About Us

Legacy

Our group was born in the 1830s as a trading house and stands today as a listed entity, with over 100 brands and 24 companies, serving a wide range of industries in Mauritius, the Indian Ocean and Africa.

For almost two centuries, our products and services have improved the lives of all Mauritians from farmers to industrialists, entrepreneurs, families and everyone in between.

But this description only scratches the surface. What we truly are, is a group grounded with strong purpose and values, which strives to deliver solutions which will shape the Mauritius of tomorrow.

As one of the first trading companies in Mauritius, Harel Mallac has contributed to the Mauritian economy by acting as a pioneer in major sectors.

1789

The company’s story begins in 1789, when Charles-Pierre Harel, from Saint-Malo, Brittany, France, was authorised by the Governor of Isle de France to charter merchant ships from Port-Louis.

1830

On its part, the Mallac family started their business activities in 1830 with a company bearing the name ‘P. Elias and Tristan Mallac’, which later became ‘P. Elias, Mallac et Compagnie’. Initially located at La Chaussée in Port-Louis, the company specialised in commerce, and insurance, while also supplying loans to local planters.

1893

Following the destruction of its premises by a fire in 1893, the company moved its offices to Rempart Street, now known as Edith Cavell Street.

1920

In 1920, the two businesses merged into ‘Harel Mallac & Co’.

1956

Incorporated in 1956, Harel Mallac & Co. helped buttress strategic Mauritian industries by supplying high-quality products, services and expertise.

1975

In the wake of the independence of its home country, the Group invested in the creation of a local fertiliser production plant to support Mauritian planters: The Mauritius Chemical and Fertilizer Industry (MCFI) was born.

1976

Harel Mallac opened the first retail supermarket in Mauritius, located in Curepipe, under the Prisunic franchise.

1988

Harel Mallac Computers made available to Mauritians the first personal computers (PCs), paving the way to everyday-use technology.

1991

Listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius since 1991, Harel Mallac stands today as a key conglomerate that remains true to the spirit of its “purpose” : to Make a Difference for the Better.

Purpose

The actions we take today create the world of tomorrow.

As a group, we believe that our purpose “To Make a Difference for the Better for our people, our performance, our consumers and the planet” is the compass for our actions, and helps us provide long-term value to our clients, a positive environment for our staff, and leave a world of opportunity for future generations.

For the Better of our People

We are committed to unlocking the potential of the individuals within our group by celebrating diversity, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit, and celebrating individual initiatives.

For the Better of our Performance

We are committed to challenging the status quo, being accountable, planning for the long term, and placing sustainability and innovation at the heart of our actions.

For the Better of our Consumers

We are committed to being consumer-centric, anticipating their needs, and offering genuine value propositions which differ from our competitors.

For the Better of the Planet

We are committed to building a better tomorrow. We do this by reducing our environmental impact, rethinking how we use energy and natural resources, and who we choose to do business with to ensure that our work does not impact future generations.

Executive

Executive Team

Learn more about our Executive Team by hovering over their respective profiles.

Learn more about our Executive Team by clicking on their respective profiles.

CHARLES HAREL

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Charles Harel holds a National Diploma in Management and Finance from the Cape Technikon, South Africa, as well as an MBA from the University of Birmingham, UK. He joined the Harel Mallac Group in 1993 as the General Manager of the Tourism and Retail Cluster. He was appointed to the Board of Directors in June 2006, and named Group CEO in January 2014.

ALAIN AH-SUE

MANAGING DIRECTOR – LINXIA & EO SOLUTIONS

Holder of a BSc in Computer Science from the City University of New York, Alain Ah-Sue joined Harel Mallac Computers in 1989. He became Managing Director of the Group’s Technology Arm in 2010, and since the restructuring of Harel Mallac in 2016, is the Managing Director of Linxia and EO Solutions.

