Business Cool went to meet Fouzi Ould Bouamama, candidate for this new season of Koh-Lanta, the cursed totem, broadcast on TF1 every Tuesday at 9:00 p.m., and graduate of KEDGE BS. Zoom on the journey and the superhuman adventure of this adventurer!
Passionate about travel and adventure, it was only a matter of time before the Koh Lanta adventure came to fruition for Fouzi Ould Bouamama. He is a graduate of the KEDGE Grande École Program and holds the position of financial director at Montreux Comedy Festival, formerly the Montreux Laughter Festival. The candidate is presented by TF1 as an adventurer “ ultra positive. » while he defines himself as the “ Mbappé of finance”.
The young CFO has only one idea in mind: to win the adventure and make the members of his family proud, and more particularly his mother, to whom he wishes to pay tribute. It is therefore a dream that is particularly close to his heart. His positivity “allowed him to overcome the sorrows of life, notably the loss of his mother. Since then he has only one goal, bring a smile to his family. This is undoubtedly why he has now become financial director of a major comedy festival!“, underlines TF1.
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The journey of Fouzi Ould Bouamama, Koh-Lanta candidate
Can you look back on your academic and professional career?
I first did two years of ECS preparatory class in Lille, at the end of which I joined the PGE (Grande École Program) at KEDGE (formerly ESC Bordeaux). I then specialized in finance, in DSCG and accounting expertise, with the prior idea of launching myself into the profession of financial director. I then took courses in Corporate finance, compatibility, auditing, tax law, etc.
Beyond classes, I was heavily involved in the school’s community life, even if it could sometimes be restrictive and require a lot of effort. I wanted to receive everything the school could offer me. The diversity of associations was one of the reasons why I opted for a business school. That said, I was part of a BDS list (sports office) and the Junior Enterprise within its finance department.
Once I completed my master’s degree, I only had one idea in mind: to move abroad. I then found a permanent contract in a cheese factory in San Francisco where I held the position of Administrative and Financial Manager. When I returned to France, I worked for three years in Lille at EY, as a financial auditor. I also had the chance to spend a year and a half in South Africa at Mantu in M&A. In 2020, the Montreux Comedy Festival made me an tempting offer that I had difficulty refusing. I then joined the company as financial director.
What does your daily life look like at the Montreux Comedy Festival?
I have been working at Montreux Comedy Festival and I can assure you that my days are never the same. I take care of the group’s financial activity overall: fundraising, financial management of productions, consolidation and management of relationships with banks, tax specialists, etc.
Being part of the Montreux Comedy Festival group allows me to work in a relaxed and extremely fulfilling environment. Above all, this is a group that promotes humor, so it is important to be in tune with this artistic vision.
However, in finance, we must keep a serious and structured side. And for this, my experience in audit at EY or in M&A at Mantu were a good school which brought me enormously in terms of methodology. When it comes time to fit into a mold, we do it without asking too many questions.
Koh-Lanta, the adventure experienced by Fouzi Ould Bouamama
Why did you do Koh Lanta?
I have been watching Koh Lanta for almost 15 years with my family. It was a special moment for us where we were thrilled by the show. I started applying when I was 18. Unfortunately, I only received a positive response when I was traveling abroad. Being selected for this season represented for me a childhood dream that I am realizing in homage to my mother. Today, it’s a great pride to have joined the show and to surpass my limits.
How did the adventure go?
Before joining the adventure, I thought it was going to be simple, given that I had prepared myself well physically and that I had been watching the show for several years. However, the reality was quite different. Survival conditions were extremely difficult. It didn’t stop raining for days, it was bitterly cold to the point where we had trouble sleeping, we ate 10 grams of rice a day and so on. Sometimes, the mental load was so heavy that I even questioned my participation in the show.
The adventure allowed me to discover myself from a new perspective and accentuated some of my character traits (combativeness, determination, mental strength, etc.). Koh Lanta will remain by far the experience that has most marked my life and made me aware of the luck of the small details of everyday life.
What was the most improbable thing that happened to you during this adventure?
When we were getting ready to sleep the first night, with the other participants, we were quickly hit by the freezing cold that reigned. The only solution presented to us was none other than to move closer together to warm each other up. It was a very special moment that I had not mentally prepared for, given that I barely knew the other participants. I wondered what I was doing there, I wanted to go home to find my bed and my little comfort. But, in a survival context, we don’t ask many questions. We act instinctively.
Fouzi Ould Bouamama: return to reality and projects
Has the adventure changed certain aspects of your daily life?
In terms of my daily life and my professional life, having participated in Koh-Lanta hasn’t changed much. People sometimes recognize me on the street or at the gym, but I know it’s only a matter of time before this ” famous » fades and I fall back into anonymity. I still enjoy these moments of meeting and exchanging with people, since I am now invited to several events. You still have to find the right balance between keeping your head on your shoulders and taking advantage of the opportunities that present themselves to you.
Do you have plans to do another show, like Ninja Warrior, and that?How do you imagine what happens next?
I don’t plan to participate in any other shows. Ninja Warrior requires a lot of training and a demanding lifestyle. For other reality TV shows, this is not possible. I want to remain the same Fouzi with a balanced lifestyle between professional life and leisure. If Koh Lanta gives me the opportunity to travel and meet new people around the world, I wouldn’t say no. But the priority still remains my work in which I thrive enormously. We also have major expansion plans for the Montreux Comedy Festival.
