Meeting with Tristan Terme, Chairman of AXE Group

What was your background before AXE Group?

As a teenager, I dreamed of becoming an airline pilot… But after high school, I chose to pursue a degree in IT, even though I had barely used a computer before. These studies were a revelation. What started as a discovery quickly turned into a passion for algorithms and coding. For me, it felt like a game. I still remember the satisfaction of writing the cleanest possible lines of code. After my degree, I continued my studies through evening classes at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM) while working during the day. For several years, I worked in software development for the Schneider Group and later for a pension fund. I coded all day and loved it. The rise of personal computing eventually led me to change direction and start my own company.

How would you define your approach to management and leadership?

I listen carefully, take time to reflect, and then make decisions. I strongly believe in participative management and I am willing to support a collective decision when it serves the company’s best interests. For example, this was the case with remote working. It is not something that comes naturally to me, but we implemented it because it helps employees who live far away maintain a better work-life balance. More broadly, I believe that a company’s growth also depends on key individuals who help move things forward faster. And you can meet these people when they are still interns. One of our consulting managers, now a member of our executive committee, started out that way.

If you had to summarize AXE Group’s corporate culture in a few words?

First, expertise. This is supported by an ambitious training policy and long-term on-the-job support, with mentoring between new hires and experienced consultants. The other key values are availability and responsiveness, which are essential in service businesses. Our clients place their trust in us, and we must earn it every day. One of my greatest sources of pride is still working today with clients who have remained loyal for over 30 years.

Outside of AXE Group, do you have any other personal commitments?

From 2010 to 2020, I served as a commercial court judge in Grenoble. In this role, I regularly took part in hearings involving disputes between companies and cases related to commercial law. I found this experience very rewarding. However, the role can only be held for a limited time. I chose to step down after ten years so that I could potentially return to it after retirement. It will be a meaningful way to continue contributing.