goldman Sachs based in New York followed by Hong Kong; McKinsey & Company based in London and working across Europe; and Arts Alliance Ventures based in London.

  • Holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Joint Bachelor of Arts Honours in Economics and Political Science from Queen’s University, Canada. A member of the INSEAD Board and Endowment Management Committee.

  • Born in Canada. Dual Canadian and British citizen.

Robert Minty

Non-Executive Director

  • 25 years of experience in financial services in Jersey having qualified with PWC as a chartered accountant

  • Experience in building businesses with a wide sectoral scope in financial services, forestry, carbon and logistics in Southern Africa, New Zealand, Jersey and Mauritius.

  • Appointed to the Cicada board through board position at a regulated corporate services provider in Jersey and Mauritius

  • Jersey resident

Tricia Wallace

Managing Director Cicada Border Timbers

  • Over 25 years of experience, 7 of which with the Group.

  • Extensive experience in financial and operational management of agricultural businesses in the U.S. and Africa.

  • Previously worked for JPMorgan in Natural Resources Investment Banking.

  • Has an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Tulane University, and a BA in Economics and History from Loyola University of New Orleans. Also holds a one-year agriculture certificate from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Sarah Whaley

General Manager Cicada Agri-Tech

  • 12+ years of experience in agricultural and environmental sciences, with a focus on regenerative systems, soil health, carbon and biodiversity.

  • Adept at field work, working directly with farmers, as well as collaborative research and consultancy including development of the UK Farm Soil Carbon Code and contributor to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Biodiversity Metrics.

  • Extensive international experience, having worked across Africa, Europe, and Australia in consultancy, research, and operational management roles.