- 30 March 2026
Reading time: 5-6 minutes
Summary: Mehzabeen Utim is the Director of Corporate Affairs at Teybridge Capital. In this comment article, she reflects on how her career evolved from accounting to governance and explains why now is the ideal moment to pursue governance roles in a rapidly modernising nation.
When people think of Mauritius, they often picture beaches and turquoise water, but that’s only one part of our identity. Over the past decade, Mauritius has been reshaping itself in quieter, more profound ways. We are moving from being seen purely as a tourism destination or financial hub to becoming a “Cyber Island”. A nation intentionally re‑engineering its economy, its systems, and its laws for the digital age. As the country embraces AI, cybersecurity, digital finance, data science and other emerging sectors, one thing has become clear to me, none of this works without good governance.
Following government reforms, I’ve watched the national conversation shift away from mere compliance toward capability: board effectiveness, ethical leadership, risk oversight, and professional governance expertise. This evolving landscape made me think about how my own career path fits into Mauritius’ broader governance evolution.
How my career drew me into governance
I didn’t enter governance deliberately. I was a Chartered Accountant who spent years straddling accounting, administration, and company secretarial roles. This gave me daily interaction with the mechanics of governance and the opportunity to observe how difficult decisions were made behind closed doors.
Working with global business companies, funds, SICAVs and listed entities also gave me even broader exposure. Navigating different jurisdictions and structures, it became obvious that governance wasn’t bureaucracy; it was the backbone of trust. From guiding markets, shaping investor confidence, and anchoring reputation to influencing behaviour long before anything appeared on paper. I realised governance wasn’t just part of my work, it was the thread running through all of it.
Why the Qualifying Programme mattered for me
By the time I came across the CGIUKI Qualifying Programme, governance had already become central to my professional identity. The QP felt like a natural next step, not because I was collecting qualifications, but because I wanted to formalise and deepen what I had already been practising. Having my academic and professional background recognised through the Fast Track entry meant I didn’t have to start from scratch either. My hard-earned experience was recognised.
The programme helped strengthen my understanding of board dynamics, ethical leadership, regulatory frameworks, behavioural governance, and risk oversight, and it did so in a way that felt immediately applicable.
It also helped me understand something bigger. Governance expertise isn’t just professionally valuable, it’s nationally valuable, especially at this moment in Mauritius’ evolution. These are precisely the skills Mauritius needs as we strengthen public trust and refine our governance frameworks. For me, gaining a respected role wasn’t about status; it was about being able to add real value where it mattered.
Becoming indispensable
As I progressed through the programme, I realised that “becoming indispensable” doesn’t mean being irreplaceable, it means being relied upon. It means being someone who brings good judgment, clarity, and stability into complex environments. For me, this means working toward chartership, building the credibility and competence that governance demands. But for others, indispensability might mean understanding the organisation more deeply than anyone else, becoming the trusted navigator during periods of uncertainty, being the guardian of process when pressure mounts. The Qualifying Programme helps cultivate those qualities. It signals professionalism in a way that theory alone never could.
Accessing high‑demand roles in a growing governance market
One abundantly clear thing is that governance roles in Mauritius are expanding faster than our talent pipeline. Compliance, risk, corporate secretarial work, ESG, sustainability governance, and digital governance are all areas experiencing rapid growth as legislation modernises and digital transformation accelerates.
The QP gave me the technical foundation and confidence to step into these spaces with credibility. And I see every day how much the country needs skilled practitioners who can support stronger institutions and digital‑era competitiveness.
Developing transferable skills locally and internationally
What surprised me most was how practical the learning was. The QP didn’t sit on a shelf; it showed up in my work immediately. My approach to risk became more disciplined and strategic. I learned how to interrogate assumptions, identify mitigants, and contribute more thoughtful perspectives. These aren’t just “governance skills”, they are skills that travel. Across sectors. Across industries. Across borders. Governance is borderless, and the Programme gave me mobility I didn’t even realise I was building.
Playing a part in national progress
Perhaps the most meaningful realisation was that governance isn’t just an organisational function, it’s a national one. The more I studied, the more I understood how governance underpins everything Mauritius is trying to achieve. From strengthening laws, improving accountability, modernising public services, and supporting digital transformation, to protecting our reputation as a trusted jurisdiction. These aren’t technical objectives. They’re nation‑building objectives, and they require skilled professionals. Completing the QP didn’t just advance my career, it helped me play a small but meaningful role in Mauritius’ progress.
Where I am now
Today, I feel more confident in governance discussions, more grounded in handling risk‑informed decisions, and more prepared to support the evolving governance landscape in Mauritius. Our country needs governance professionals, people who can guide organisations with integrity, manage risk responsibly, and support ethical decision‑making.
For anyone considering a governance pathway, or already working in one, the CGI Qualifying Programme is more than a qualification. It is a pathway to professional impact, national contribution, global mobility. When it comes to transforming Mauritius, that combination has never been more relevant.
Interested to understand more about a career in governance in Mauritius? Visit the Mauritius webpage.
Learn more about Mehzabeen's Fast Track qualification route