“It’s the best who leave, not the weakest”, Kabir Ruhee, CEO of Rogers Capital.

Panel discussion on talent attraction 

• “(…) Had it been the other way round, we might not complain so much.”
• “In our group, we’ve had around 20 high-calibre professionals migrate in the last four years”
• “Leaders are often stuck in a dogmatic approach – ‘Do it this way or leave.’ There’s no alignment in values,” Jenny Korten, Life Coach, Health2befree, added.

“We have to recognise the need for technology in education and the resistance to change that still exists,” Jenny Korten, Life Coach at Health2befree, said during a panel discussion on talent attraction and retention strategies. She referenced Mind Nudge, an AI-driven program developed in the UK that delivers short, daily leadership development prompts, as an example of how technology can support ongoing personal and professional growth. Jenny Korten also referred to countries like India, China, and Rwanda as successful models in implementing diaspora return strategies. Contributing to the discussion, Sahed Hoolash, CEO of Vistra Mauritius, argued that while incentives can be effective, they have their limits. “Returnees come for specific roles, but not at all costs. The local context must offer sustainability and the right jobs,” he emphasised.

Rudy Veeramundar 

A consultative workshop organised by the Ministry of Financial Services and Economic Planning brought together leading industry experts, coaches, and institutional representatives for a panel discussion on talent attraction and retention in the financial services sector. The session, featuring Kabir Ruhee (CEO, Rogers Capital), Sahed Hoolash (CEO, Vistra Mauritius), and Jenny Korten (Life Coach, Health2befree), offered a deep dive into the evolving challenges of skills development, intergenerational workplace dynamics, brain drain, and the strategic need for a recalibrated ecosystem to support talent.

Jenny Korten opened the discussion by citing research by Buckminster Fuller and colleagues on the exponential acceleration of knowledge – arguing that, while in 1945, knowledge doubled every 25 years, today, it changes every 12 hours. This pace of change has fundamental implications for training, education, and coaching. Traditional methods that lean heavily on analytical thinking, she said, are inadequate. “We have to recognise the need for technology in education and the resistance to change that still exists,” she said, referencing an AI-driven program called “Mind Nudge”, developed in the UK, which delivers short, daily leadership development prompts.

She highlighted the growing generational divide within workplaces, where Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z co-exist with vastly different value systems. Gen X employees, she noted, were conditioned to stay with one job for decades, whereas Gen Zs seek alignment with purpose, flexibility, and emotional intelligence.

“Leaders are often still stuck in a dogmatic approach – ‘Do it this way or leave.’ There’s no alignment in values,” Jenny Korten stressed. For her, understanding generational motivations must come before technology-driven learning solutions. Only then can organisations develop meaningful strategies for upskilling and engagement.

Diagnosing the Brain Drain

Kabir Ruhee provided an historical and empirical overview of Mauritius’ brain drain, tracing it back to the country’s transition from a labour-intensive to a skill-intensive economy in the late 1990s and early 2000s. With the rise of the ICT and financial services sectors, the demand for specialised skills increased, exposing a growing mismatch between the education system and industry needs.

He identified three root causes: the declining quality of education, lack of national capacity planning, and poor alignment between labour supply and tertiary institutions. The COVID-19 crisis, he added, has exacerbated the issue.

“In our group, we’ve had around 20 high-calibre professionals migrate in the last four years,” he shared. “Many told me: ‘Ça ne compte pas ce qu’on dit.’ It is deeply revealing of how they perceive the long-term value and stability of staying here. It’s the best who leave, not the weakest. Had it been the other way round, we might not complain so much.”

Moderator Thierry Goder, CEO of Alentaris, raised the issue of attracting the diaspora back. Praising existing schemes, he noted that many skilled Mauritians abroad express a willingness to return, often to be close to ageing parents or to give back to their homeland.

 

“You must ask where you want to be in three to five years, audit your current talent, and build the skills or hire accordingly”

Sahed Hoolash argued that incentives are effective only to a point. “Returnees come for specific roles, but not at all costs. The local context must offer sustainability and the right jobs,” he explained.

