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 built an alternative model for R&D field trials: clients benefit from the hands-on local knowledge and on-the-ground dedication of small, specialised CROs, while we provide centralised project coordination and harmonised results. Our fundamentals — rigorous quality, transparent communication, and dependable deadlines — deliver a premium service on a sustainable, competitive budget.

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.

Rūta Žitkutė  –  Freelance

Rūta brings with her a background in agronomy and ecology with a wealth of hands-on experience in agricultural trials. Previously she has worked as a field technician and station manager in Lithuania gaining extensive experience with local crops and practices. She’s collaborated with Rhizome since late 2025.

Rūta is particularly passionate about GEP trials, which she sees as a window into the intricate interactions between plants, chemical substances, pests, and weeds. She finds the complexity and resilience of nature deeply inspiring, both in her professional and personal life. Outside of work, Rūta enjoys spending time outdoors, which fuels her curiosity and strengthens her commitment to ecological processes. She particularly values Rhizome’s international scope and collaborative spirit.

Gonzalo Campos Pineda  –  Freelance

With experience in the Agritech sector in both the USA and Europe, Gonzalo brings a solid background in project management, field trials, and data analysis. Working with Rhizome since 2026, he collaborates closely with the CROs to coordinate projects, navigate regulatory processes, and ensure the generation of high-quality data for clients across multiple markets. Originally from southern Spain, his passion for agriculture was shaped from an early age through a close connection to the land and local farming communities. Gonzalo always strives for seamless interactions between sponsors and CRO partners to drive successful project delivery. With Rhizome, he evolves in a dynamic international environment and contributes to innovative solutions that actively advance sustainable agriculture worldwide.

Meet our Data Science Team

Tudor Gherhardt   –  Freelance

Tudors work for Rhizome has been invaluably early 2022, serving as a foremost expert in Trial Data Managment. His key responsibilities include reviewing ARM files and reports, creating protocols, and following up with CROs during ongoing trials.

Before 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.

To him one of the greatest aspects of working with Rhizome is the opportunity to interact with people across our extensive network, spanning different countries and regions.

Samuel Van de Walle –  Freelance

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.

Doing database engineering and workflow optimization for Rhizome since 2024, 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.