The Board of Directors of SBM Holdings Ltd comprises a team of high-calibre profiles who are responsible for the strategic direction and its long-term success in all the markets we serve.
Group Board of Directors Holdings
Mr Rohit Ramnawaz
Date of appointment
11 April 2025
Qualifications
• Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) – United Kingdom
• Bachelor in Law (LLB) – University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom
Background and experience
Mr Ramnawaz has more than 35 years’ of experience in the fields of banking, finance, accounting, tax advisory, financial services and global business. He is currently the Managing Director of African Links Ltd, a consultancy firm principally engaged in providing value-added services to clients and multinationals in the global business sector. He also acts as independent director on the board of various companies in the global business sector. He had previously been the Chairman of Airports of Mauritius Company Ltd, Airport Terminal Operations Ltd and Mauritius Duty Free Paradise Co Ltd. He has also been a freelance country note sender for Mauritius for the Economist Intelligence Unit. Mr Ramnawaz had also served as an independent non-executive director on the Board of SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd (formerly “State Bank of Mauritius Ltd”), from 2006 to 2014.
Directorship in other entities
African Links Ltd and various companies in the global business sector
Ms Feriel Jabeen Aumeerally
Date of appointment
11 April 2025
Qualifications
• Fellow Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, UK (FCA, ICAEW)
• BSc (Hons) Economics - London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
• Masters in International Business - University of Melbourne, Australia
• Graduate diploma in Applied Finance - Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia
Background and experience
Ms Aumeerally has a solid background in Finance and Lending institutions acquired over two decades. Post training with Ernst and Young, London, she made her mark in Transaction Advisory at PwC Mauritius. She then took a pivotal step of relocating to Melbourne, Australia for 10 years where she amassed a robust finance skillset as a Senior Consultant in the Projects and Structured Finance Team of a Central Borrowing Authority. She also held a position as a Senior Investment Analyst for Infrastructure Funds in a leading Australian research house. Upon her return to Mauritius, she joined the Corporate Banking department of SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd, where she led the Project Finance Team and held a portfolio of corporate clients. She then transitioned into industry and was the Projects and Strategy head for the Harel Mallac Group.
Ms Aumeerally formerly served as an Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of Absa Bank (Mauritius) Ltd and also chaired its Risk Committee. She was previously on the Board of five entities within the Apex Group, which operates in the Global Business Sector. She is currently a member of the Audit Review Practice Panel for the Financial Reporting Council.
Directorship in other entities
SEM Listed Investment Vehicles managed by MCB Capital Markets Ltd: CM Structured Products (1) Ltd, CM Structured Products (2) Ltd, CM Credit Diversified Ltd and MCB Structured Solutions Ltd and Cavell Touristic Investments Ltd (part of the Terra Group of Companies).
Mr Pramod Kumar Bissessur
Date of appointment
11 April 2025
Qualifications
• Doctorat en Droit privé et Sciences Criminelles (currently reading) – Université Paris Nanterre, France
• Master of Laws with specialisation in Commercial Law (Company Law, Insurance Law, International Tax Law) –
University of Birmingham, UK
• Bachelor of Laws (Honours) – University of Mauritius
Background and experience
Mr Bissessur is a seasoned legal scholar who has been lecturing law at University level for over two decades. He has also been a lead corporate trainer and has conducted several workshops for the Board of Directors and the Management teams of companies that are mainly in the financial sector. He has carried out extensive legal research and his articles have been published both in international peer reviewed journals and in local newspapers. He has moreover regularly participated in international conferences and webinars. His core competencies are in Corporate Governance, Company Law, Risk Management, Insolvency Procedures and Public Governance.
He is a propounder of good governance procedures and international best business practices to be adopted by the Board of Directors of companies. He also aligns with modern decision-making concepts such as climate governance and artificial intelligence, which are pertinent to the financial and banking sectors.
Mr Raoul Claude Nicolas 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
Banque SBM Madagascar SA, SBM (Bank) Holdings Ltd, SBM Bank (India) Limited, SBM Bank (Kenya) Limited, SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd, SBM Capital Markets Ltd, SBM Factors Ltd, SBM (NBFC) Holdings Ltd and other entities of the SBM Group.
Mr Deobruthsingh Jaypaul
Date of appointment
11 April 2025
Qualifications
• Masters in Business Administration - University of Cork, Ireland
• PgDL- Bar vocational course, University of Northumbria, UK
• LLB (Hons) University of Wolverhampton, UK
Background and experience
Mr Jaypaul is a highly skilled litigator with 16 years of experience in civil and criminal matters. He has been the intellectual property rights representative of a foreign digital imaging technology company and acts as legal advisor to several private companies. He has also been the legal advisor of the Medical Council of Mauritius and the Medical and Health Officers Association - MHOA.
Mr Jaypaul has been involved in several companies in Mauritius providing legal assistance and guidance in their transformation journey for streamlining their operations and strategies. He is a member of the Honorable Society of Lincoln’s Inn London, UK and the Mauritius Bar Association.
