About Dropstone
Who we are
Dropstone is an independent advisory firm based in Geneva, specialised in water-related issues, geosciences and complex situation management.
Founded in 2013 by Patrick Kilchenmann, geologist and hydrogeologist by training, the firm has developed a dual expertise: a strong technical grounding in applied Earth sciences in the Swiss context, and a confirmed operational capacity in some of the world’s most challenging humanitarian and development environments.
What unites us across these two worlds: the conviction that the best decisions arise from the combination of analytical rigour, field understanding and independence of judgement.
What sets us apart
Dropstone is not a large generalist firm. We are a human-scale organisation with a network of senior consultants recognised in their fields. This allows us to:
- Rapidly mobilise highly specialised profiles without structural overhead
- Maintain a high level of personal expert involvement on each mandate
- Guarantee full independence from suppliers, donors and operators
Our approach
Whether it is a hydrogeological study for a Swiss canton, a programme evaluation in the DRC, or mediation support in the Sahel, we follow the same logic:
- Understand the real context — institutional, technical, political
- Work rigorously and critically with available data
- Produce deliverables directly usable by decision-makers
Key figures
- More than 30 years of field experience from the founder
- Active in more than 28 countries since 2013
- Mandates for donors such as SDC, AFD, Global Affairs Canada, the UN, ICRC, HD Centre, Carter Center
- Continuous presence and support to cantonal authorities and construction sector in French-speaking Switzerland since inception
The permanent team
founder and owner
Patrick Kilchenmann
A geologist and hydrogeologist by training, Patrick has more than 30 years of professional experience. He began as ascientist in applied research in Switzerland before conducting long-term missions internationally — notably in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Haiti, Nepal and Sudan. He has worked for the ICRC, SDC, SKAT Consulting and Helvetas.
His areas of expertise cover groundwater management, WASH programmes, conflict prevention and resolution, humanitarian access negotiation, governance and institutional strengthening.
Staff - Geologist and Hydrogeologist
Mehdy Al-Zoubaidy
Holding a master’s degree in hydrogeology, Mehdy has 12 years of experience in Switzerland (environmental impact studies, engineering) and internationally (Morocco, Lebanon, Madagascar, Bangladesh). Specialised in integrated water management and spatial analysis, he works on our hydrogeological projects in Switzerland and abroad since March 2023.
Staff - Senior Geologist and Geomatician
Blaise Loup
A graduate of the University of Geneva, Blaise brings more than 30 years of experience in the management and analysis of geoscientific databases. Proficient in ArcGIS Pro and SQL queries, he has in-depth knowledge of the Geneva subsurface and oversees our hydrogeological projects and institutional databases. He joined our team in June 2024.
Staff - Geologist and Hydrogeologist
Cyrille Scherrer
Holding a doctorate in hydrogeology, Cyrille specialises in mapping groundwater potential for drilling in humanitarian crisis situations. His work has contributed to the completion of more than 100 high-yield boreholes in refugee camps in Uganda. He works on our geothermal projects in Geneva and provides hydrogeological support in Wallis and Geneva. He joined our team in January 2025.
Staff - Junior Exploration Geophysicist
Sam-Bien Sogle
Specialised in 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Induced Polarisation (IP), Sam-Bien leads our quaternary aquifer prospection project in the Geneva basin. He integrates high-resolution geophysical imaging with existing geological and hydrogeological data.
The senior consultant network
Dropstone draws on a network of senior consultants recognized in their fields, mobilised according to the specific needs of each mandate.
Consultant - PUBLIC STRATEGIES EXPERT
Hala Moughanie
More than 15 years of experience in public policy development and institutional reform. Managing Director of Madina for Service Development. Dropstone references: Burundi (AFD), DRC (Carter Center), Lebanon (SDC), Mali (SDC).
Consultant - Database Developer and IT specialist
Kingsley Akoh Akebegho
Specialist in database management systems and web development. Has collaborated with Dropstone since 2018 on the development of databases for humanitarian project monitoring.
Consultant - Senior Disaster Risk Reduction Expert"
Pedro Basabe
Doctorate in hydrogeology (EPFL). Contributed to drafting the Hyogo Framework (2005) and the Sendai Framework (2015) within UNDRR. Led the UNDRR Africa regional office (2008-2013). SDC DRR Officer for South-East Asia and the Pacific (2017-2022).
CONSULTANT - Junior Evaluation Specialist
Caroline Gloor
Holding a degree in international relations, Caroline specialises in gender, women’s empowerment and development issues. She contributes to our evaluation and project monitoring mandates in international contexts.
Consultant - SENIOR WATER EXPERT
Shukhrat Igamberdyev
More than 20 years of experience in integrated water resource management in Central Asia. Confirmed expert in WASH, irrigation, watershed management and DRR.
The clients and partners
