Consultant in strategy & management

20 May 2025, at Le Fouquet’s, Paris

Marc Smia is a strategy and management consultant, known as a founding partner of Kea & Partners.

Kea & Partners is a multi-specialist consulting firm that supports top executives in France and internationally across five key strategic areas, from reinventing business models to transforming leadership practices. Since its founding in 2001, Kea has grown to over 900 consultants across 16 offices in 12 countries, and has a strong presence in key sectors such as retail, industry, and finance, Kea delivers innovative solutions to tackle major economic, digital, and societal disruptions.

Marc has built his reputation on his ability to drive and implement successful strategic initiatives, with a strong focus on developing individuals, ideas, and businesses. Holding a postgraduate degree in organizational sciences from Paris-Dauphine University, he is also passionate about the game of Go, an ancient Asian strategy game that has deeply influenced his approach to business and management.

He has integrated Go into his professional practice, viewing it as a valuable source of strategic insights. This perspective has led him to co-author several books drawing parallels between Go strategies and managerial practices, including:

Le manager joueur de go, co-authored with Jean-Christian Fauvet, which invites leaders to explore the analogies between Go and management.
L’esprit du Go, co-authored with Junfu Dai, which examines the principles of Go and their applications in both professional and personal life.

In 2022, Marc also contributed to the collective work L’entreprise face à sa responsabilité, alongside François-Régis de Guenyveau, Arnaud Gangloff, and Thibaut Cournarie, addressing the challenges of corporate social responsibility.

Blending his expertise in business strategy with his passion for Go, Marc offered a unique perspective on management, integrating strategic principles inspired by this centuries-old game.