As one of the leading groups in Mauritius, SBM Group comprises a team of high-calibre individuals who are responsible for the strategic direction of the Group and its long-term success in all the markets we serve.
Mr Raoul Gufflet
Date of appointment
28 November 2022
Qualifications
• Advanced Management Programme – INSEAD, France
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) – Institute of Internal Auditors, USA
• Post Graduate Diploma International Finance – Université de Paris XIII, France
• Master’s Degree in Economics (specialisation in Finance) – University of Paris (La Sorbonne), France
• BSc Economics – University of Paris (La Sorbonne), France
Background and experience
Mr Gufflet is a seasoned professional with over three decades of experience in banking and finance. Throughout his career, he has gained extensive knowledge of banking and financial markets across multiple and diverse jurisdictions. He began as a strategic consultant in audit and corporate advisory at PwC, working with banks and central banks across France, Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. He has also contributed to studies conducted in collaboration with the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, focusing on financial institutions in both developed and transitional economies.
Before joining the SBM Group, he served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at a leading bank in Mauritius, where he also sat on the boards of its entities across Africa and the Indian Ocean. He has been instrumental in building the international franchise of that bank, establishing its footprint in Structured Finance and Commodities Trade Finance across Africa. He also played a key role in transforming other business units, creating alignment with international best practices, regulatory and technological trends. A strong advocate for ESG principles in responsible banking and finance, he is dedicated to fostering sustainable banking practices - key drivers in unlocking long-term shareholder value.
Directorship in other entities
SBM (Bank) Holdings Ltd, SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd, SBM (NBFC) Holdings Ltd, SBM (NFC) Holdings Ltd and other entities of the SBM Group
Mr Mooneesing Janna Naikeny (Vimal)
Date of appointment
11 November 2025
Qualifications
• Strategic Management in Banking Programme – INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France
• Leading Digital, Executive Program – MIT Sloan School of Management - US
• Executive Program in FinTech and Regulatory Innovation – Cambridge Judge Business School - UK
• Master of Business Administration - Université Paris-Dauphine, France
• MSc in Project Management – University of Mauritius
• B.Eng. in Computer Science and Engineering – University of Mauritius
Background and experience
Mr Naikeny brings to the Board over two decades of senior leadership across banking, central banking and financial services, complemented by deep expertise in the technology fields that increasingly define how banks compete. He represents a new generation of banking leadership: one that pairs sound financial judgement with the digital fluency modern institutions demand.
As Head of Technology and Operations at Standard Bank Group, Mr Naikeny sat at the centre of one of Africa’s largest banking franchises, contributing to a 20% increase in revenue and reducing client onboarding time by 40%. His remit covered core banking operations, payments, risk systems and the customer experience platforms that underpin retail and corporate banking across multiple African markets, thus giving him a rare end-to-end view of how a large bank runs.
His tenure as Advisor to Management at the Bank of Mauritius placed him at the heart of the country’s financial system. He led the implementation of the National Payment Switch, which materially improved the efficiency and resilience of interbank settlement in Mauritius, and contributed to work undertaken by the Bank of Mauritius on the Central Bank Digital Currency. This gives him a regulator’s perspective on prudential supervision, payment system oversight and financial stability, which is an asset on any banking board.
Earlier in his career, Mr Naikeny held senior roles at Huawei Technologies and Emtel Ltd, where his work on Emtel Cash helped extend financial services to underbanked segments of the Mauritian population, which served as an early and concrete contribution to financial inclusion.
Mr Naikeny is a recognised voice on the future of banking, having addressed forums including Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and AfricaCom. He writes regularly on the intersection of financial services, regulation and technology.
Directorship in other entities
SBM (Bank) Holdings Ltd, SBM (NBFC) Holdings Ltd, SBM (NFC) Holdings Ltd, SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd and other entities of the SBM Group
Other Members of our Leadership Team
Mr Jaswant Rao (Nuvin) Balloo
Qualifications
• Master of Economics – University of Sydney, Australia
• BSc Economics – University of Mauritius, Mauritius
Background and Experience
Mr Balloo is a seasoned professional with around 20 years of experience in the banking and financial services sector. At SBM Holdings Ltd, he is currently in charge of overseeing and monitoring overall strategy management and sustainability management, while catering for the Company’s Investor Relations function and acting as its main Economist.
