Michael Chambers

Resume

Objectives
2007 Develop agro-processing opportunities in Northern Tanzania incorporating the business environment and sectoral contacts gained over the last decade to allow businesses to access small grower production.

Development Model Start Up
Conceived, wrote-up and pitched a unique Tanzania specific small grower development model addressing the often ignored constraint to this key area of Tz Development policy and oversaw the start up of six cooperatives using the plan.

International Standards Compliance
Oversaw and drafted, of a compliance system for fresh export compliant with ILO, National Food Safety legislation, EUREPGAP, BRC and essentially compliant to Fair Trade, Natures Choice and ISO, 8000, 9000 and 14,000.

$3 Million Management Buy-In
Wrote up, pitched and closed on a 3 million usd Management Buy-In accessing 31% of company for management and bringing in an additional $2.5 million in debt within the new debt / equity structure.

Land Dispute.
Settled a 22 year land dispute in which 10 eviction orders had been issued and 3 land settlement deals agreed to through preparing a compromise plan and bringing it to all local, regional and national stakeholders including three Ministers and three MPs for consensus before action.

Fresh Produce Market Agreement.
Solved the classic chicken and egg problem for quality fresh produce wherein you can’t sell if you don’t have product and can’t afford to grow quality if you don’t have a market through diligent development of good business and agricultural practice.

Fresh Produce Start up.
Wrote-up, pitched and closed with suppliers shareholders, partners and finance on Fresh Produce Export Business to produce, pack and fly fresh beans, mangetout, sugar snap and baby corn to the UK to supermarkets TESCOs and Sainsbury’s.

Receivership Dispute.
Managed and negotiated shareholder position to recover farm and all company assets from receivership first through stop order against sale (served at auction) then though negotiation.

Asset Recovery.
Managed asset recovery on the part of a creditor trust in the US to take control of Shares and Assets of company despite minority and management disagreement without the necessity of court action.

Duke University Team.
Lead Duke University primatology team on 3 month expedition to open Lomako research site in 1995 after its closure on security grounds and preparation of paper on site history, topography and cultural geography.

Travel Manuscript.
Wrote two hundred thousand word travel manuscript on experiences in Zaire 1984-1992.

DIA Contract.
Worked for the Defence Intelligence Agency after the pillage of Kinshasa in 1991 organizing evacuation related operations at the international airport. This work was strictly logistical and not intelligence or security related but did involve close cooperation with those elements.

USAID Contract.
Was contracted by USAID to evacuate all personnel effects of evacuated employees subsequent to the pillage of 1991. This work also resulted in working along side numerous other countries security services during the problems.

Congo Rain Forest Projects.
Researched, prepared PCN for Eco Tourism Project to be located in the Lomako forest to bring tourists to see Bonobo chimpanzees. Carried out two contracts for National Geographic working with Bob Caputo and Frans Langor and Perer Schiler on photo and film work including credit on Congo River film. In addition to National G and Duke University trips to Lomako traveled there in 1992 visited lost Kitawali sect and found ruined trading post of the 1902 Anglo Belgian India Rubber Company.

African Hard Wood Products.
Designed and produced African Hardwood furniture for Kinois market.

Business Dispute.
Manoeuvred through 18 month dispute with Lisala Timber project partner and presidential family member and succeeded in extracting other partners at risk equity contribution.

Lisala Timber Study.
Applied for and acquired preliminary rights on 600sq mile timber concession. Carried out quantity and species study running 15km sample lines though primary forest. Started up on temporary licence.

Coffee Buyer.
Managed three coffee campaigns the Congo buying coffee for cash in villages organizing transport by truck and river boat contracting de berrying and exporting (once) through the London exchange.

Kinshasa Commercial Index.
Researched and published two commercial indexes and one indexed map book of Kinshasa. Started up operation and printed first book based 100% on advances from advertising.

Political Convention Organizer.
Chief Organizer for two political conventions for Alliance Quebec, the English Language lobby group with 300 attendees for plenary and work shop sessions as well as community fair.

Overland Travel.
Traveled overland through Egypt, Sudan, Central African Republic, Congo, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa by bus, truck, car, boat and pirogue including extremely remote river and rainforest trips. Also travelled through Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran & Turkey.

 

 

Personal & Contacts
Canadian citizen with Tanzanian residency. Married with no children; Bilingual in English and French; living in Tanzania. P.O. Box 444 Usa River, Arusha Tz. mikechambers@tanhort.com Tel +255-786-821011

——————————————————————————————

Skill Set

Problem Solving
An ability to look at problems in their fullest context, including an aptitude for looking behind the structures at the realpolitic of the interests in play, and crafting practical workable solutions. The judgement to appreciate these interests comes as a result of a varied and involved experience.

Systems
An organizational frame of mind habituated to structuring planning and reporting systems to reflect the actual needs and situations and also fit into international Good Practice.

Inter Personnel
An ability to interact with both the formal structures of the private, public and NGO milieus and relate in a personnel sense to the individuals involved combined with an ability to talk straight couched in a bottom line respect for the opinion and person of others.

Persistence, Focus and Risk
A proven ability to persevere through difficulties and opposition focusing on the task until completion and a good capacity to foresee and avoid problems.

Write up
The capacity to take complex structures, ideas or situations and write them up into clear, presentable and comprehensive documents or to condense them into basic concepts and communicate them briefly and precisely in writing.

Finance and Legal
A reasonable facility with calculations; an ability to construct integrated excel or other models of logistical or operational plans and a basic ability with financial modeling for business. The capacity to prepare basic agreements and contracts, a fair editor and judge of professionally prepared legal documents.

Ethical
Some comfort and confidence in the ability to find ethical and moral solutions, the win-win scenario, in the common place and difficult situations presented within the African operational landscape.

——————————————————————————————

Michael Chambers Agro-Processing Business Development

Tanzania has a huge agricultural potential. Development policy has to a large extent ignored the fact that markets are required to buy agricultural products. Policy is now changing dramatically to favour private sector participation. The particular character of the Tanzanian Business environment, small holder resources and infrastructural capacity require a grasp of the whole value chain to develop a business within any one link. The skill sets listed above and the experience listed below combine to give an ability work within this environment to develop Agro-Processing opportunities that are appropriately structured and viable in the Tanzanian context.

————————————————————————

Michael Chambers Experience

HODECT - Chairman
As chairman of the committee to set up the Horticultural Development Council of Tanzania worked extensively with the Ministry of Agriculture and other Ministries and Agencies to gain consensus; outputs included project Document, draft national policy and MOU with Ministries.

National Business Council
Member of the National Business Council on the Agriculture working group.

WSSD – Committee Member
As a member of the Partnership Committee World Symposium for Sustainable Development initiative for Horticulture in Tanzania worked closely with donors and drafted all three initial Project Concept Notes for the Start Up program and contributed the principal private sector input.

TAHA – Secretary General
On the Board of the Tanzania Horticulture Association managed the lobbing and advocacy of this private sector association including developing a sectoral constraint document, a strategic position, initiated contact and managed relationship and developed pitch with all donors.

Agro Processing Business Plans
As COO of Continental Ventures Tanzania and independently developed Pre-Feasibility, market study and B-Plan for a fruit juice concentrate operation as well as meat processing and spice studies drawing on the significant resources of small growers.

$7.5 Million Restructuring
Wrote the B-Plan, pitched and closed with the principals in a $7.5 million usd debt / equity restructuring which secured $4.7 million in debt and $2.8 million usd equity paying out 65% of existing shareholders