The third edition of the Mauritius Institute of Directors (MIoD) Expert Series was hosted on June 8, an exclusive in collaboration with its patron, Axiz Mauritius, and relying on the support of its founder, Mauritius Telecom (MT), where the third edition had the theme: “Governing Through the Digital Bridge: When Infrastructure Becomes Geostrategy”.
As Mauritius unfolds its digital transformation agenda, the implications for the boards of directors and company executives are becoming more and more concrete. Data sovereignty, artificial intelligence governance, and risk management related to critical infrastructures are now on the agenda.
The national ambitions, spurred by the Digital Transformation Blueprint 2025-2029, the National AI Strategy 2025-2029 and the FAIR Guidelines, define the framework in which companies and their councils are called to evolve and govern. It is around these governance issues that the MIoD Expert Series structured the discussions of this edition.
During the fireside chat, CEO at MIoD Sheila Ujoodha commented: “The MIoD Expert Series was created to bring the issues that matter most to those who are best placed to act. The theme of this third edition speaks directly to the boards of directors and the leaders: the choices that are being made today around connectivity, data sovereignty, the deployment of AI and technology governance sustainably engage the competitiveness of Mauritius, the trust we inspire and the quality of our corporate governance, beyond the perimeter of IT teams. The role of the MIoD is to create the platform where this conversation is held with the rigor and depth that it deserves, where this evening has fully achieved this objective.”
While the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Avinash Ramtohul, underlined, “Mauritius is built with intention and principle. The Digital Transformation Blueprint, the National AI Strategy and the FAIR Guidelines form a coherent set of commitments that chart the trajectory of the digital economy that the jurisdiction intends to build. For this vision to be credible on the regional and international scene, it must be supported by high standards of governance within all the institutions that operate here. The private sector and boards of directors are partners for this ambition to take full measure.”
On the other hand, ISG Leader and Chief Technical Officer – MEA, Lenovo META Region Chadie Ghadie pointed out, “Across the markets where I am involved, the quality of corporate governance is decisive for countries that are establishing themselves as reliable actors in the global digital economy during the long term. The infrastructure matters, but the corporate trust that surrounds it matters even more. Mauritius has the positioning, strategic ambition and connectivity architecture to play a significant role in the regional digital landscape. The question that the boards of directors must ask themselves: Is their governance progressing at the same pace as this ambition? This is precisely the conversation that we need to hold this evening. »
Country Manager of Axiz Mauritius Dhiren Bisnathsing, commented: “The digital infrastructure decisions that companies and institutions make have lasting consequences on their resilience and competitiveness. In markets we serve across the African continent, the soundness of the governance of these investments often proves to be as decisive as the quality of the technology itself.”
On its part, the Chief Information Systems and Security Officer of Mauritius Telecom, Teswaree Kisto Heerah, indicated: “Mauritius Telecom has embarked on an ambitious trajectory to make Mauritius a digital hub connecting Africa and Asia. This ambition is based on foundations that we are building every day: the resilience of systems, data security and the trust that our customers and partners place in our infrastructure. As such, the governance of information systems is at the heart of our work, and tonight’s discussions made it possible to anchor these issues in a broader governance reflection, where they find their full scope.”
By bringing together experts and complementary perspectives surrounding governance implications of the digital transformation on the island, the third edition of the MIoD Expert Series reaffirms its role as the main space for dialogue and forward-looking reflection on corporate governance, at the service of the business community.
