Xiaoli Bulte (SK 2011): Mini Asie, a bridge between France and China

In an interview with SKEMA Alumni, Xiaoli Bulte tells us about her professional journey between France and China since graduating from SKEMA.

What did you study at SKEMA and did that help you in deciding on your career path?

I joined SKEMA’s MBA programme in 2009, then did a specialised master’s in marketing management. During my studies I acquired knowledge in international business and was in an international environment, which is what I’d always wanted. I’d actually chosen these two programmes based on my future career plans.

What did you do after graduating from SKEMA? And what prompted you to go work overseas?

After finishing my studies I was recruited by Decathlon thanks to SKEMA’s business network. I then held several positions within international companies such as 3 Suisses and McCain. I’ve always been interested in international business and of course I aspired to work overseas, a necessary step for my professional development.

What prompted you to start your agency, Mini Asie?

After ten years of living in France and combining my professional experience with travel in more than 10 countries, I took a step back and really thought about how I wanted my career to progress. I felt that I needed to realise my dream and leverage my experience of living in France. That led me to create the Mini Asie agency.

Can you tell us about your agency in a few words?

The Mini Asie agency acts as a bridge between France and China. Its aim is to export French products to China, to bring business ventures and investments to fruition between these two countries, but also to facilitate cultural exchange projects.

How would you describe the culture of your country (China) and the entrepreneurial culture compared to those in France?

You could say there is a culture shock, insofar as it is inconceivable to work in China the same way as in France. Our conceptions of life and work are completely different. When it comes to the environment, for example, the French have a more heightened awareness than the Chinese. Also, there is more respect for work-life balance in France. We (the French and the Chinese) have two different ways of seeing life. The Chinese are more entrepreneurial and business-minded, even if it means setting their personal lives aside. Many things oppose us and yet... I find that we complement each other nicely.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, how are you doing and how is your family in China? What have been the consequences, the changes at work and in your personal and family life?

The COVID-19 crisis came as a nasty surprise to everyone. I took precautions from the very start of the epidemic, since I had news directly from China. I am grateful that none of my family members in France or in China have been affected. The epidemic has had a direct impact on my main activity, which was designed for an international environment and projects. This pandemic is a great international shock; a few intellectuals have already written that this crisis will influence globalisation and give rise to new thinking on the ways to develop business. Consequently, I have to do some thinking of my own and gather some information from the networks to adjust my agency’s activities. I hope that there will soon be a vaccine to fight this virus that has caused such tragedy for so many families.

In what ways have SKEMA and the network helped you (or how could they help you) grow and bring your plans to fruition?

The SKEMA network and its international dimension are very interesting for my agency. I would like to get more actively involved in it to develop certain activities in the future.

What are your ambitions for the future? How do you see your agency in 5 years?

To realise my dream of bringing to fruition numerous projects that are important to me between my country of origin and my adopted country, and to grow my agency while maintaining a good balance between my family life and my entrepreneurial life.

Contact: Xiaoli Bulte (SK 2011), founder of the agency Mini Asie