After obtaining his Master of Economics from the University of Sydney, Australia, Mr Balloo worked as an Economic Advisor at KPMG Mauritius, where he participated in influential projects and studies for private and public sector clients operating both locally and abroad. He, then, joined a leading banking and financial services player where he acted as the Deputy Head of the Strategy, Research and Development department as well as the Lead Economist. There, he took part in a wide range of high-profile projects and assignments that closely contributed to the sound and sustained growth of the organisation in Mauritius and across the African continent, alongside helping to strengthen its image and goodwill vis-à-vis multiple stakeholders.
Directorship in other entities
SBM (NFC) Holdings Ltd and other entities of the SBM Group
Mr Akshay Faugoo
Qualifications
• Master’s Degree in Strategy and Organisational Consulting – Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris, France
• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology with Business – National University of Singapore, Singapore
• Fintech Certificate – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
Background and Experience
Mr Faugoo has over 20 years of experience in the banking and financial services, and technology sectors. With a practitioner’s approach, he currently oversees the operations, technology and digital transformation functions of the organisation, providing both strategic and hands-on support to the Group’s entities.
Before joining SBM Holdings Ltd, he was the Head of Transformation at Bank One Limited, where he led the bank’s transformation through an ambitious programme consisting of channels revamp, process digitalisation, data, fintech and innovation.
Prior to that, Mr Faugoo worked at The Mauritius Commercial Bank Ltd where he was instrumental in setting up the bank’s digital transformation programme and had the responsibility of customer journey transformation as part of their digital agenda.
He started his career and lived in Singapore for several years, where he worked as a consultant in the telecommunications and technology sectors with reputable organisations such as Siemens and Accenture.
Directorship in other entities
SBM Fund Services Ltd
Mr Sivakrisna (Kovi) Goinden
Qualifications
• Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), UK
• Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, Heriot-Watt University, UK
Background and Experience
Mr Goinden is the Group Chief Financial Officer of SBM Holdings Ltd, with overall responsibility for finance, capital management, performance monitoring and procurement across the Group. He provides strategic guidance and support to SBM’s subsidiaries on financial management, budgetary control, capital requirements and project execution.
Throughout his tenure at SBM, Mr Goinden has played a pivotal role in the Group’s transformation, leveraging his extensive expertise in mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring and capital projects. With nearly two decades of experience in the financial sector, predominantly in banking, he brings deep industry knowledge and strong leadership to the organisation. He is also a councillor of the SBM Foundation, the Group’s corporate social responsibility arm.
Directorships in other entities
Industrial Finance Corporation of Mauritius (Equity) Ltd, SBM (NBFC) Holdings Ltd, SBM (NFC) Holdings Ltd and other entities of the SBM Group
Mrs Chayah Harah
Qualifications
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
• Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK (FCCA)
Background and Experience
Mrs Harah is presently leading the Internal Audit Department of SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd. She is a seasoned professional with 22 years of experience in the banking sector, of which over 15 years in internal audit.
She is well-versed in risk-based audit planning, team leadership, compliance, governance and fraud investigation. Her earlier roles in branch and operations management, provided a strong foundation in banking operations and customer service. Mrs Harah handles the responsibilities of the Internal Audit functions of SBM Holdings Ltd simultaneously.
Mr Ahmad Mazahir Koussa
Qualifications
• Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA, ICAEW)
• BA (Econ) Hons in Accounting and Finance – University of Manchester, UK
Background and Experience
Mr Koussa brings over two decades of extensive experience in risk management and governance, gained across leading international financial institutions, including Barclays Capital (UK), Standard Bank Group (South Africa) and Barclays DIFC (UAE). Prior to joining SBM Holdings Ltd, he served as Vice President, Group Risk Management for the global Corporate and Investment Banking division of First Abu Dhabi Bank (UAE), where he oversaw risk management activities across more than 20 countries.
Throughout his career, Mr Koussa has held senior leadership roles in risk management, with a proven track record in designing and strengthening enterprise-wide risk frameworks, fostering a strong risk culture, leveraging technological solutions and building effective relationships with key stakeholders. He has played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of the Group’s Enterprise Risk Management Framework, with a particular focus on embedding risk awareness, transparency and accountability across the organisation.
Mr Koussa is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and began his professional career with a Big Four firm in London.