Yannick Vallençant, born in 1969, is a mountaineer-journalist whose career path is rather unusual, being both a high-mountain guide and a business leader. A graduate of the leading engineering schools (INSA Lyon), management schools (EMLyon), and journalism schools (CFJ Paris), he is one of the main founders of SIM, a multidisciplinary union of mountain professionals. He is the son of extreme skier Patrick Vallençant.