"I am the product of the Tunisian public system," says Mohamed Baccouche, with a simplicity that hides an impressive background.
From a Tunisian school to the benches of French Grandes Écoles, and then to a mathematics thesis at EHESS, his path tells the story of both the excellence of a rigorous mind and the promise of a country capable of producing international talents.
For twenty years, he worked as an actuary at AXA, one of the world's insurance giants, where he held strategic positions: Chief Actuary and then Chief Risk Officer of the group. He participated in major projects such as the introduction of AXA US to the stock market or the integration of XL Catlin. In 2020, he joined Athora in London as Group Chief Actuary, before taking a new step two years later: that of entrepreneurship.
In 2022, he founded Yakoota, a name chosen with his heart - in tribute to his grandmother - and with his mind, as it symbolizes the ruby, which is precious. Anchored in Tunisian culture, his company looks to the future through generative artificial intelligence, developing solutions to support brokers and implement an innovative ESG rating system for insurance contracts. This is a way for him to combine roots and modernity.
Insurance, an organized solidarity
When he talks about his profession, it quickly becomes clear that insurance is not just a financial mechanism for him. He sees it as a collective pact, a way of "organizing solidarity between selfish people." In this system, each person contributes in advance to protect those who will face a trial tomorrow.
This conception gives him a particular pride: that of contributing to a human organization that goes beyond the individual. And behind this professional success, he remembers his first teachers, from his instructor in Tunisia to his thesis director, without forgetting his parents. Their choice to invest in their children's knowledge, he says, was decisive. He considers himself a living proof of what the Tunisian educational system can produce: talents capable of shining internationally.
The Baccouche method
His success is no accident. It was built step by step, through experiences, and then affirmed from his arrival at AXA in 2003, when he had to quickly assume leadership responsibilities. This was a turning point: Mohamed Baccouche understood that he could not rely on improvisation or just talent. He needed a method.
The first key, he found in the mathematics he loved since childhood: rationality. Faced with difficult decisions, he chooses to rely on facts, data, rather than giving in to emotions, which are too present in our societies. "You have to keep a cool head," he insists, convinced that logic protects better than instinct.
But rigor alone is not enough. Very early on, he accepted that failure is part of the journey. Eight out of ten attempts end in failure, he says straightforwardly. However, he does not see this as a brake, but as a resource. Every evening, he asks himself: what did I learn today? This ritual of intellectual honesty, repeated tirelessly, becomes his engine to advance "a hundred thousand times faster" than others.
Finally, he cultivates a third reflex, almost a philosophy of life: listening. Active listening, which he practices as much in his professional life as in his personal life, is for him a tool for progress. Being attentive to the strengths and qualities of those around him allows him not only to learn but also to enrich himself as a person. This ability to combine professional development and personal development is, according to him, one of the major keys to his success.
The joy of progressing and the collective dream
For Mohamed Baccouche, success is not measured by a title or a position, but by a capacity: that of "improving and giving the best of oneself." In this sense, he already considers himself a fulfilled man, happy to progress every day.
But he admits that he is missing something: the collective success of his country. His dearest dream would be to see Tunisia join the circle of efficient and developed nations one day. Then, he could say that his personal success is combined with that of an entire nation.
Because, in the end, Mohamed Baccouche's bet is clear: to prove that rationality, when combined with listening and solidarity, can transform lives - and perhaps an entire country.
To the youth
When he addresses young Tunisians and Africans, his speech is a mix of optimism and responsibility. He invites them to combine their culture, convictions, and identity with a scientific, rigorous, and methodical approach.
He advises them to draw inspiration from a concrete situation that affects them - like he did with insurance, seen as a tool for improving people's lives - and to work on it with absolute discipline. Failure, he says, is inevitable at first, but it is through perseverance and learning that an initial catastrophe turns into lasting success.
He likes to remind them of the past greatness of Carthage as a call to dream big. Because, according to him, the future of the continent depends first on individual successes that, when combined, will forge collective effectiveness. "I count on the youth," he affirms, promising to support anyone who chooses this demanding path.