Mr Aakash Krishan Kalachand
Date of appointment
11 April 2025
Qualifications
• Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ACA, ICAEW)
• BSc (Hons) in Accounting & Finance - London School of Economics, UK
Background and experience
Mr Kalachand is a distinguished business and finance expert with over 15 years of extensive experience across diverse sectors, including financial services, risk management, investment, operational and strategic management and corporate governance.
Currently, he holds the esteemed position of Executive Director at J Kalachand & Co. Ltd, where he contributes significantly to the management team, overseeing the company’s operations with strategic insight.
Mr Kalachand had served as an independent director on the Board of SBM Holdings Ltd (SBMH) and SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd (SBMBM) from 2014 to 2015. In his capacity as the former Chairman of the Risk Management Committee of SBMH and SBMBM, he was instrumental in fortifying their risk management framework and ensuring adherence to regulatory standards, notably the Basel III regulations.
His professional journey also encompasses roles at EPIC Private Equity LLP in London, where he functioned as an Investment Executive, and Deloitte LLP, where he served as a Senior Consultant. His expertise lies in audit, risk advisory, and regulatory compliance, having worked with prominent financial sector groups such as Morgan Stanley, Barclays Capital and BNP Paribas.
Directorship in other entities
Mauritius Freeport Development
Maître Mathilde Parent Lagesse
Date of appointment
11 April 2025
Qualifications
• Master Degree in General Private Law (Paris-France)
• Certificate of Aptitude for the Legal Profession (Paris-France)
• Qualified French/Mauritian lawyer
• Qualified Arbitrator (France and Mauritius)
Background and experience
Maître Mathilde Parent Lagesse is a lawyer, a member of both the Paris and Mauritius Bars. She is also qualified as an arbitrator by the Centre de Médiation et d'Arbitrage de Paris (CMAP) in France and MARC in Mauritius. She is the founding and managing partner of PLCJ Law Firm, a business law firm established in Mauritius and in France, competent in both jurisdictions. PLCJ Law Firm has been recognized for many years for international rankings such as Legal 500 EMEA, IFLR 1000 EMEA, and Chambers Global. This recognition highlights the firm’s expertise in mergers and acquisitions, shareholder disputes, corporate transactions, as well as in competition law, intellectual property, new technologies, and dispute resolution.
Additionally, Maître Mathilde Parent Lagesse was a lecturer at Paris II- Panthéon Assas University and continues to lecture regularly at the Institute of Legal and Judicial Studies (IJLS) in Mauritius. She is also certified as an APM Expert (Association for the Progress of Management - Mauritius) and has held leadership positions, including Director and Vice President of the Chambre de Commerce France Maurice CCIFM.
Directorship in other entities
Bouhelier Invest Ltd, PLCJ Law Firm and Quadrille Investissement Ltd
Ms Sharon Ramdenee
Date of appointment
14 December 2018
Qualifications
• PhD Business & Management (current reading) – Warwick Business School, UK
• Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA, ICAEW)
• Master of Business Administration (with Distinction) specialising in Strategy and Marketing –
Warwick Business School, UK
• Bachelor’s Degree in Law and Business – University of Warwick, UK
Background and experience
Ms Ramdenee is currently the CEO of Agiliss Ltd, one of the leading fast-moving consumer goods companies operating in Mauritius and also in the region. In Mauritius, Ms Ramdenee previously held the role of Finance Director of Saint Aubin Group, having also held a commercial and business development role in the organisation. In the UK, she worked for Ernst & Young LLP, both in London and internationally, with a portfolio of high-profile clients from a range of industries. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young London since 2005.
Directorship in other entities
Agiliss Ltd, Akiri Properties Limited, SBM Bank (Kenya) Limited and SBM (NFC) Holdings Ltd
Mrs Danisha Sornum
Date of appointment
11 April 2025
Qualifications
• Master of Public Policy (MPP) - Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
• Master of Laws with Distinction (LL.M. International Commercial Law) - University of Birmingham
• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) - University of Mauritius
Background and experience
Mrs Sornum is a barrister-at-law, specialized in International Trade and Investment Law, Arbitration, and ESG compliance in banking practices. Mrs Sornum has been a Consultant with numerous international institutions, including the World Bank. She currently works with the Independent Recourse Mechanism of the African Development Bank, conducting compliance reviews to ensure the sustainability and accountability of projects funded by the Bank across the African region. Mrs Sornum leverages her unique mixed legal and policy background to promote alternative dispute resolution methods, and to mainstream ESG imperatives in business operations and management. She is a Fulbrighter and has authored the book “Getting into International Arbitration” with a focus on Mauritius as a seat of arbitration for international dispute resolution. She has also been the youngest member of the Equal Opportunities Commission, investigating into alleged cases of discrimination, and collaborating closely with public and private stakeholders to foster inclusion across the workplace and the community at large.
Directorship in other entities
LeadInclude Africa Ltd