He added that the diaspora may not always match the immediate skill needs, advocating instead for a reformed immigration policy that would allow Mauritius to attract skilled labour from other regions, particularly Africa. He also pointed out the high youth unemployment in South Africa and across the continent as a source of potential talent.

The CEO of Vistra (Mauritius) also drew attention to the role of shared services: “They act as training grounds and explain why many Mauritians later thrive in places like Luxembourg or Jersey. But shared services are cost centres, not profit centres. We need to be mindful of who we allocate to those positions and explore bringing in foreign workers for those roles.”

Kabir Ruhee concurred that Mauritius must compete globally for talent: “We can’t afford to differentiate too strictly between diaspora and other skilled professionals. What matters is capability, adaptability, and scale.”

He cited examples from Luxembourg, where the diaspora has excelled. “BDO (Luxembourg) recently appointed Alain Lam as its Managing Partner, for example. We want them back, but we need a compelling value proposition.”

Jenny Korten mentioned countries like India, China and Rwanda as examples of countries having successful diaspora return strategies. She stressed the importance of quality education, not only for professionals, but for their children, as well as the cost gap in school fees for expats versus Mauritians, which has dissuaded some families from staying.

She argued for moving beyond IQ to foster curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving. She called this the “six higher levels of thinking” and warned that AI will soon outperform human analytical capabilities.

She also highlighted the need for inclusive leadership styles, noting that Gen Zs are eager to learn, but require empowerment and a culture of dialogue. “We’re still educating people as we did 45 years ago,” she warned. “The environment must adapt.”

When the Minister of Financial Services asked why Mauritian Gen Zs work long hours abroad, but not at home, Korten explained that it is due to leadership styles and work cultures. “Abroad, leadership is more empowering and flexible. Here, it’s micromanagement. They don’t thrive in that environment,” she argued.

Jenny Korten emphasised Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) as a core requirement for any organisation: “You must ask where you want to be in three to five years, audit your current talent, and build the skills or hire accordingly.”

This approach ensures internal development before external hiring, enabling targeted upskilling. Jenny Korten noted that identifying Gen Z early adopters is key to driving transformation, and that “retaining starts with investing in your current talent.”

She urged financial institutions to treat talent investment with the same seriousness as financial investment: “2030 is just five years away. McKinsey says that working hours across all sectors will decline. What are you going to do with that time?”

Asked to present a wish list to the Minister, Kabir Ruhee and Shaheed Hoolash proposed:

• Opening up immigration to fill urgent skill gaps, particularly with African youth.
• Reforming the education system with a long-term plan aligned with industry needs.
• Enhancing the country’s attractiveness as a living and working destination.
• Rethinking investment schemes to attract skilled talent, not just wealthy retirees.
• Lobbying India to establish an IIT or IIM in Mauritius – “Excellence in education is a magnet.”
• Promoting gender equity and flexibility in the workplace, noting that women make up 75% of global business workers in Mauritius.

Institutional Bottlenecks and Missed Opportunities

The audience also raised crucial points. One participant stressed that patriotism alone cannot override practical concerns like currency depreciation, inconsistent tax policies, and weakened institutions. “We love our country, but we love our children more,” he said.

Faraz Rojid, CEO of Mauritius Finance, praised the new skills masterplan, but urged universities to produce graduates in sectors that matter. He called for alignment between regulators like the FSC and accreditation bodies like the NQA and HRDC, citing an example where a UK-certified compliance training was blocked despite FSC endorsement.

A representative from Middlesex University Mauritius questioned why international graduates are not hired locally, and lamented the six-month delay for work permits for students. “They pay rent and living costs. How can they wait that long for approval?” he asked.

Others stressed the need to move up the value chain to offer high-skilled jobs locally, echoing the concern that Mauritius still performs the same tasks as 25 years ago.

The session ended with a shared sense of urgency and opportunity. With the right mix of strategic planning, education reform, cultural change, and policy alignment, Mauritius has the potential to build a resilient, high-value talent ecosystem. But this will require a shift from reactivity to long-term vision, and from rigid structures to adaptive leadership.

As one speaker noted, “let’s not wait until we reach the end of three years to realise we didn’t plan. The time to act is now.”