Kouakou Kouma Joseph Sie (SKEMA 2011), Ambassador of the Abidjan Chapter

Could you tell us a little about your journey since graduating from SKEMA Business School and what motivated you to become an ambassador of the SKEMA Alumni Abidjan Chapter?

In 2008, I wanted to deepen my knowledge of business management, so I enrolled at SKEMA where I majored in Corporate Finance.

After several professional experiences in the transport and industrial sectors in France, I joined Bolloré Africa Logistics in the Central African Republic as a management controller. In 2012, I joined the international auditing firm Deloitte Côte d'Ivoire, where I worked for two years. With this experience in transactions, valuations and corporate organisation under my belt, I went to work for the West African investment fund Phoenix Capital Partners, as a senior financial analyst. After almost a decade with the company, I am now Portfolio and Investment Director.

Having returned to Côte d'Ivoire in 2013, I've now been an ambassador for SKEMA Alumni in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana for five years. Our network is more than 100 members strong. My main motivation was to breathe new life into this network, strengthen the alumni community and promote SKEMA in Côte d'Ivoire and surrounding countries.

As ambassador, how do you plan to bring energy and life to the Abidjan chapter? Can you share any ideas for initiatives or for events you’d like to run?

I plan to continue to bring energy and life to the local chapter through the following initiatives:

• Strengthening ties between alumni living in Côte d'Ivoire and surrounding countries. This involves organising regular events like talks and after-work meetups. To date, we have organised two talks and after-work events each year, with regular get-togethers to keep the momentum going.
  
  
• Promoting SKEMA Business School in Côte d'Ivoire and neighbouring countries. This includes assisting the school's staff in recruiting new students, particularly through student fairs. My aim is to help increase SKEMA's visibility and attractiveness in this region.

What message would you like to send to our alumni to encourage them to join and become actively involved in the SKEMA Alumni Abidjan Chapter?

I strongly encourage the alumni to join and get actively involved in the SKEMA Business School community, because together we can:

• Strengthen the reputation of our school, so that it continues to rank among the best business schools in France and Europe.
  
  
• Facilitate professional integration and offer new opportunities to boost individual careers.
  
  
• Improve information sharing within our network.
  
  
• Capitalise on the strength of our community by creating professional and personal synergies.
  
  
• Contribute to SKEMA's reputation, making our school shine throughout the world.

Together, we can grow this network and get the most out of it for ourselves and for future generations.