Team
Meet our CEO
Jean-Yves Lontie
With a background in bio-engineering and agronomy, I embarked on my journey in the R&D sector in 2005, specializing in regulatory consulting for over seven years. This experience paved the way for my career in business development with the Redebel Group.
I view business development as a catalyst for innovation, believing that new services can simplify lives and add value.
At Rhizome, I have created an alternative solution in the R&D market, driven by a philosophy that emphasizes high-quality standards, transparent communication, and strict adherence to deadlines.
Meet our Project Managers
Hugo Marques Santos
Hugo has been a project manager at Rhizome Network since 2020. Passionate about agriculture and innovation, he enjoys the diversity of projects at Rhizome. After studying biotechnology, Hugo discovered experimentation and GEP trials in the Southwest of France over three seasons. During this time, he participated in and assisted with GEP trials on various themes: fungicides, herbicides in cereals, arboriculture, and viticulture, as well as conventional insecticides and sexual confusion in arboriculture and viticulture. This experience has given him a deep understanding of the challenges encountered during GEP trials.
A sports enthusiast, Hugo appreciates the spirit of collaboration and teamwork among all Rhizome members.
Alexandre Haefflinger
Alexandre has been working as a project manager for Rhizome Network since 2018. His role involves assisting clients in the realization, monitoring, and coordination of experimental trial programs on various crops and pests worldwide.
Previously, Alexandre worked as a trialist in Belgium and the Netherlands, and as a coordinator of cereal fungicide trials in France. These experiences have given him a deep understanding of the challenges in plant experimentation.
What Alexandre loves about Rhizome is the diversity and richness of the themes, clients, and partners he has the opportunity to work with.
Mathieu Houlle
Mathieu has been with Rhizome since 2021. His responsibilities include defining project objectives in collaboration with sponsors, establishing planning processes, managing resources, ensuring effective communication between sponsors and CROs within our network, overseeing task execution, and monitoring budgets.
Additionally, he is responsible for network development to ensure our capabilities in terms of territories and expertise, allowing us to respond accurately to sponsors’ requests.
Before joining Rhizome, Mathieu gained nine years of experience as a GEP field trialist.
Estelle Perrin
Estelle joined Rhizome in January 2024 as a project manager, bringing several years of experience as a project manager and operational director at French and international CROs. Her career began as an experimental technician in the Southwest of France.
Joining Rhizome was a goal for her: a company with a human scale but international dimension, dynamic and innovative, with an open and friendly mindset. This environment allows her to offer quality service to clients while maintaining unwavering professionalism.
Meet our Data Science Team
Tudor Gherhardt
Tudor has been a valued member of Rhizome for the past three years, serving as a Data Manager. His key responsibilities include reviewing ARM files and reports, creating protocols, and following up with CROs during ongoing trials.
Before joining Rhizome, Tudor worked as a Data Analyst and Field Technician in western Romania, his home country. There, he gained valuable experience running PPT GEP field trials, which allowed him to work both in the field and on data analysis in ARM, preparing comprehensive reports.
On a personal note, Tudor enjoys fishing, which he indulges in as much as possible during his spare time.
One of the greatest aspects of working at Rhizome for Tudor is the opportunity to interact with people across our extensive network, spanning different countries and regions.
Ludovit Ceri
Ludovit is a graduate chemist specializing in environmental engineering, with a focus on wastewater treatment.
Ludovit began his agronomical career at a Slovakian CRO 15 years ago, gaining extensive experience in agricultural research. His expertise includes conducting field trials and trials under controlled conditions, utilizing ARM software, managing GEP and GLP agendas, and working in microbiology and chromatography. He is also a qualified beekeeper.
What he truly enjoys about Rhizome is the dynamic nature of the work and the coherence and camaraderie within the team.
Samuel Van de Walle
Samuel’s journey as a biologist has taken him across multiple countries, working on diverse topics such as water treatment, forest management, and fisheries. Despite the varied sectors, his work consistently revolves around one core principle: organizing, managing, and analyzing large amounts of data to facilitate interaction.
As a data scientist, Samuel bridges the gap between IT and biological sciences. He excels in organizing trial databases and follow-up systems, while supporting project managers in reviewing ARM files. His favorite aspect of Rhizome is the confidence, born from experience, that any problem can be solved.
The Network
Apart from our team the network members are also an essential part of our service. Discover their locations on the network page or get in contact to discuss them in detail.
