Background
The business was founded as Sable Offshore Management Company by Roderick Phillips, Gael Duchenne and the Sable group in April 2011. Summit Trust International, a subsidiary of the Sanlam group, acquired Sable’s 50% interest in early 2013, and the business was re-branded to Summit Trust (Mauritius) Limited.
Summit Trust International then acquired the balance of the equity held by the Mauritius management team in early 2016, before selling 100% control of the company to the Sanlam Group in late 2017.
Our Team
Gael was born and raised in Mauritius. He completed his tertiary education in Cape Town and qualified with the South African Institute of Chartered Secretaries (ICSA) in 2002. He then moved to the UK to complete his Masters in Corporate Governance at London South Bank University, and worked as a company secretary for major FTSE100 companies in the UK. Before co-founding Sable’s offshore business with Rod in 2011, Gael was head of the risk and compliance division at Investec Bank (Mauritius). Gael is an associate member of the Mauritius Institute of Directors, a board member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) in Mauritius as well as an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
Tom began his professional journey in the British Virgin Islands where he was employed as a fund accountant, responsible for calculating the periodic net asset values of a portfolio of clients. He then moved to Belgium to work for a family steel business, where he was the new business development manager for the Balkan region. Upon his return to Cape Town in 2010, Tom worked with the Maitland Group as new business development manager and key account manager. He was responsible for looking after and sourcing new business in predominantly the hedge fund and private equity fund markets. Before joining Sanlam Trustees International, Tom was the new business development manager for the Maitland Group in Mauritius.
Daniel attained an Honours Degree in Finance and Portfolio Theory from the University of Cape Town and is a member of the Mauritius Institute of Directors. He has over 12 years’ experience in the offshore corporate, financial and fund services arena. His responsibilities have included management of international corporates, fund administration and accounting services. He was previously a director of Caledonian Fund Services, a global custodian and corporate finance service provider. He was appointed as managing director of Southern View Finance Mauritius Ltd, a JSE-listed company, to manage its Mauritian operations. He was then appointed as director at Osiris Corporate Solutions (Mauritius) Ltd before moving to Sanlam Trustees International. Daniel currently serves on the boards of Astoria Investment Ltd, Trevo Capital Ltd and New Frontier Properties Ltd, on which he is also chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee.
Nick studied at the University of Stellenbosch and completed his articles with BDO Spencer Steward in 2003. He continued working for the company in its business risk division. In 2006, he was appointed as a senior relationship manager at Stonehage in Switzerland – his focus was on helping wealthy international families structure and manage their global wealth. In 2011, Nick relocated to South Africa and joined Geneva Management Group where he spent six years as a director of the South African business managing key client relationships, developing new business and running the local operation. Nick joined Sanlam in March 2017 and oversees business development and client interface in Southern and East Africa. Nick is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Dev is a fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and a member of the Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants (MIPA). He also holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in the UK and a BCom with double majors in Accounting and Finance from Curtin University, Australia. He has over 13 years’ experience in the financial services sector in Mauritius, having worked for leading management companies as well as KPMG Mauritius. Dev joined Sanlam Trustees International Limited in November 2022, where he is the Financial Manager and Deputy Money Laundering Reporting Officer (DMLRO). He also serves as director on the boards of global businesses and domestic companies.
Karishta holds an LLB degree with Honours and an LLM in Corporate Law, both from the University of Mauritius. As the current Head of Compliance at Sanlam Trustees International Limited, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role given her significant experience in regulatory compliance within licensed activities. In addition to her leadership position, Karishta also serves as the Compliance Officer, Money Laundering Reporting Officer, and Deputy Money Laundering Reporting Officer (DMLRO) for several other licensed activities by the FSC.
Nirmala has worked in the global business sector for over 16 years, including for leading management companies in Mauritius, where she headed up a team primarily responsible for the overall management, including trusts and corporate secretarial services, for a portfolio of clients. She is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, UK (FCIS) and is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners of England (TEP). Nirmala also holds a Degree in Statistics and a Masters in Business with Law and Management. In 2010, she was named a ‘rising star’ of the private client profession in Private Client Practitioner Magazine in the UK. In October 2018, she was awarded the title ‘Chartered Governance Professional’ by the Governance Institute of ICSA UK.
Amit holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management with Finance and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with specialisation in Financial Services from the University of Mauritius. He has more than 12 years’ experience in the global business sector and has been involved in the setting up and administration of among others funds, global business companies, domestic companies, foreign companies and trusts. He manages a team of six and serves as a board director for several client entities under his team’s portfolio. He looks after foreign nationals who opt to invest, work, live or retire in Mauritius. Before joining Sanlam in March 2018, Amit worked for various leading management companies in Mauritius.
Divya completed her tertiary education at University Aix-Marseille III in France and qualified as a chartered accountant in 2014. Divya worked for eight years for a leading management company in Mauritius, where she headed up a team primarily responsible for overall management, including corporate secretarial and accounting services, for a portfolio of clients. She also acted as a director on investment holding, trading and listed entities. Divya joined Sanlam in April 2019.
Vanida holds an MBA and is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. She has over 18 years’ experience in the financial services industry and has worked for leading management companies in the global business sector in Mauritius. Vanida started her career as an accountant and has over the years specialised in managing operations and leading teams to success. She has extensive experience in managing people and client relationships, and developing strategies and workflows, with particular expertise in structuring multinational businesses and operations. She joined Sanlam in August 2019.
Saroja qualified as a chartered accountant in 2014 and is an affiliate of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. She has 14 years’ experience in the financial services industry in Mauritius. Saroja started her career as an administrator and accountant in one of the leading management companies in the global business sector. She joined Sanlam (formerly Sable and Summit Trust) in May 2012 as one of the first employees. She has gradually taken on more responsibilities, leading a team responsible for the overall management of a portfolio of clients, including trusts and companie
Board Members
