The Juristconsult Investment Summit 2024 was held on 18 April, 2024, and successfully brought together industry leaders, experts, and professionals to discuss the latest trends and developments in ESG, Fintech, and Dispute Resolution. Held at Andrea Lodges, it featured insightful panel discussions, keynote speeches, and networking opportunities, with the added distinction of being the only Investment Summit to take place in such a beautiful and natural setting.
Key highlights by the Guest of Honour
Aziz Mebarek, Founding and Co-Managing Partner of AfricInvest, delivered a keynote address highlighting the success of the Mauritius International Financial Centre (MIFC) in attracting regional and global investors. The Mauritius IFC is fully compliant with the highest international standards, making it a destination of choice for African fund managers to structure complex multi-country transactions through special purpose vehicles (SPVs) or holding companies controlling African assets, he explains.
To Mr. Aziz Mebarek, the Mauritius IFC remains an important destination for pan-African and Indian fund managers, thanks to the diligent approach of the country’s financial policymakers. “A continued proactive strategy to market its strengths and meet the evolving needs of these managers is essential to its future growth,” he notes.
Agenda:
The Summit featured six panel discussions, a keynote speech, networking opportunities and a welcome address by Marc Hein SC, G.O.S.K, Chairman of Juristconsult Chambers.
At the Investment Summit held at the stunning Andrea Lodges, Mr. Marc Hein SC, G.O.S.K, Chairman of Juristconsult Chambers, elucidated the purpose of the event as a platform for discussing how we can contribute to our country’s development. He emphasised the importance of aligning our investment strategies with nature, which can lead to better investment outcomes and promote ESG principles.
The Summit covers various sectors and brings together both private and public sector stakeholders. According to Mr. Hein, investment plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life for everyone and contributes to overall happiness.
Mr. Hein also shared a personal philosophy he likes a lot which is ‘Utilitarianism,’ developed by Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism emphasises the principle of maximising happiness and minimising suffering for the greatest number of people. By applying this philosophy to investment decisions, we can ensure that our actions contribute to the greater good and promote sustainable development, he noted.
The panel discussions covered a wide range of topics, including ESG integration in wealth management, impact investing, data processing, AI & Fintech, dispute avoidance & dispute resolution, and the Mauritius International Financial, Administrative and Corporate Centre.
Apart from the guest of honour and opening speaker, the event featured stellar speakers such as:
- Nicolas Richard, Managing Partner, Juristconsult Chambers
- Khemila Narraidoo, Partner, Juristconsult Chambers
- Afsar Ebrahim, Executive Director, Kick Advisory Services
- Deepa Alleck, Fund Manager – Equities, Swan Capital Solutions
- Mickaël Apaya, Chief Sustainability and Inclusive Development Executive, Rogers
- Nandita Caleechurn-Veeramah, Fund Selector, Investment Products and Services, Private Wealth Management, MCB
- Abdool Rahim Salehmohamed, Partner, Juristconsult Chambers
- Neeraj Umanee, Manager, Swan Securities, Swan Capital Solutions
- Vaneeta Bickoo Brelu-Brelu, Business Development Manager, DTOS
- Juneid Kodabux, Group Director of Legal & Corporate Affairs, African Guarantee Fund
- Shalinee Dreepaul Halkhoree, Partner, Juristconsult Chambers
- Alan Easton, Senior Consultant, DLA Piper UK
- Kevin Sumputh, CSO, ABSA
- Shane Malherbe, Corporate Legal Adviser, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels
- Emmanuel Travailleur, Associate, Juristconsult Chambers
- Sebastien LeBlanc, CGO, MIPS
- Irshad Mallam-Hassam, FCCA, Managing Director, Realign Consulting Services Limited
- Arvin Halkhoree, Barrister, Chief Legal and Compliance Executive, Rogers
- Roobesh Ramanjooloo, Senior Litigator, Juristconsult Chambers
- Alexis Merle, Registrar of the MARC (Mediation and Arbitration Center)
- Yvan Jean-Louis, Assistant Solicitor General at the Attorney-General’s Office Mauritius
- Shamima Mallam-Hassam, Managing Director, Trident Trust Company (Mauritius) Limited
- Ashvin Deena, Head of Global and International Corporates, MCB
What the sponsors had to say
The Juristconsult Investment Summit 2024 was supported by sponsors such as MCB, Rogers, Kick Advisory Services, Swan Capital Solutions, DTOS & Confident Asset Management.
