A graduate of the Master in Digital Business at Paris School of Business, he has transformed his expertise in digital marketing and content strategy into a unique entrepreneurial adventure. At the head of his agency, specializing in communication and production for the tourism and lifestyle sectors, he shares with us his journey, the story behind CBS Partner, and his advice for students who also aspire to embark on the entrepreneurial path.
Personal and academic background
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Neil Sabbah, Managing Director of CBS Partner, a communication and production agency specialized in the travel, tourism, and lifestyle sectors. My professional background is deeply rooted in media, digital, and business, with particular expertise in audiovisual content creation and the development of innovative marketing strategies. I have worked in the corporate world with a B2B focus (large groups in the energy and healthcare sectors) before becoming Head of Sales for several startups in health and real estate. I eventually settled into the tourism industry, where I have been serving as Managing Director for almost two years now.
Can you tell us about your academic journey at Paris School of Business?
I had the opportunity to pursue a Master in Digital Business at Paris School of Business, a program that enabled me to gain a deep understanding of contemporary digital and business challenges. This curriculum provided me with a global perspective on digital strategies, from e-commerce to digital transformation within companies. The courses, which focused on real-life case studies and collaborative projects, prepared me to face the challenges of a constantly evolving professional world. Today, I imagine the program has significantly evolved since its creation. From the beginning, it was clear that digital would play an incredible role in people’s daily lives and continue to evolve year after year. That adaptability to the fast-changing digital landscape is what makes this master’s program so strong.
How did your specialization in Digital Business prepare you to launch your own company?
The Digital Business specialization gave me the tools to understand and anticipate digital market trends. It taught me how to design effective digital and marketing strategies, master online marketing channels, and integrate new technologies into business processes. This training was decisive in the creation of CBS Partner, enabling me to develop a service offering tailored to the specific needs of tourism players in digital marketing and travel, but also across the other industries I have worked in. Today, my approach reflects this results-oriented mindset: ensuring that every investment made by our partners is maximized and delivers measurable performance.
Were there specific skills you gained during your studies that helped you create CBS Partner?
Understanding digital, mastering the tools, and developing an entrepreneurial business mindset were key. Among the most important skills I acquired, I would highlight digital project management, data analysis to optimize marketing campaigns, and the ability to innovate in a constantly evolving technological environment. These skills allowed me to structure CBS Partner around an agile, client-focused approach, offering tailored and high-performing solutions to ensure service quality always meets client expectations and budgets.
The creation of CBS Partner
Can you tell us the story behind the creation of CBS Partner? What inspired you to found the agency?
The idea of founding CBS Partner came from my desire to combine my expertise in digital with my passion for travel and storytelling. Seeing a growing demand among tourism players for authentic and engaging content, I decided to create an agency capable of meeting this need. CBS Partner has thus become a platform where creativity, technology, and in-depth knowledge of the tourism sector come together to deliver innovative communication solutions to clients, whether B2B or B2C, in a very particular post-COVID context.
What were the main challenges you faced when creating your company?
One of the main challenges was building a multidisciplinary team capable of meeting the diverse needs of our clients. We also had to establish the agency’s credibility in a competitive market by proving our ability to deliver concrete results. Finally, adapting our services to the rapid evolution of digital trends and changing consumer expectations required constant monitoring and great flexibility.
We had to create customized, distinctive offerings to be disruptive in a market that was still very rooted in traditional marketing and audiovisual practices. With our approach, we managed to propose services different from our competitors—many of whom we now collaborate with to avoid unhealthy competition and instead focus on supporting tourism players effectively.
CBS Partner’s activities and positioning
What services does CBS Partner offer, and how does it stand out from other communication agencies?
CBS Partner offers a full range of services, including audiovisual production, digital marketing, TV partnerships, and the promotion of tourist destinations. Our key differentiator is our sector-specific focus: we concentrate on travel, tourism, lifestyle, and gastronomy. This expertise allows us to create tailor-made content aligned with travelers’ aspirations and our clients’ goals. Furthermore, our collaborative approach and commitment to transparency and performance reinforce our unique positioning in the market.
We are also committed to innovation, which led us to create a division called “Promotion Travel.” Its goal is to provide tourism players with new ways to communicate—via radio with the program Destination RTL, hosted by our CEO Bernard Sabbah, via a television show also hosted by him, set to launch on M6 in January 2026 every Saturday morning before 10 a.m., and via a digital platform we developed from scratch called No Risk Travel.
What are the future prospects for CBS Partner?
The future of CBS Partner lies in innovation and expansion. We aim to further develop our No Risk Travel platform, designed to provide travelers with a safe and worry-free experience through reliable and recommended partners. This initiative reflects our commitment to addressing new consumer expectations around trust and transparency in the travel industry through experiential services. Additionally, we aspire to establish ourselves as a trusted reference point for consumers: helping them resolve travel disputes, guiding them in their travel choices, and highlighting the best partners to guarantee quality products at the right price.
Looking ahead: advice for students
What advice would you give to Paris School of Business students, particularly those interested in digital, who are considering creating their own business in the future?
I would advise them to:
- Immerse themselves in real projects as early as possible to gain practical experience.
- Stay curious and open to new technologies and market trends—there is always something new to learn.
- Build a strong network, surrounding themselves with mentors and inspiring professionals.
- Not be afraid of failure but see it as an opportunity to learn.
- Keep a clear vision of their goals while staying flexible enough to adapt to market changes.
Starting a business is an exciting journey, filled with both challenges and successes. With determination, resilience, and a constant willingness to learn, students can turn their ideas into concrete, impactful projects.