ABOUT US
Here for good
Serving our commercial, corporate and institutional clients with their banking needs in our footprint markets, Europe, the Americas Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Who we are and what we do
We are a leading bank with presence in over 50 countries around the world. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good. With more than 86,000 employees and a presence in 60 countries and territories in Europe and Americas (E&A), Asia, the Middle East and Africa, our network serves customers in close to 150 markets worldwide. We’re listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges. Click here for more
Standard Chartered in Mauritius
Standard Chartered Mauritius was established in 2002, providing commercial, corporate and institutional banking products and services to a select number of large multinational corporates and financial institutions. Leveraging Standard Chartered’s vast geographical network, local market knowledge and expertise, our team is able to support our clients with their banking needs across our strategic footprint of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, using Mauritius as an international financial centre.
Board of Directors
Julie Browne
Non-Executive Director
Julie Browne is an accomplished corporate banker with more than 40 years’ experience gathered from working in a range of different roles within corporate and institutional banking for major international banks in London, South East Asia and Africa. She joined Standard Chartered Group in January 2005 and occupied various roles including Senior Credit Officer and Head, Policy & Process. She is currently appointed as Chief Credit Officer, Africa and her responsibilities include leading a team of credit managers responsible for the evaluation and approval of credit exposures to large and medium sized corporate clients across Africa, periodic portfolio analysis and stress testing, providing input into risk appetite and other risk and portfolio management tools, product governance and engagement with regulators.
Yuvraj Thacoor
Independent Non-Executive Director & Chairman of Audit Committee
Yuvraj is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Independent Non-Executive Director & Chairman of Audit Committee, a member of the British Institute of Management and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (ACiArb). He is licensed as an auditor and an insolvency practitioner and he is a member of the Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants. Yuvraj is the Managing Director of Quantuma Mauritius and Thacoor Advisory Services Ltd following his retirement from Grant Thornton where he served as Managing Partner from October 1999 to July 2016. Prior to that, he was an audit partner at PwC Mauritius. In his last two years at Grant Thornton, Yuvraj served as Regional Head – Member Firm Development Team for Grant Thornton International in Africa.
Bongiwe Gangeni
Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board on 20th December 2024, Bongiwe is a seasoned senior executive with over 20 years banking experience. She is currently Head, Wealth and Retail Banking for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for Standard Chartered Bank where she is responsible for setting and delivering strategy, commercial outcomes and risk management across nine markets. Before joining Standard Chartered Bank, Bongiwe worked at ABSA bank where she held various positions including Deputy Group Chief Executive, Retail and Business Bank with direct accountability for Relationship Banking (Business Bank, Private and Wealth Segments as well as the Financial Advisory unit). She has attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). Bongiwe studied for a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of the Witwatersrand for her undergraduate.
Firuza Karimova
Chief Information Security Officer for Core Technology and Functions
Firuza Karimova is a senior cyber security leader with over 20 years of international experience in information security, technology risk, and cyber resilience across the financial services sector. As Chief Information Security Officer for Core Technology and Functions at Standard Chartered Bank, Firuza is responsible for shaping cyber security strategy, strengthening governance and risk management, and supporting the secure delivery of critical business and technology services. Previously, Firuza held senior roles at Standard Chartered and Credit Suisse, leading global security transformation programmes and building robust defences against cyber threats. Firuza is recognised for their strategic mindset and ability to bridge business and technology priorities, with deep expertise in cyber risk management, security architecture, regulatory compliance, and organisational transformation. Firuza holds a Master of Arts in Applied Translation Studies from London Metropolitan University and a BA (Hons) in English Language from Bukhara State University. Fluent in Uzbek, Russian, Persian, and English, Firuza combines technical excellence with a global perspective and a passion for fostering a strong security culture that enables innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth.
Executive Committee
Abrar A. Anwar
Chief Executive Officer and Head of Banking and Coverage
Abrar was appointed Chief Executive Officer (Group Chief Executive) and Executive Director of Standard Chartered Mauritius in April 2023. Prior to joining the Mauritius franchise, Abrar was Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Malaysia from 2017 to 2022. Abrar has over 30 years of experience in corporate and investment banking that has taken him to countries such as India, the UK and Bangladesh, where he first joined the Bank in 2011 as Head of Corporate and Institutional Clients. He was later appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bangladesh in 2015. Prior to joining Standard Chartered Bangladesh, he was the Managing Director and Head of Global Corporate and Commercial Banking at Citibank NA in Bangladesh as well as Head of Specialist Finance and Advisory Services at ANZ Grindlays Bank. He holds an MBA degree from Bangladesh’s premier business school, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA).
