“It is probably my inquisitive mind that pushed me to get into entrepreneurship.”

Could you introduce yourself in a few words?

My name is Alexandre Bonvin, I am 27 years old and I am a Valaisan by birth and especially at heart. I am an entrepreneur by passion and a person of the world.

Could you sum up your career in a few essential points?

Firstly, I would mention my departure for London as part of my studies, thanks to which I was able to develop my skills in economics and finance. Then, this allowed me to work in Private Equity and to perfect what I initially thought was my passion, real estate. Not seeing enough challenges in this field, I was lucky to come across KissKiss.ch and buy this company, which opened doors for me in the world of e-commerce.

Why did you choose the vocation of entrepreneurship?

Clearly through my father who is an entrepreneur himself. Throughout his career, I was able to observe the advantages and disadvantages of the profession from a very young age. I was also attracted by the freedom it brings, by the fact that you can be active in something you love and feel free to follow your passions. Every morning, I wake up happy to do what I am doing and, tomorrow, if I feel that it is no longer the case, I can turn to a new passion.

In your opinion, what makes a good entrepreneur?

For me, you need above all curiosity and the desire to learn to succeed as an entrepreneur. A broad vision is also necessary to be able to build your projects and make them evolve over time. You should not be lazy either, the work must be consistent, well planned and organised over time.

When was your entrepreneurial spirit born?

I’ve always liked business as well as selling and talking to people. I’m also curious by nature and that, in my opinion, is what makes a good entrepreneur. It is probably my inquisitive mind that pushed me to get into entrepreneurship. I’m always looking for new things to do as well as product improvement. I also aim for the sustainability of my group and I pay attention to what is happening around me today but also how the situation could evolve in the future.

What was your initial objective?

First of all, to be independent, especially at a financial level. My goal was to be able to support myself and then to be free to do what I wanted when I wanted. It was also difficult for me to be in the shadow and to be compared to my father who had been very successful in real estate.

In what context did you found Audacia Group?

“Audacia” was the name of my first real estate company, created in 2014, that I launched to buy and resell apartments in Crans-Montana. When I bought KissKiss.ch, I created a holding company and decided to keep the same name. However, at that time, I didn’t know yet that I was going to work in the e-commerce field. Being aware of the potential and challenges within the area, I finally decided to move away from the family office and the activity I had before to fully focus on the Audacia adventure. In the end, it was a bit of a coincidence.

Why did you look into e-commerce?

Personally, I hate going to shops. Our generation has been used to buying and comparing online, making visits to the shops preventables. Today, I think e-commerce is clearly on the rise. Moreover, it is a market that is, in my opinion, not yet sufficiently exploited. Its growth is intensifying, but it is not yet phenomenal, even in the United States.
E-commerce also includes a lot of things, especially the digital marketing sector, which is different from the one we are used to know. As I like numbers, I was fascinated by analytical marketing and its data. I find it very interesting to make decisions based on data, which is something that you find in very few professions.

Concerning Audacia, what are your expectations and objectives for the future?

Two years ago, I set myself the challenge of buying out at least one company a year. My main objective remains to find good buyout opportunities, negotiate them and integrate them into the group if I can see a possibility of growth or synergy. I’m always looking for something related to digital marketing and not to a physical commercial activity.
Then, it is necessary to focus on my companies, aiming for sustainability but also growth and development. We must continue to grow, ideally at the same pace as we are now. Our international development, which was cut short by the Covid-19 crisis, will also have to be resumed with the aim of reaching large markets such as the United States and Asia.

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