Our Team
Appetizer
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He has studies in mathematics and agricultural science and a PhD in modelling and solving international CO2-trade systems.
He is determined to work towards improving the quality of life of those who live in poverty. That’s why he joined Citra – to work towards green affordable housing for everyone.
“The resources of our earth are there for everyone. We are all affected by the destruction of these resources and have a shared responsibility to live more sustainably.”
Andreas Graf
Co-Founder
MSc Agricultural Sciences
Andreas studied agricultural engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich.
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He has more than 15 years’ experience in development cooperation, working for different organizations in 20 countries in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa, including the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the International Federation of the Red Cross, and the UN.
He has a keen interest in sustainable resources, which is why, in 2010, he decided to dedicate a large part of his time to working as an independent developer and becoming the biggest driving force in the creation of Citra.
Joel Baur
Co-Founder, Board member, Managing Director
MSc Architecture, MBA
Joel loves reading and spending time with his family in nature.
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He even takes pleasure in sitting in traffic without plans or interruptions! He is passionate about changing the everyday lives of people and communities through the considered, high-quality design of houses and neighborhoods.
After completing his Masters in Architecture in 2016, he migrated with his wife to South Africa and started building up Citra in Cape Town. Joel leads the company with vision, humor, and by example, generally being the first in in the morning and the last out in the evening.
Cheryl Hillman
Board member, Director Development at Citra Development
National Diploma Architecture, Accredited Eco-districts Practitioner, Accredited EDGE Professional
Cheryl is driven by a passion for sustainable development.
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She has over 30 years’ experience in the development and management of affordable housing and has been professionally accredited both by EDGE and EcoDistricts.
In her free time, she is an outdoor enthusiast, who also plays the piano and dabbles in photography.
Erik van Heerden
Board member, Commercial Director at Citra Construction
Bachelor of Technology in Quantity Surveying
Erik finished a BTech in Quantity Surveying at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2001.
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He has been working in construction as a quantity surveyor or contracts manager ever since.
In 2007 he walked the Spanish pilgrimage trail, the Camino de Santiago, four months before the birth of his first daughter. He dreams about the day he can return to the Camino to walk it with his wife and two daughters.