Cecile Thebault has a degree from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Clermont-Ferrand and an advanced degree (DESS) in marketing. She has been involved in the venture capital, private equity and buyout financing of small businesses for the past 19 years, first with SDR Sofimac, where she was responsible for a non-specialized portfolio of investments and then as the manager of a fund specializing in the food industry, among other areas.

She has been a Portfolio Manager at Sofimac Partners since 1999, working with the technology investment team and following a portfolio of specialized activities, in particular in the area of life sciences.

Currently, she is responsible for the new investments made by the Sofimac Croissance fund.

“I am a great believer in regional venture capital, which draws its strengths from the local and regional economy, and in the importance of networking.

Relationships are very important in this business and the investment manager must be in close contact with the companies' managers and add value. What I like the most about my job is the diversity of the sectors, companies and people with which we work. Beyond the rational analysis of the project, the managerial dimension is also very important. In complex business situations that can be impacted by factors of all types, it is sometimes difficult to forecast the medium-term outlook and the ability of the people involved to deal with the ups and downs of the business.”