YANNICK APPLASAMY

GENERAL MANAGER – NOVENGI & AEROLIK

Yannick Applasamy holds a Global MBA from the Manchester Business School, UK and an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Product Design from Université Paris Est-Marne la Vallée, France. Yannick started his career in the automotive industry, at PSA Peugeot Citroen Group in France. He joined the International Development Division of Aldes group in 2012, working in the Middle East as Regional Marketing Manager, and, in 2015 was appointed General Manager of the Mauritian subsidiary. Prior to joining Novengi in July 2019, Yannick was Sales Manager for Tropic Knits within CIEL Group.

CHARLES DUFOURCQ

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER - TECHNOLOGY

Charles Dufourcq holds a MSc in International Management and Finance from NEOMA Business School in France, and is an alumnus of the INSEAD executive program in Singapore. From 2000, he held various positions in the technology industry: first in sales and marketing, then in Singapore in 2008, as General Manager for BT Global Services, in charge of Sales and Marketing for the South East Asia Region. In the 10 years he spent in Asia, he also served as Managing Director for Blackberry Singapore and Microsoft Director for Professional Services division in Singapore. In 2018, Charles relocated back to France as an entrepreneur and investor and became the CEO of CETRAFACT, a specialised SaaS company, and CEO of Palo IT for the EMEA Region. He joined Harel Mallac in October 2022.

YANNIS FAYD’HERBE

MANAGING DIRECTOR – MCFI GROUP

Yannis Fayd’herbe has a degree with majors in Economics and Industrial Psychology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Organisation & Management from the University of Cape Town and is an alumnus of the ESSEC General Management Program. Between 1999 and 2019, he held various positions in the textile industry, first in sales and marketing, then as CEO of N. Bellstedt & Co (Pty) Ltd (South Africa), Managing Director of KASA Textile & Co Ltd (2012-2017) and of Labelling Industries Ltd, Berque Ltee, Narrow Fabrics Ltd in Mauritius and of Labeltex SARL and LabelMada Ltee in Madagascar (2013-2019). Yannis joined MCFI in June 2019.

LAURENT GORDON GENTIL

GROUP HEAD OF HUMAN CAPITAL

Laurent holds a BSC in Management and Human Resource (HR) Management from Curtin University (Australia), as well as an MSc in Professional Human Resources from BPP University (London). After working in various sectors namely BPO, engineering and manufacturing, Laurent worked for the Terra group as HR Manager - Projects and Services (2011-2015) before moving to the Medine Group in 2015 as Group HR Manager. He joined Harel Mallac in January 2021.

CHRISTINE NGUYEN THAC

GROUP HEAD OF FINANCE

Christine Nguyen Thac graduated from HEC (Paris) and holds a C.E.M.S. Master from the Community of European Management Schools. She worked for more than 20 years with multinational corporations such as ExxonMobil, Procter & Gamble, and Rio Tinto Alcan, leading business and finance controlling. From June 2014 to January 2017, she served as General Manager Finance of the Food & Beverages cluster of the Currimjee Group in Mauritius. Christine joined Harel Mallac in February 2017. She became the Group Head of Finance in January 2020.

NIVEJITA RAMBAJUN

GROUP HEAD OF LEGAL AFFAIRS AND COMPLIANCE

Nivejita is the holder of Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Mauritius and a Graduate Diploma in Law from the Leeds Beckett University. Following her studies, Nivejita joined Barclays Bank in Mauritius, where she spent over 10 years within the Indian Ocean legal team, before moving to the legal department of SBM Bank Mauritius in 2018. Nivejita joined Harel Mallac Group in March 2021.

CHRISTIAN YONG KIANG YOUNG

GENERAL MANAGER – PROJECTS AND INVESTMENT

Christian Yong Kiang Young is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the London School of Economics, UK. He was at MoneyGram from September 2009 to September 2015, with the last posting being Director -International Accounting & Reporting, and at KPMG from September 2002 until his last working day as Audit Manager in July 2009. In October 2015, he joined Harel Mallac as Group Financial Controller and accepted the challenge of managing the Group’s projects and investments portfolio in August 2016.