Meet Guillaume ROY and Jacque FERTÉ, serial entrepreneurs and sponsors of the Pépites competition!

From students to serial entrepreneurs: their journeys will inspire you! 🔥

They launched Gallia, sold it to Heineken, then bounced back with Cherico. Today, Guillaume ROY and Jacque FERTÉ (both from the class of 2006) look back on their adventure and give you their advice as sponsors of Pépites 2025.

From EMN to entrepreneurship: a trigger or a matter of course?

How did your desire to start your own business come about, and what was the key moment that launched you into the adventure?

In our time at Sup Europe (formerly EMN), entrepreneurship was not yet a well-defined speciality or course of study. Training was mainly geared towards large companies, and we had few specific resources to prepare us for setting up our own business. Naturally, after graduating, we joined some of the larger companies, but we quickly realized that this was not the right path for us.

We were young, and the idea of starting our own business seemed obvious. It wasn't as common as it is today, and entrepreneurship didn't have the same appeal, so it wasn't a foregone conclusion. However, we had acquired the necessary foundations to take the plunge. In 2010, there were very few entrepreneurs in our class.

GALLIA, the start of a success story

What were the biggest challenges in the early days of GALLIA, and what did you learn from the experience?

In 2010, entrepreneurship wasn't as structured as it is today, and we had to launch with very few resources. Back then, there was no question of raising the kind of funds we see today: only one or two banks were willing to support us. So we started off the old-fashioned way, driving our little car to bars and bistros in Paris, where the heart of the market was.

One of our biggest challenges was to make ourselves known. But we were convinced that there was a fundamental trend to be developed, and we made the right decisions to be among the first to occupy this market. Without really realizing it at the time, we were forerunners, as the Parisian brewing scene still had very few players.

Our idea was born of an inspiration: a beer from Normandy that had disappeared, which made us want to create a more permanent project around Parisian beer. We weren't big beer drinkers, any more than any other students, but we saw the potential. More than just a product, beer is a symbol of conviviality, something that brings people together, and that's what drove us from the start.

The early days weren't easy, there were a few bumps in the road, but we have no regrets. This experience in the field has been a great learning experience, and every difficulty we've encountered has enabled us to learn and move forward.

From GALLIA to CHERICO: a taste for the rebound

Why did you launch CHERICO after GALLIA, and how is this new venture a turning point?

Gallia represented 13 years of intense adventure. When the opportunity to sell presented itself, we saw it as a natural step, a springboard to something else. We had never imagined passing on the company to our children, and in a world where everything is changing so fast, it seemed logical to seize this opportunity to bounce back.

With CHERICO, we wanted to embark on an even more ambitious project. We were aware of the immense potential of the coffee market, a global challenge that goes far beyond national borders, unlike what we had experienced with Gallia.

We're still young, and this new adventure represents an even greater challenge. We decided to take the plunge because we believe in the impact and scope of this project, which goes far beyond anything we've done before.

An anecdote to illustrate your career

Was there a key moment or an unusual situation that particularly struck you?

Three moments immediately spring to mind:

Gallia: An unlikely name battle and a memorable encounter

When we wanted to register the Gallia name, we discovered that it was also used for an infant milk sold in pharmacies. At INPI (Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle), we were warned that Danone might refuse our application. Yet Brasserie Gallia existed before the baby milk brand, with a Latin root (Gallus for the rooster, symbol of France). We took our chances anyway, and against all odds, Danone agreed to let us use the name. Fortunately, we would never have had the means to take them to court!

Another highlight: at a trade show at the start of Gallia, we ran into Xavier Niel, founder of Free. To our surprise, he was already very familiar with our brand, although we were still relatively unknown. In fact, Gallia was historically a brasserie in the 14th arrondissement, home to Paris's catacombs, a veritable underground Gruyère. In those days, many breweries used to ferment their beer there. So Xavier Niel knew all about it even before we told him. This exchange created a connection, and we were subsequently able to respond to a call for tenders for Station F thanks to him.

CHERICO: A well-established preconception

During a column on BFM TV devoted to traditional products making a comeback, the presenter was asked to taste CHERICO. Even before bringing the cup to her lips, she had a sneer of disgust at the mere mention of the word chicory. We were struck by this, and it showed the extent to which this product suffers from a negative association in the collective imagination. Many people associate it with an old-fashioned, even bad, drink.

Guillaume himself didn't drink any before launching CHERICO. His first instinct? To think of the clichés from "Les Tuches" or "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis". But as he dug deeper, he discovered a product with unsuspected qualities. This moment reminded us of all the educational work that needs to be done to change mentalities and give chicory back the place it deserves.

The Pépites competition: a commitment to the future

What motivated you to get involved, and what message would you like to pass on to future candidates?

We're delighted to support entrepreneurship, especially as in our day we didn't have this kind of support. It wasn't an obvious or spontaneously encouraged path, so today we find it essential to support all initiatives that enable future entrepreneurs to get started. We're also very attached to our school, and happy to be able to give back to it in some small way.

If we had one piece of advice, it would be to do something you're passionate about. Entrepreneurship is all about creating your own business, which is very different from being a salaried employee, so you need to really enjoy your project on a daily basis. Of course, the financial aspect is important, but don't do things just for the money.

Starting your own business always involves a degree of risk. You have to accept this uncertainty, but the best time to take the plunge is when you're young and have few family responsibilities. Today, there are many forms of support, such as incubators, BPI or school programs, that enable you to take a measured risk.

Finally, don't be afraid to go all out, believe in yourself and shake things up. Be daring, force doors open and try your luck: it's often by following through on your ideas that the best opportunities are born.