Our Team

As Executive Director and co-founder, Mr. Smart provides oversight and direction for Mountain Lion’s impact-focused operations. These include the development of partnerships, projects and M&E frameworks. He holds Master’s degrees both in Agriculture and Peacebuilding, and serves as a Director on the Sierra Leone Chamber of Agricultural Development (SLECAD).   Mr. Smart has over a decade of experience instructing youth in agri-business and previously developed an innovative local organization dedicated to national agricultural development. Born in Sierra Leone and a survivor of its conflict, he is passionate about the prosperity of his country and his people. 

Augustine Sam, a Sierra Leonean, holds a Degree with Honors in Agricultural Engineering. He has over twenty years experience leading agri-businesses and previously worked with Quifel Agri-business, one of Sierra Leonean’s largest companies of its kind, as country director. As CEO Augustine leads Mountain Lion Agriculture’s Mill business. This includes sourcing raw rice, ensuring our Mill is operating at peak efficiency, and cultivating high value sales streams.  In addition to his considerable skill set, Augustine also brings his life long passion for helping young men and women find employment and professional development to Mountain Lion Agriculture. 

Umu Jalloh was born in Makeni, and is key member of the Mountain Lion Agriculture team as Accountant. Shs earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance at the institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) in Freetown after attending Secondary School in Makeni. She has a passion for enganging youth and women in business, and before Mountain Lion Umu supported a local youth organization (Restless Development) as a Volunteer peer Educator. Umu brings to the Mountain Lion Agriculture team her strengths in attention to detail, time management and the ability to work well independently.

Rukiatu Joice Sam, a Sierra Leonean, hold a Teacher’s certificate from Njala University. Before her employment with MLAg, Joice was an outstanding teacher instructing pupils at the experimental primary school in Bo during her teaching practice. Joice works as lead administrator for Mountain Lion Agriculture and is also a proud member of the Company’s Accounting or “A Team.”

As part of her A-Team responsibilities, Joice co-approves all requisition forms and also cross-check or verifies all logbooks including the paddy rice store log, parboiling logbook, and store inventory log. Joice utilizes her considerable teaching experience in her administration/accounting work and has taken a lead role in teaching new MLAg staff about the procedures and processes that keep our company financially accountable. In her own words, she has “a passion for the growth and development of local farmers and intends to see MLAg become the biggest Agricultural Company in Africa.”

Mr. Dudek provides oversight and direction for Mountain Lion’s entire operations and holds an MSc from the London School of Economics where he studied Agricultural Development in Sierra Leone. He has spent the last 22 years travelling to Sierra Leone, where he has also helped fund numerous ventures including an innovative organization dedicated to community-based, sustainable and locally sensitive child protection. Jason also has business experience in Canada, the UK and Africa. He brings an extensive background in finance, organizational administration and business development to our Company.

Wietse van Tilburg is Fund Manager of Incluvest, a leading Dutch Impact Investor which focuses on supporting local value chains and “fair factories” where they are needed most. Wietse has a broad experience in investing and managing new agricultural companies in developing countries.

He has worked in London as investment manager for AgDevCo, is a social impact investor, and has management experience in Agriculture projects in Ethiopia and Mozambique. Wietse is a lover of Cafe Sol coffee from Mozambique.

Traugott Horsch is Export Manager and share holder of Horsch Maschinen GmbH, a major European farm equipment manufacturer, based in Schwandorf, Germany since 1998. He is also member of the Management Committee of Horsch Anderson LCC, a joint venture operation of HORSCH for Airsseeder Production in Andover, South Dakota. As a director in the HORSCH Foundation he is involved in development projects in Nicaragua. Mr Horsch served as consultant for small farmer programs in Nicaragua since 1984 through Internationale Mennonitische Organisation (IMO) and Dienste in Übersee. He managed his own farm operation in Nicaragua from 1993-1998 and served during this period as a director in APENN (the Nicaraguan Farmers Association for nontraditional agricultural export products). Mr Horsch has a technical formation in farming and has studied Sociology and Economics at University of Mannheim, Germany.