Tribute to Nicolas Nalpas

“When you manage a Business School, the quality of the teaching staff is obviously crucial to the performance of the School and its students. I arrived at Toulouse Business School (TBS) quite recently, but I met Nicolas Nalpas in my first months here. Firstly because he had several projects that he wanted to discuss with me but also because he proved to be an energetic dancer at the staff evening we had organized before the Christmas Holidays. On that occasion he certainly grabbed my attention.

Even though at that time, I had not had much contact with teachers from TBS, I already knew Nicolas. That alone says a lot about his  character! Nicolas actively promoted his work and his projects, driven by a love (and I do not use the term lightly) of his profession and his students. He was enthusiastic about his areas of expertise and equally as passionate about handing down his knowledge to younger people, to prepare them for working in the field of market finance.

In my opinion, Nicolas perfectly illustrates the words of a famous Greek philosopher and teacher who said: “Education is not the filling of a pitcher, but the lighting of a fire.”  Following his tragic accident, the many testimonies received from students and colleagues highlight how well this maxim describes Nicolas.

We miss him each day, as do his students; above all, I shall always remember his total commitment to helping his students succeed.

Along with his friends, colleagues, former graduates and students, we have decided to create the Nicolas NALPAS fund, which will be managed through the TBS Foundation. This new Fund perfectly reflects the type of projects supported by our Foundation. At the same time, since the TBS Foundation operates under the aegis of the Fondation de France, which is recognized as a public-interest organization, donors from France and abroad can benefit from tax deductions in their country of residence.

Like us, I hope that you will want to pay tribute to the memory of our dear colleague and help us pursue his work.

I believe this is what made him so exceptional, for he devoted every ounce of his time and energy to helping his students as best he could.”

Stephanie Lavigne
Dean of TBS
Executive Officer of the TBS Foundation