GOVERNANCE: THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR BUSINESS

As part of their duties as directors, it is critical for Board members to have a thorough knowledge of the environment within which the clusters of the Group operate. An investment report is issued to the directors on a quarterly basis; it includes economic updates on countries within which the Group operates, peer review and financial results. No other training was offered to the directors.

The Board assumes its responsibility for the succession planning of its clusters’ leaders, which is a systematic effort and process of identifying and developing candidates for key leadership positions over time to ensure the continuity of management and leadership in an organisation.

The objective of succession planning is to ensure that the organisation continues to operate successfully when individuals occupying critical positions and hard to replace competencies depart. As part of its terms of reference, the Corporate Governance, Ethics, Nomination & Remuneration Committee has reviewed, at a meeting held on 22 June 2022, an updated succession plan for key executives of the Group, including those of the CIEL Head Office.

The succession plan identifies the Top 10 roles as part of a long-term initiative to prepare potential candidates. Incumbents in the current Top 10 roles were consulted for their inputs on succession plan. The committee will track and monitor the progress achieved in the implementation of the succession plan. The successors were identified in 4 categories, namely:

EMERGENCY

The individual is ready to step into the role/job/position in case of an emergency vacancy but may not be the most suitable successor long-term. Typically oversees role for 3-6 months pending permanent replacement.

READY NOW

This indicates that this employee was in the highest level of readiness and could transition into the role with minimal development.

READY C+1

The employee would be ready for the role within the next two to three years and may include one additional role or assignment for development purposes.

READY C+2

The employee will be ready for the role in 3 to 5 years and may include one or two additional roles or assignments for development purposes.

The journey of implementing and operationalising CIEL’s sustainability strategy for 2020-2030 is premised on i) an evidence-based approach to baseline-setting and creation of action plans, as well as ii) the continuous alignment of and support to clusters to achieve the Group’s targets. The ongoing initiative of Group carbon accounting, using sciencebased targets and enhancement of CIEL’s climate strategy illustrates its commitment to delivering concrete and measurable actions. Furthermore, leveraging the strong interconnection and expertise within the network of sustainability champions, working groups are being established to develop solutions and build on synergies at a Group level

CIEL aims at constantly engaging its internal and external stakeholders on sustainability topics. The Corporate and Regulatory Affairs (CoRA) department was established at CIEL Head Office to structure CIEL’s engagement with the media, regulators, government, and the communities where it operates. The Group is also reinforcing the dialogue and collaboration with key existing stakeholders around strategic sustainability topics such as renewable energy notably with Donor Financial Institutions (DFIs) and inclusive development with Business Mauritius.

CIEL’s sustained engagement with the community through the CIEL Foundation was demonstrated by the continuation of all longterm programs and the return to pre-covid levels of funding. CIEL Foundation emphasised the support to educational programs and mental health for teenagers, as both aspects have been severely impacted by the pandemic, and the empowerment program for vulnerable women.

At cluster level, the nexus between employee engagement and community support remains a key focus, specifically centered on the themes of poverty alleviation, education, reforestation, and the environment.

Launched in August 2020, with a view to build a culture throughout the Group where everyone’s skills are valued and acknowledged equally, regardless of their gender, CIEL’s investment in the Go Beyond Gender Initiative is also a testimony of the Group’s commitment to delivering structural changes.

A distinctive modus operandi was employed to build this initiative, combining a detailed Group diagnostic exercise including the benchmarking of our processes and pay structure, with several cycles of medium to large-scale stakeholders’ engagement sessions. These sessions were designed to collect feedback and build ownership across most of the territories where CIEL operate. Three clear objectives have been defined: i) bridge the pay gap by end 2025, ii) identify and train a cohort of 100 women at management level to bring them to top management or leadership roles by end 2025 and iii) all sites / clusters to set procedures towards a womenfriendly working environment by end 2023.

Embedded in CIEL’s sustainability strategy, diversity and ethics are key for fostering a vibrant workforce. CIEL Foundation is coordinating a project to enhance the employability of differently abled people based on a collaborative approach in partnership with a renowned NGO namely, the Global Rainbow Foundation. The first pilot program at Sun Resorts, having received positive feedback, will be the foundation for replicating and scaling up the project across the Group.