Meet LSM Alumni Alexandre Demain

At the age of 24 years old, Alexandre Demain, LSM alumnus, wrote his first and new book titled “Osez Investir !”. He achieved this three years ago when he decided to update a book that his grandfather wrote … more than 50 years ago. 

For Alexandre, this project is not only a personal achievement, but also a tribute to his grandfather Dominique, as well as to all his family who supported him at every step of the way. We had the pleasure of interviewing him. 

Question: Welcome back to LSM Alexandre! You graduated from a Master’s degree at LSM in Corporate Finance in January 2024 and are now working at Chift. Could you tell us more about what inspired you to update and publish your grandfather's book, "Du Papier Qui Travaille"?

Alexandre: Actually, I read my grandfather’s book when I was 16 years old, not a long time after he passed away. I had never read a book in finance before, I did not know anything about economy or finance, but it gave me interest in this topic. Which is one of the reasons why I decided to start a Bachelor’s degree in economics at UCLouvain Saint-Louis, and then continued with a Master’s degree in management at Louvain School of Management.

A funny anecdote about this book and my studies is that during my master’s degree at LSM, I was a member of the LSM Investment Club, which is a student association, and it was my responsibility to organise their first conference on the introduction to investment. I did not really know what to do, what to say, what story to tell. So, I read my grandfather’s book again and, in the end, I basically drafted the whole conference following the structure of that book because it is so well written and worked quite well for this conference.

After this event with the LSM Investment Club, I thought about doing something more with my grandfather’s work. In addition, my father believed that I could do something more with that book. Which is why, after our information session on the master’s thesis, I decided to take my shot and use my thesis as a way to update my grandfather’s legacy. James Thewissen, Professor in finance, helped me throughout this project. 

Q: Can you share some challenges you faced during the process of writing and publishing "Osez Investir!"?

A: Of course, it is quite rare to write a book as a student, and you do not really know where to start. The first moments were difficult, I started to write chapter by chapter, adding ideas from my grandfather’s work, but also ideas from my personal experiences and from the podcasts I listened to and from the interviews I had with professionals in finance. 

At the end of the thesis, I had literally written a book and Professor Thewissen suggested that I should publish it. So, I contacted l’Echo, who helped me with the writing but most of all helped me to get published. My master’s thesis at LSM really played a big role in this adventure.

Q: How do you think your book will help demystify the world of investment for today's readers?

A: The book is firstly written for my friends who started working one or two years ago and do not know how to invest the money they are starting to earn. They do not know how to invest and are flooded with information. This book helps to understand basic principles in finance and make the information the most accessible possible.

The second objective is to educate the new generations about finance and investments and make them know which aspects should be taken into account: it is important to know the basics and the risks. I hope that my book will help people think long-term and understand what they are seeing on social media. 

Q: Did the classes and what you were taught during your Master’s degree at LSM help you in your writing process?

A: The classes helped me to understand some concepts I did not understand yet. Every class and exam that I passed taught me something else. Even if I was already passionate about finance before, they cleared helped: 75% of my classes were finance related.

Q: What role did your family, especially your grandfather, play in shaping your interest in finance and investment?

A: Actually, it is mainly thanks to my father as my grandfather was a discreet person. I never talked about finance with him. I only discovered his book when he passed away. Since I was little, my father has been talking to me about finance. It is his main passion in life, he loves how the world is shaped, what is happening in the news. Every Sunday, he reads the Financial Times. He also listens to financial topics on the radio which is why I am really drawn to it since little. Upon deciding the topic of my Master’s thesis, my father suggested the idea of re-writing the book of my grandfather. For some chapters, when needed, my father provided me with suggestions for corrections and improvements. My parents played a big role in pushing me to make and achieve my own project, and whenever I lacked confidence, they always stood behind me to support me. It is almost a family project.

My grandfather’s legacy and my father’s deep passion for finance really were the key for me to achieve this project and write a book.