International SOS, the world's pioneer and leader in health and safety risk management services, officially inaugurated its offices in Mauritius. The event took place at the company's regional headquarters, located in the Vivea Business Park, Saint Pierre, Moka, on Thursday November 23, in the presence of the honourable Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, Minister of Health and Wellness, along with a distinguished group of guests.
International SOS strategically chose Mauritius as the regional headquarters for Africa and for hosting its dedicated Assistance Centre which provides occupational health services to its clients. This investment highlights International SOS' commitment to strengthen its presence in Africa and to leverage Mauritius as a platform to support this strategy.
In Africa, International SOS operates across various countries and serves a wide range of clients, including those operating in the energy, mining and construction sectors, as well as governmental organisations among others. To support such operations, the company requires multilingual and multicultural expertise, a business-friendly legal framework, and a stable environment.
Laurent Sabourin, Group Managing Director of International SOS, explained,
Mauritius offers an excellent ecosystem, with bilingual talent pools, an ease of doing business, and global connectivity – which makes it the perfect location for us to support our operations across Africa.
With over 30 years of experience in Africa, International SOS has a particularly robust network of assistance resources and partners, coupled with in-depth expertise to support its clients in critical health and safety situations.
Philippe Couturier, Regional General Manager of International SOS for Africa, stated,
Our presence in Africa has contributed to safeguarding companies' reputations in the event of risks, ensuring organisational productivity, and enhancing the wellbeing of their personnel. We also collaborate with organisations and governments to implement public health programmes on the continent.
(Photo: Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, Minister of Health and Wellness and Laurent Sabourin, Group Managing Director of International SOS)
The Mauritian Journey
Following the granting of its operational license in Mauritius in 2019, the company embarked on its journey with an initial team of four employees. In 2021, International SOS established its regional headquarters within the Smart City of Moka. In 2022, it created an Assistance Centre to manage its WorkSafe occupational health solution. The company now employs over 120 professionals in Mauritius, with 81% being Mauritians. The teams comprise of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, as well as specialists in finance, human resources, legal, and sales and marketing.
Mr Couturier added,
Mauritius provides an excellent ecosystem with a favourable business environment and qualified human resources, allowing us to fulfil our mission. From Mauritius, we support our operations across Africa and provide services to clients worldwide. Beyond our professional commitment, we are also involved in the wellbeing of the community through various corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.
As part of its CSR programme in Mauritius, International SOS allocated funds to the T1 Diams association to support their fight against type 1 diabetes.
Mr Couturier stated,
We are delighted to continue our mission of assistance, prevention, and partnership in Africa from our new office in Mauritius. Together, we anticipate a prosperous and secure future for our clients, their employees, and the communities where we operate.
About the International SOS Group of Companies
The International SOS Group of Companies is in the business of saving lives and protecting your global workforce from health and security threats. Wherever you are, we deliver customised health, security risk management and wellbeing solutions to fuel your growth and productivity. In the event of extreme weather, an epidemic or a security incident, we provide an immediate response providing peace of mind. Our innovative technology and medical and security expertise focus on prevention, offering real-time, actionable insights and on-the-ground quality delivery. We help protect your people, and your organisation's reputation, as well as support your compliance reporting needs. By partnering with us, organisations can fulfil their Duty of Care responsibilities, while empowering business resilience, continuity, and sustainability.Founded in 1985, the International SOS Group, headquartered in London & Singapore, is trusted by over 9,000 organisations. This includes the majority of the Fortune Global 500. As well as mid-size enterprises, governments, educational institutions, and NGOs. Nearly 12,000 multi-cultural security, medical, logistics and digital experts stand with you to provide support & assistance from over 1,200 locations in 90 countries, 24/7, 365 days. Between them, International SOS employees speak nearly 100 languages and dialects in our Assistance Centres, Clinics, and offices.
To protect your workforce, we are at your fingertips: www.internationalsos.com