Danny Balluck
Chief Financial Officer, Mauritius & Southern Africa and Executive Director
Danny Balluck joined Standard Chartered Bank Mauritius as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director in February 2014 and has over 25 years’ experience in various sectors of the Mauritian economy including banking and investment. Danny is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK and Member of the Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Mauritius Institute of Directors and current Chairman of the Financial Reporting Monitoring Panel of the Financial Reporting Council of Mauritius and alternate Director at the Mauritius Bankers Association.
Nashreen Rojoa
Head of Legal and Company Secretary
Nashreen, a qualified barrister with 14 years of experience in the banking sector, joined Standard Chartered Mauritius in 2024. Nashreen specialises in banking, international corporate and commercial law, compliance, company secretarial matters, and corporate governance. Prior to joining Standard Chartered, Nashreen worked at BCP Bank (Mauritius) Ltd and SBI (Mauritius) Ltd. Nashreen holds an LLM in International Corporate & Commercial Law from King’s College London and an LLB from the University of Buckingham and was called to the UK Bar in 2007 and Mauritius Bar in 2008.
Keshow Khulputeea
Chief Technology and Operations Officer
Keshow Khulputeea joined Standard Chartered Bank in 2003 and has over 30 years’ experience in the banking industry. In his various roles in Operations and Technology, have been key responsibilities in the transformation agenda, operational excellence, digitisation, efficiency, risk reduction, and client satisfaction, amongst others. In addition to his governance responsibilities, Keshow also oversees the cash operations function for the Bank’s Southern Africa countries. Keshow holds a Degree and MBA in Financial Services from the University of Mauritius.
Ayaz Panchoo
Head of Audit Mauritius and Group Regulatory Reporting West
Ayaz Panchoo is a fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). He has over 20 years proven financial services experience, both locally and internationally, with 13 years in senior management roles, demonstrating in-depth knowledge of Risk Management, Compliance and Auditing in the banking industry.
Safia Timol
Chief Compliance Officer
Safia Timol holds a Bachelor of Science Honours in Politics with Economics from the University of Bath and a Masters in Capital Markets, Regulation and Compliance from the University of Reading. She has over 12 years of experience in Compliance and Financial crime across various markets namely the UK, UAE, and Mauritius. Safia started her career in 2011 as a Compliance Analyst at Standard Chartered Bank, London in the Group Regulatory Compliance function catering for UK and Europe. In 2014, she joined Standard Chartered Bank, Mauritius as Regulatory Compliance Manager supporting the Head of Compliance. In August 2018, she was appointed as Chief Compliance Officer.
Stephen Gomba
Head, Human Resources
Stephen was appointed Head of Human Resources of Standard Chartered Mauritius in May 2023. Stephen joined Standard Chartered in Zimbabwe in 1997 where he held various roles in Operations and Finance before transitioning to the Human Resources function. In 2021, he was appointed Head of Human Resources in Zimbabwe. He holds a professional qualification from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Zimbabwe (ICSAZ).
Koomara Singaravelloo
Country Chief Risk Officer
Koomara Singaravelloo has 22 years of experience in the banking sector in Mauritius with previous experience at Standard Bank Mauritius (6 years in Risk, IT and Operations) and HSBC (2 years in Operations). Since joining Standard Chartered Bank (Mauritius) in 2011, Koomara has performed various role starting from Operations (including first line risk management) before moving into Second Line Operational Risk at Country and Southern Africa level. Since October 2024, Koomara is double hatting as Africa Cluster Head and Country Head of Operational, Technology and Cybers Risk (OTCR). Koomara is part of the Group OTCR Leadership team and the Africa Risk Leadership team. Part of this role, Koomara oversees the 20 OTCR staff across the 10 markets in Africa.
Annick Meerun
Head, Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing
Annick was appointed Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing of Standard Chartered Mauritius in June 2026. Annick is a seasoned communications and public relations specialist, with over 15 years’ experience in the Banking sector. Previously, she worked at HSBC Mauritius, where she spent over a decade in Communications. Annick also worked with Barclays Bank Mauritius and in media as a journalist, editor and reporter.