ALEXIS MONIER
SHAKE & CO
France
For 19 years, I was COO and partner at Wagram Music, driving the company's growth in a transforming industry. We built resilient artist-centered business units (recording, live, publishing, film, book, brand/sync, digital/physical distribution) through internal expansion and joint ventures. A key success factor: empowering young leaders with vision, guidance, and structured roadmaps. For the past 3 years, as a business coach (ShAkE & Co) and B-Leader, I've supported 40+ founders in the cultural and creative industries-live/events, film/TV, labels, music-tech, and distribution. My strategic and operational approach helps align purpose with realistic roadmaps. Business Events are key innovation platforms, and I've taken part in many: Midem, SXSW, Reeperbahn, MaMA, Produrable, Talents for the Planet-witnessing their evolution into hybrid spaces mixing culture, innovation, sustainability, and public engagement.
Experiences
Climate change and circularity: contributing to carbon neutrality, the circular economy and sustainable mobility.
For two years, between my time at Wagram Music and my current work as a business coach, I took part in agroecological experiences on various organic farms, including mixed farming and market gardening. I contributed both strategically-such as implementing short supply chains and organizing cargo bike deliveries of potatoes-and operationally, with activities like using sheepfold bedding to fertilize fields, planting, harvesting, and haymaking.
Talent and inclusion: upskilling and future capabilities, more accessible events and diverse participation.
I believe that, just like in a music band, everyone has a role to play and should be given the means to perform at their best to create collective harmony. I have strong faith in human potential. At Wagram, for instance, a logistics team member transitioned into accounting, and a young legal advisor became a key account manager for Apple Music and Spotify. I also initiated a partnership with a center for people with disabilities to involve them in packaging and mailing operations.
Customer experience: hybrid and digital integration, immersive technologies and interaction, personalisation and community building.
An emerging artist needs to find their fanbase, and in the music industry, the key challenge is to imagine, test, identify, and grow a community by integrating hybrid strategies-both physical and digital, local and international. The rise of AI, and technological innovations in live performance (lighting, video) have also been major accelerators in this process.
Governance and impact: regenerative business models with lasting impact, cross-sector and local communities’ platforms, profitability and tech access.
My experiences within agroecological models, combined with my B-Leader training, have allowed me to explore and apply these new forms of regenerative business models. One example is my time with Le Village Potager, a social and solidarity-based enterprise.