Rwanda

Executive Staff

Paul Talay – ICM Rwanda Agribusiness

Paul relocated to Kigali, Rwanda with his wife Shirley in 2006 to take up his role with ICM Rwanda Agribusiness. Paul's early employment history includes positions with the Department of Primary Industries in Victoria as Agronomy Advisor; Irrigation Agronomist and Consultant with AIDAB (Indo Australian Dairy Cattle Breeding Project) in India; Rice Farm Manager for Brewer Solomons and Associates in the Solomon Islands; and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council as Agronomist located in Azad Kashmir. Due to unrest between India and Pakistan over disputed territory resulting in it becoming unsafe to live and work there, Paul moved to Tasmania as Research Station Manager for the Department of Primary Industries. From here, Paul moved to Hay as an Associate Consultant with Booth and Associates. Then he worked for 7 years as a Regional Agronomist with Pivot with time spent in South Australia, NSW and North Queensland. While working at Pivot, Paul was awarded the Agronomy medal for achievements in Agronomy and Prescription Farming in 1998.

Paul left this job to take up an Indian appointment with Technico Limited as a Production Facility Manager.

More recently, before moving to Kigali, Paul has worked as a Horticultural Agronomist with Incitec Pivot in Townsville and then for the SW region.

Paul's qualifications include; a Bachelor of Applied Science, a Diploma of Agricultural Science, and a Certificate of Farm Management.

Des Whelan – ICM Rwanda Agribusiness

Des relocated with his wife Jen to Kigali, Rwanda in 2006. Des began his career in NSW with Rice growers Co-op Mills Pty Ltd as a Senior Projects Engineer. Following this, Des was appointed the Manager – Grains Division for ICM before being appointed as Engineering Manager for Bunge Australia Pty Ltd. Then in 1996, Des formed an engineeering consulting and project management practice in partnership where he specialised in providing professional project management, design and applied engineering to process industries. Des' countries of work experience include; Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Indonesia, Singapore, the Phillipines and now Rwanda. Des has a Bachelor of Engineering from the Bendigo College of Advanced Education.