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Sébastien Vuillod, a 43-year-old entrepreneur, has launched Soclofi, a venture aimed at identifying, acquiring, and leading a high-potential French SME that demonstrates strong operational performance and promising growth prospects but is facing challenges related to succession or ownership transition. The initiative has been oversubscribed by 175%, securing backing from 17 investors, including both French and international entrepreneurs and investors. Notable supporters include Peter’s Troop, Alain Jarre, Sébastien Solla, Till Bossert, Alexander Kirn, Philippe Saussol, Tom François, Bertrand Recordier, Pierre Donvez, Stephan Morgan, as well as Ambit Partners, Relay Investments, Forti Search Fund Partners, Istria Capital, Orca Equity Partners, JB46, 9T Capital, and The Cromwell Harbor Partnership.
With strong entrepreneurial roots—his parents and grandparents were business owners in Alsace-Lorraine—Sébastien has developed a deep commitment to hard work, discipline, and humility. He brings 18 years of experience in corporate management and strategy consulting, with expertise spanning leadership, operations, and implementation. Sébastien holds an MBA from INSEAD and has worked across Europe (UK, France) and Asia (Hong Kong, Australia, Japan) for leading firms such as BCG and McKinsey. His career has focused on driving the growth and transformation of businesses across various industries.
In his most recent role, Sébastien led the transformation of Rubix UK, the British subsidiary of a €2.5 billion industrial supplies distributor owned by Advent International. He worked closely with the local management team to drive revenue growth and business development initiatives. Previously, he founded and led Orphoz UK, a division of McKinsey focused on implementing client engagements, where he managed a team of 30 professionals. Prior to that, he oversaw the operational transformation of Jemena, a gas and electricity distribution and transmission network, enhancing the productivity of approximately 1,000 field maintenance technicians.
Sébastien’s expertise spans a wide range of B2B service industries, with a particular focus on maintenance strategy, control systems, operations, specialized distribution, wholesale, and project management. Now, he is poised to fulfil his long-standing entrepreneurial goal of acquiring and developing a French SME. He is targeting companies with annual revenues between €5M and €50M and an EBITDA of up to €7M. His search also extends to neighbouring French-speaking regions, including Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
