The founder and Managing Director of First Island Trust Company Ltd, Denis is one of the pioneers of the offshore sector in Mauritius. After having acquired vast managerial experience in banking and financial services in Canada, Denis returned to his home country in Mauritius to create his own company. With his vision and keen analysis of the sector, what started as a small family business would soon develop into multiple jurisdictions with partnerships and full-fledged offices in Singapore, Seychelles, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Dubai.
Denis holds an MBA from a leading Canadian University. He is a member of the Association of Chartered Professional Accountants of Quebec and Canada and a fellow member of the Association of International Accountants. As a licensed auditor, he is also a member of the Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants.
The co-founder of First Island Trust Company Ltd, Marie Claire has spent over 20 years studying and working in Montreal before returning to Mauritius. She holds a Master’s degree in International Taxation from Regent University in the USA and is a member of the UK Society of Trust and Estate Practitioner. She presently sits as a non-executive director on the board.
With her distinguished experience and professional background, Marie Claire offers her expertise in terms of strategic planning and policy-making which assists and complements the board of First Island Trust Company Ltd in developing and enhancing its governance rules to meet the company’s long-term goals and objectives.
Marie Claire is also the founder of the property and hospitality arm of the group which includes a 5-star luxury boutique resort & wellness in Mauritius.
Patrice is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants since 2010. He is also a member of the Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and a Masters in International Taxation jointly offered by the UNSW School of Business & UNSW Law School, University of New South Wales. As of July 2017, Patrice is a registered Trust & Estate Practitioner (TEP), from the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (UK) and has a Diploma in International Trust Management, jointly offered by STEP and the Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester.
Patrice worked in New York/New Jersey with Wiss & Company, LLP in the fields of audit, taxation, and advisory prior to joining First Island Trust Company Ltd. He specialises in international corporate structuring, international tax advisory, cross-border transactions, accounting, and business facilitation issues. In addition, he serves the firm in the fields of Business Development, Operations and IT. He is on the Executive committee of First Island Group, the parent company, which spans across several industries in Mauritius, including financial services, property development, and hospitality. In 2006, he co-founded a media company, P Squared, which specializes in digital solutions for the Mauritian community.
Patrice currently serves as Treasurer of Round Table Mauritius. Previously, Patrice was a board member of the South African Chamber of Commerce (Mauritius) and Assistant Treasurer of the Chinese Business Chamber Mauritius. He is a member of the African Leadership Network – its members largely consisting of high profile entrepreneurs in Africa. In addition, Patrice is a member of the Association of International Accountants (AIA).
Mahendra Mayaram can be described as a seasoned banker. He holds a Bachelor's and Master’s degree in Economics and Finance from the University Paul Cezanne of Aix en Provence in 1985.
In 1989, he started his banking career in Mauritius at BNPI, a subsidiary of the BNP group and has worked successively at Barclays Bank Plc and Standard Bank of South Africa.
During his rich career in the banking sector, Mahendra has acquired vast experience in Credit, Risk, Compliance, Structured Finance, Syndications, Structured Trade, etc. Most of his career has been within international banking. He left the banking industry in 2009. On the strength of the experience, network and reputation earned and fostered, he has developed a consultancy practice providing advisory services for corporate clients in Mauritius before joining forces with the First Island Group in 2015. He is currently a non-executive Director of First Island Trust Company Ltd.
Rajeev occupies the position of Head of Incorporations and Corporate Services Manager. He holds a Bachelor at Law (LLB) degree with Honours from the University of Mauritius and is also an Associate Member of the UK Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). Rajeev has more than 10 years’ of working experience in the global business sector and has built an extensive experience in the structuring and administration of global business companies, foreign companies, trusts, funds, and compliance sector.
Ambika holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree with Honours from the University of Kent. She also holds a Legal Practice Course (LPC) from the College of Law London. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2005 at the Honourable Society of the Lincoln’s Inn and was called to the Mauritian Bar in 2007. Ambika joined First Island Trust Company Ltd in 2007 as Legal and Compliance Officer. She currently holds the position of Manager and also acts as Head of Department for the Compliance team.
Christiane's role as the Financial Controller is to undertake all aspects of financial management, including corporate accounting and financial reporting as well as development of internal control policies and procedures. She is a qualified FCCA member and is registered with the MIPA. She holds a degree in BBusSc in Finance. She has more than 18 years of experience in accounting and auditing and has previously worked at the big 4 accounting firms and at International Management Mauritius Ltd.
Lina is the holder of BSC Business Management degree and has more than 8 years of experience in the Business Process Outsourcing sector and has moved through different roles within customer service, freight, administrative, payroll and corporate management.
Rajneesh, occupies the post of Manager in the Corporate Services Department at First Island Trust Company Ltd and reckons more than 10 years’ experience in the offshore sector. He holds a Bachelor degree in Law & Management from the University of Mauritius and an Advanced Diploma in International Taxation, awarded by the Chartered Institute of Taxation, UK. He is also an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators.
Varsha occupies the position of Manager, Trust and Corporate Services and has over 8 years of experience in the Global Business Industry. She holds a BA (Hons) Law and Management degree from the University of Mauritius and an MBA Finance and Investment from the University of Technology, Mauritius. She is also full Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), UK.
Ashvina has over 8 years of working in the Offshore Sector. She is mostly responsible for Business Facilitation Unit and acts as facilitator for the issuance of permit for expatriates. She is also involved in setting up Domestic and Global Business Companies. She holds a degree in Management with Information Systems from the University of Mauritius and is currently completing her ACCA.
Prithee occupies the post of Human Resources Officer at First Island Trust Company Ltd and reckons more than 10 years’ experience in the company. She holds a Bachelor degree in Management from the University of Mauritius and she is currently pursuing an MBA with specialisation in Human Resource. She joined First Island Trust Company Ltd in 2008 as Corporate Administrative Officer in the BPO Department/Corporate Services and she acceded to the Human Resource Department of the company in 2014.
Lydia occupies the position of Corporate Services Manager and has many years of experience in the company formation and administration services. She is also a Barrister-At-Law and Public Notary.
Nicole is an Associate of the Singapore Association Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (SAICSA) since 2000. She holds a Diploma in Accountancy from a well known Polytechnic in Singapore, and she is a permanent resident of the Republic of Singapore. She has close to twenty years of experience in the management of Singapore companies and offshore entities on corporate secretarial matters, starting with PwC Corporate Services Pte Ltd, followed by Baker and McKenzie, an international law firm, and thereafter, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), where she acted as the Company Secretary for all HSBC Singapore subsidiaries, prior to joining First Island Fiduciary Services Pte Ltd, as Senior General Manager, Singapore Operations in 2011.
Lily is the Head of First Island Fiduciary Services Pte Ltd. She holds a Bachelor of literature degree and reckons nearly 20 years of experience for offshore company incorporation & operation.