MCB Private Banking, the exclusive Platinum Sponsor to the Summit shared they remain very confident and very positive about the outlook of the Mauritian financial centre. Ashvin Deena, Head of Global and International Corporates from MCB noted that Mauritius would gain more specialisation as a financial centre and demonstrate its strengths. He shared that, as a Bank responding to Mauritius, MCB will continue to serve its clients, especially the African clients, to help and contribute to create more specialisation in the Mauritian financial centre.
Pratima Nundoorsing, Strategy and Projects Manager, MCB Private and Wealth Management quoted “In line with MCB’s raison d’etre, we are proud to sponsor such initiatives, promoting sustainability, innovation and fintech, as these topics are crucial for the financial ecosystem and the country.”
Vaneeta Bickoo Brelu-Brelu, Business Development Manager of DTOS shared that her role revolves around corporate structuring, specialising in cross-border investments and fund administration. “Impact and ESG are at the forefront of our discussions,” she noted, emphasising the importance of directing capital towards businesses and projects addressing critical global challenges like climate change and poverty alleviation. Having worked extensively in Africa, including living in Nairobi, she witnessed firsthand the pressing issues of poverty and malnutrition that impact the continent. Transitioning from a molecular biologist to a finance professional has allowed her to leverage her influence to drive impactful change at a higher level, bridging the gap between decision-makers and those directly affected. She believes that impact is a collective effort involving various stakeholders, and as individuals, we all have a role to play in fostering positive change. This journey has led her to advocate for impactful investments and societal contributions, a topic she is passionate about discussing and promoting.
Mickaël Apaya, Chief Sustainability and Inclusive Development Executive of Rogers said “je pense que c’est important qu’on discute de ce theme important qui est le ‘sustainability’. Il faudrait une coordination Nationale car dans différentes définitions de ESG, on a besoin d’avoir un alignement au niveau international et ça c’est vraiment les autorités publiques, les Corps Paraétatiques, qui doivent pouvoir définir le cadre et ensuite l’entreprise en tant que practitioner pourrai arriver à mettre en œuvre aller chercher les donnés et faire du reporting structurer pour démontrer de l’impacte.”
Deepa Alleck, Fund Manager, Equities, Swan Capital Solutions shared that she’s really thankful to have Juristconsult bringing the discussion forward on ESG investing. “If we want to ensure we go in the right direction & truly make a positive impact on the world, we need to listen to the ESG criticism as well & action on how to remedy on these.”
Afsar Ebrahim, Executive Director, KICK Advisory said: “This is an important annual event for KICK to mark its presence at the Summit as the topic of ESG concerns all of us being now a matter of international interest, where we need to focus to improve the country’s climate to ensure the future generation benefit from the actions we take today.”
Conclusion:
At the Closing Speech, Nicolas Richard, Managing Partner of the Juristconsult Chambers, expressed his gratitude to the distinguished panelists, speakers, and participants who shared their expertise, insights, and experiences throughout this conference. Their contributions have undoubtedly enriched our understanding of the subjects discussed.
He encourages us to ‘carry forward the knowledge, ideas, and the spirit of responsibility that have infused these discussions, be inspired to integrate ESG principles into our wealth management practices, and invest with a purpose and process data sustainably.’
The Juristconsult Investment Summit 2024 was a successful event and will be back with topics of interest in 2025.
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For more information about the Juristconsult Investment Summit 2024, please contact:
Juristconsult Chambers
Email: info@juristconsultchambers.com
Phone: +230 213 0200
Website: www.juristconsultchambers.com
