Jérôme ZINDY (TBS 2011) - Project Leader of Solar Odyssey France

Today, I want to embody the new generation of adventurers and travellers who limit the impact of expeditions to a minimum.

Can you descibe yourself in a few words?
I am Jérôme Zindy, age 33. My universe is adventure. From project leader to marketing and communications director, as well as host and producer, I am a Jack-of-all-trades in communication combined with the permanent desire for the field and open spaces. I have travelled the world. In 2018, I realized the impact of my carbon footprint and decided to explore in a new way. I therefore set up my own travel agency, Les Aventuriers - The Adventurers, which quickly started specializing in packaging and organizing projects with a positive impact on the planet. The goal is to reach a zero carbon footprint, not only in front of the camera, but above all, behind it by providing real solutions. My projects at the moment include www.100kmautour.com and the Sun Odyssey : www.odysseesolaire.fr.

Why did you choose to study at TBS? Tell us about your time as a student at TBS! 
I chose TBS because of its energy and community life. In the same way that I see my professional life, I wanted to discover as many areas as possible and acquire as many skills as possible. Today, I use all areas such as marketing, communication and management, etc. in my project leadership. Most of all, I learned to be versatile because in practice, especially as an entrepreneur, life is a permanent adventure.  

Do you have any stories from your year to share with us? 
I was already known as an adventurer in the school after I organized a student raid in the Maroccan desert. I created the association that organized the start of this raid in a village, I accompanied 30 participants from TBS and developed the participation of students from other schools. It was the school's major project and I have great memories of my first projects, the adrenaline and teamwork with friends from TBS.  
At the time, the marketing slogan at TBS was to teach "pilots of change" : the name is a wink which is reflected in my projects today.

What are you doing today and how did you get to this stage in your professional career? 
It is true to say that I have difficulty fitting into one box. I have organized dozens of complex raids in the Maroccan desert; I have been in charge of teams of 60 people in the field ; i have been involved in field inspections. At the same time, I am a developer, promoting events in France and internationally by managing communication. I have gone as far as learning to produce videos and I created a web-TV that i also hosted. This gave me insight into hosting and producing. I also developed sponsorship for these events by working with big, international brands. 

Today, I have decided not to organize aventures for others but to become the actor of my own adventures, motivated by my convictions : I am a committed explorer-traveller. I design my projects together with a team of specialists who are as passionate as I am. They include producers, developers and press agents, etc.  

What I want to say is that the sum of my past experience - TBS and its community life, employee then self-employment - has provided me with the skills and the confidence to be able to go on to develop very ambitious projects. 

What advice would you give to TBS Alumni, both students and graduates, who are tempted to follow your career path? 
Students and graduates who would like to persue adventure and travel (in this case, they are most likely to be entrepreneurs as well), always believe and never close doors through fear of failing. Failure is part of the learning process and helps us grow. The most important thing in my eyes is to always stay connected to the things you believe in, stay on track and dont be influenced by those who don't understand your choices. Professional paths reflect life : we are permanently swayed between security and adventure. You need to be able to take risks and throw yourself in. Whatever your initial plan, you have to dare to open doors which will always lead you to new opportunities. And to do that, you must believe in yourself. 

Has the Alumni network supported you?
For the last decade I was taken up with my own career path. Today, my new projects mean that I can re-focus and join forces with those who want to work with me. TBS is part of that, as is its network. 

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