Gabriel Desvaux: Answering the call of wide-open spaces
With a steady gaze and a calm voice, Gabriel Desvaux is stepping into a brand-new chapter of his life. At 38, he is taking the helm of Livestock Feed Ltd (LFL) Rwanda as Country Manager. On September 30, he will board a plane with his wife and their two young children, bags packed for a four- to five-year stay. “We’re young, we have the energy. We had to take the leap,” he says with a smile that reflects his taste for challenge.
His journey with Eclosia began long before this new adventure. “I first joined the group in 2006 for a six-month internship. Then I worked at LFL for a year and a half before resuming my studies,” he recalls. Supported by the company, he earned a degree in marketing and management, splitting his time between DCDM Business School (now Charles Telfair Education) in Mauritius and a final year in Australia. “LFL gave me my first real professional school of life.”
Back in Mauritius, Gabriel gained hands-on experience as a Production Officer at LFL Pailles, before heading to Madagascar in 2011. What was meant to be a two-year assignment turned into seven years of total immersion. “I left with a single suitcase and came back with a family,” he says with a laugh. There, he helped set up a new factory and discovered the complexities of a fast-evolving market. He also met his future wife, and together they welcomed two children. “Madagascar was a school in every sense - professionally and personally.”
In 2018, the couple returned to Mauritius. Opportunities within the group were scarce, and Gabriel chose to explore new paths: five years at Hardy Henry Services as Business Unit Manager, an MBA from Paris-Dauphine completed in parallel, and a challenging stint in property management. “It was a very formative role, sometimes tough, but it taught me how to listen, negotiate, and find solutions.”
When the offer for Rwanda appeared, his heart immediately responded. “I read the job description and instantly thought of my time in Madagascar - building a factory, setting up processes, recruiting. And going back to LFL felt like returning to my roots.” The dynamism of a rising African market sealed the decision. “I told myself: back to basics.”
His mission in Kigali is crystal clear: build a new factory, structure a strong team, and embrace a new culture. LFL Rwanda currently employs 45 people, but the goal is to double that in the coming years. “My priority is to understand the country. Rwanda has a powerful history and a culture different from ours. I want to listen, integrate, and grow together with the team already in place.”
For Gabriel, success is always a team effort. “We are all links in a chain. I won’t succeed alone. My style is participative: delegate, supervise, but above all brainstorms. The more we share, the better the ideas that emerge.” One of his biggest challenges will be securing raw materials. The country produces maize, but logistics and collection require a solid system. “Without inputs, there’s no production. That’s where we’ll need to be smart.”
Outside of work, Gabriel feeds his love for endurance sports. Trail running is his outlet. “I run a lot, three to four times a week. It’s a school of resilience. You face highs and lows, just like at work.” He has already taken part in the legendary Diagonale des Fous in Réunion Island - 175 kilometers and 10,000 meters of elevation gain. “It puts everything into perspective.” When time allows, he also surfs, “just to feel the glide and the ocean.”
As he prepares for this new departure, Gabriel knows he is leaving Mauritius for a country in the midst of transformation. But that very energy is what drives him. “I want to make my mark, leave a positive footprint, just as I did in Madagascar.” With his field experience, collaborative spirit, and appetite for adventure, he heads to Kigali ready to write a bold new page in his story.