The story
Thirty years of challenges, from Cotonou.
From a student returning home in 1994 to the builder of a pan-African group — the journey of an entrepreneur who turned Cotonou into a launchpad toward all of West Africa.
Chapter 01
The origins
Born in Cotonou on 4 July 1965, Régis Facia trained at Grenoble École de Management, earning a Master's in marketing between 1989 and 1993 — a training that shaped his method: pairing management rigour with entrepreneurial ambition.
Chapter 02
The return and the founding
In 1994, he chose to return to Benin. A year later, in 1995, he founded Top Chrono in Cotonou with a modest initial capital of around €3,500 — an express-courier company born of a simple conviction: West Africa needs to connect its cities, businesses and talents, quickly and reliably.
Chapter 03
Pan-African expansion
Over the years, Top Chrono moved beyond Benin's borders into Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger and Burkina Faso, drawing on the major international networks. In parallel, Régis Facia developed Top Food, a catering service.
Chapter 04
A voice for the private sector
Committed to African business, he sits on the National Employers' Council of Benin — first as 2nd Vice-President, then as 1st Vice-President. He chairs the FODEFCA management committee and co-chairs the CSR commission of the Alliance of Francophone Employers.
Chapter 05
Transmission
Today, he puts his experience at the service of Africa's entrepreneurial youth, whom he calls to become “the builders of tomorrow”.
Key milestones
- 1965BornIn Cotonou, July 4th.
- 1989–93Grenoble École de ManagementMaster's in marketing.
- 1994Return to CotonouBack in Benin after his studies.
- 1995Top Chrono foundedThe group is created in Cotonou (June).
- 20102nd Vice-President of the CouncilNational Employers' Council of Benin.
- 2015Chair of FODEFCAManagement committee of the vocational-training fund.
- 2018Top Food launchedCatering service.
- 20221st Vice-President of the CouncilAnd co-chair of the CSR commission of the Alliance of Francophone Employers.
- 5 countriesRegional footprintBenin, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Burkina Faso.
Awards
- 2025 Diaspora Inspiration PrizeBack to Africa · Paris
“A company's true success is measured not only by its performance of the moment, but by its ability to endure through time.”
Régis Facia — LinkedIn