Alexandra Bègue, MSc 2017, PGE 2017, among the 15 Réunion Islanders honored at the 2025 “Talents de l’Outre-Mer” awards

Alexandra Bègue, a graduate of GEM, an international tech leader committed to the development of her region, is one of 15 Réunion natives honored among the 52 overseas French citizens recognized in the new class of “Talents de l'Outre-Mer” (Overseas Talents), announced on January 23, 2026, at the prestigious historic Faculty of Medicine in Paris.

An anniversary ceremony to mark the prize's 20th anniversary

Created in 2005 by Georges Dorion, the “Talents de l'Outre-Mer” prize is awarded every two years to recognize the outstanding achievements of overseas French citizens who excel in key sectors such as engineering, research, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the humanities. This prize is a nationally recognised under the high patronage of the President of French Republic

For this 11th edition, 52 winners have joined the Overseas Talent Network, which now has 428 members. Chaired by Yola Minatchy from Réunion, the first winner in 2005, the association works to promote the skills of overseas French citizens, strengthen solidarity, and support projects that build capacity in overseas territories.

The 2026 ceremony, hosted by Karine Baste, was attended by Olivier Jacob (Overseas Advisor to the Élysée), Anne-Gaëlle Baudoin (DGOM), Miryana Hemadi (Université Paris Cité), Samia Badat, as well as numerous parliamentarians and elected officials.

15 Réunion natives honored

Gaëlle Belem, Ziyad Amodjee, Quentin Palama, Fréderic Sautron, Xavier Ah-Kit, François Appavoupoullé, Thibaud Rivière, Samuel Chan-Ashing, Stéphanie Parassouramanaïk Accama, Christophe Augustin, Alexandra Bègue, Esteban Decline, Guillaume Hoareau, Clément Payet, and Anne-Laure Morel.

These talented individuals were recognized for their excellence, commitment, and contribution to promoting France's overseas territories.

Alexandra Bègue: an exceptional international career

A graduate of GEM with a double master's degree in Business Development and Grande Ecole Program in 2017, originally from Saint-Denis de La Réunion, trained as a scientist, she attended preparatory classes in Paris before joining GEM. Her academic career led her to a trilingual curriculum (French, English, German), professional experience on several continents, and a thesis on the creation of startups.

After memorable internships in Los Angeles, Dublin, Tokyo, and Libreville, she joined SAP, the world leader in business management software, in 2016. She held positions in San Francisco, Barcelona, and Paris before moving to Berlin, where she now leads Open Innovation and the Global Co-creation of SAP‘s future Portfolio.

Alexandra is  also a doctoral researcher in neuro-behavioral sciences applied to Open Innovation. 

For the fifth consecutive year, it is also welcoming students from GEM's international programs to SAP in Berlin, thereby actively contributing to the training and international outlook of future graduates.

A committed leader, she also sits on the board of French Tech Berlin, where she is in charge of relations with the French Embassy, and works to strengthen ties between French, German, and overseas entrepreneurs.

Strong community and cultural involvement

Alexandra Bègue's impact is not limited to the tech world. She is also the co-founder of  Xploratopia, 

an international collective that brings together artists and volunteers from Réunion Island to work on audiovisual projects with a positive impact.

The collective has produced a documentary entitled Un nouveau regard sur les actions de l’ONG sud-africaine ERP (Elephants, Rhinos & People) (A new look at the work of the South African NGO ERP) and is currently working on a new film about animal conservation. Its productions promote commitment, nature, education, and initiatives from Réunion in France and abroad.

Find out more a reunionnaisdumonde.com