Marc Leynaert has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Cameroon’s sugar company Sosucam, a key player in the country's agro-industry and a subsidiary of the Somdia Group. His appointment was confirmed on April 9 during a board meeting and officially took effect on April 16, according to an April 23 statement from Board Chairman Olivier Parent, published by Cameroon Tribune on April 23.
Leynaert replaces Jean-Louis Liscio, who had only held the job since January. Liscio’s short time in charge was marked by turmoil. His tenure saw a strike by seasonal workers followed by violent riots, which led to fires that destroyed more than 900 hectares of sugarcane fields. The damage was estimated at around CFA5 billion. These events came on top of an already difficult financial situation. The company recorded a loss of CFA22 billion for the 2024 fiscal year.
Leynaert steps in at a time when trust between workers and management is fragile. He is expected to lead one of the country’s largest agro-industrial firms through a critical period. Sosucam describes him as a seasoned project manager and irrigation engineer with nearly 30 years of experience across Africa and South America, including work in agribusiness, environmental projects, and energy.
His career began in 1996 with Geocoton in Paris. He later took on field roles in Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique before becoming managing director in both The Gambia and Mozambique. From 2009 to 2022, he worked with the Aga Khan network, playing a major role at Faso Coton in Burkina Faso as Operations Director, overseeing strategy and growth. He also led Triton Ressources Guyane, a company focused on sustainable underwater logging.
Before joining Sosucam, Leynaert was the head of Le Grand Moulin du Cameroun, another Somdia subsidiary and a major player in Cameroon’s agro-industrial sector.
But his new role will be no easy task. Worker dissatisfaction remains high, especially among cane cutters who make up most of the workforce. Many are still upset about what they see as unsafe working conditions and a lack of trust in company leadership.
In the wake of the February unrest, the company increased the base hourly wage for these workers by just CFA5, from CFA280 to CFA285. Many employees consider this raise more symbolic than meaningful, given the dangers of the job and the ongoing rise in inflation.