“Don’t tell me ‘Bon courage’!”
“Nothing can forge a man’s character better than travel, passion and pain”. It is no coincidence that these words are Axel d’Hauthuille’s; it is no doubt because he has experienced many changes of scenery since early childhood, pursued a career in the field he is passionate about and overcome some of the most difficult personal experiences. Today, this 42-year-old man heads one of the most dynamic crop protection companies in Morocco.
An African childhood
Born in France but arriving in Côte d’Ivoire at just three months old, Axel d’Hauthuille spent his first seven years in the land of the Elephants, guided by strong values such as respect for difference and open-mindedness.
An early travel bug was soon joined by a love of plants. That is why, after his baccalaureate in 1995, he joined the École Supérieure d’Agro-Développement International in Angers to become an agro-development engineer. “It was both a technical and a passionate choice. I turned towards agronomy and working abroad. That gives you a certain sense of openness, as beneficial for me as for my children”, he recounts in a voice full of serenity.
Once he had his engineering degree in his pocket, he went back to Africa; first to Côte d’Ivoire, then to Madagascar, Kenya and finally Morocco. And it is in Rabat that he has been at the head of Syngenta since August 2019. “Professionally, it is a great challenge in a country where agriculture drives the economy. Personally, Morocco offers my family a very good quality of life”, he explains. But that is not the only positive aspect he finds in the country of the two shores. Many surfing enthusiasts know this surfer who rides the waves off Mohammedia or south of Essaouira every week with his two sons, aged 15 and 6.
“Carpe Diem”
Those who know Axel d’Hauthuille know that he does not like being wished “bon courage” (“hang in there”). “It is a misuse of language that confuses life with an ordeal. Yet it is important always to consider yourself lucky for what you have”, he says. That is not to say that life has always smiled on him. Before becoming a business leader who has worked in complex contexts, he went through particularly difficult situations. “Life has its ups and downs. It is important to hang on in order to move forward”, he believes. And it is with this zest for life and this commitment to always progressing that the Managing Director of Syngenta’s Moroccan subsidiary leads his personal and professional lives.
In life as in agriculture…
He also adopts this state of mind in his role at Syngenta. “Our role is always to meet the needs of Moroccan farmers and to keep pace with changes in the market,” he explains. In the professional sphere, and particularly in his sector, which depends on the vagaries of the weather and regulatory changes, Axel Hauthuille’s philosophy remains the same. “It is true that Moroccan agriculture is rather cyclical, which makes the situation complicated for every link in the value chain. But Morocco is making progress that will bear fruit”, concludes this plant enthusiast.