From vocational training to French Tech: the exceptional career path of a graduate
Pierre Rinaldi (BSB'16), COO & co-founder of SesamM
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the ECT preparatory class, celebrated in mid-March at the Sorbonne, BSB wanted to highlight inspiring careers from this path that is still too unknown.
Invited to participate in a round table bringing together students, teachers and institutions, Pierre Rinaldi (BSB'16) shared a career that was as unusual as it was exemplary.
From professional training to entrepreneurship in fintech, his career path illustrates all the richness of the ECT preparatory class and the decisive role that this class can play... then a school like BSB. Testimonial.
An atypical course, built step by step
“Originally from Mulhouse, in Alsace, I started my career in a middle school in the ZEP zone before joining a second STI at Lycée Bugatti, with the ambition of working in motorsport. I then reoriented myself to a BEP Vente Action Marchande at the Lycée Don Bosco, then a vocational baccalaureate in Sales at the Lycée Storck in Guebwiller. I then joined the first class of the HEC preparatory class at Lycée René Cassin in Strasbourg. There were just over twenty of us, and only seven joined a major management school, of which I had the honor of being a part.”
ECT preparation: a click and a springboard
“Choosing prep school was not an easy thing to do. I was not familiar with this system or that of the Grandes Écoles before a guidance counselor told me about it. The project seemed very far from my career and I felt real pressure, fuelled by the lack of knowledge and myths around “prep”. A sentence from my father stuck with me: “Try it, and if it doesn't work, it's only a year.” This experience transformed my trajectory, strengthened my confidence and expanded my access to knowledge and culture. I would do that choice without hesitation.”
BSB: an environment to reveal yourself and to undertake
“Then I opted for BSB because I was looking for a human-sized, generalist school, with an orientation in corporate finance and financial markets, combining academic standards, proximity, support and opportunities to distinguish myself. I found this balance there, and a territory — Burgundy — to which I became very attached.”
“BSB has played a key role in my entrepreneurial journey. With the support of professors, management and the BSB incubator, I developed my project, joined the research laboratory, raised our first funding through the business angel network, obtained our first press coverage and signed our first client thanks to the alumni network.”
From research project to international company
“SESAMM was thus born from a research project in experimental finance. Today, the company has more than 70 employees, 55 million euros raised and an international presence.”
“Beyond growth, it is above all a human adventure, driven by committed teams, two complementary partners, and the support of our investors and my family. It is also in this context that I participated in the G20 in Tokyo, where I met my wife.”
Discover SesamM: https://www.sesamm.co
