Arnaud Lagesse: It’s hard to believe it’s already been ten years! Especially because in many ways, it feels like we’re just getting started. Since 2021, our Beyond Borders strategy has helped us achieve remarkable growth. We’ve gone from a Mauritian group to a regional player: one that moves fast, is much more strategic, diverse and multicultural. But we live by the same values as we always have. This refresh was a way to put them front and centre again, and to make sure that our purpose reflects the impact we want to have.
Patrice Robert: Exactly. This project came at a key moment. We’re entering a new phase of Beyond Borders that focuses on strengthening what we’ve built and creating lasting ecosystems across the region. Wherever we operate, our goal is to generate long-term value for both businesses and communities. The brand refresh ensures our message matches our regional ambitions and stays true to our DNA.
Arnaud Lagesse: Growth brings change, and with it, the need to reflect on who we are as a Group and what truly drives us. That reflection helped us identify three defining traits. First, our heritage. We’re a family-founded group built on shared values, accountability and trust, with 40,000 people who form the wider IBL team. Second, our business has a dual nature: we’re both hands-on operators and active investors. We understand what’s happening on the ground while keeping a long-term, strategic view of what drives growth.
Patrice Robert: And finally, our approach to regionalisation – what we call being “local, internationally.” In every territory we enter, we work with deeply rooted local partners who help us understand the context and realities on the ground. This allows us to bring in our international expertise, high standards of governance, and quality control, while adapting to each market’s specific needs. It’s this balance that enables us to build resilient, value-creating businesses over the long term.
Patrice Robert: They’re the same values that have always driven us, repackaged in a simple, memorable way. Truth reminds us to communicate with honesty; it is the very foundation of trust. Trust is about consistency between what we say and what we do, always and in the long term. And Together captures a belief that progress only happens collectively.
Arnaud Lagesse: These aren’t just words to us. Together has always been part of our brand and it’s now at the heart of our purpose: “Shaping better lives and better tomorrows. Together.” To some, it might sound like an empty promise. But to us, it’s how we really work and how we build long-term relationships with our people, partners, clients, shareholders and communities.
Arnaud Lagesse: We work in retail, distribution, healthcare, insurance, real estate, hospitality, logistics and more. Our businesses impact millions of people every day. So our purpose reminds us that while performance is important, real success is defined by the impact we have on people’s lives and the value we create and protect, now and in the future. Patrice Robert: Our purpose lives through our people. They are our greatest asset. How do you sustain that shared culture, especially as IBL has doubled in size in just a few years?
Patrice Robert: IBL today is a mosaic of businesses, cultures and geographies, yet we remain a single family with a common ambition: to excel in everything we do. The GREAT Academy has been essential in shaping that culture by defining and embedding our standards across the Group, while helping our people grow their skills and confidence. Since its launch, we’ve seen genuine transformation: more initiative, more leadership, more pride.
Patrice Robert: IBL today is a mosaic of businesses, cultures and geographies, yet we remain a single family with a common ambition: to excel in everything we do. The GREAT Academy has been essential in shaping that culture by defining and embedding our standards across the Group, while helping our people grow their skills and confidence. Since its launch, we’ve seen genuine transformation: more initiative, more leadership, more pride.
Our purpose lives through our people. They are our greatest asset.
Arnaud Lagesse: Beyond that, our People department continues to build on our talent strategy, helping attract the right people and ensuring they grow in their roles, move within the Group and build meaningful careers with us. Our success comes from our people. To everyone helping us bring IBL’s purpose to life – thank you.
What we mean by shaping better lives and better tomorrows
Discover the stories in our latest together magazine.
Discover the stories in our latest together magazine.
