Christine Sauzier started her legal career with a 15 year period in the Mauritian judiciary where she was a partner in the Etude Lagesse-Sauzier law firm. Her time in private practice was spent accumulating experience in corporate and company law matters but she also covered fields such as labour law, family law and administrative law.

Sauzier joined CIEL Capital’s Ltd investment management team in November 2006 as legal executive, consequently setting up the internal legal department upon arrival with a specific focus on the finance cluster of the group. Soon after her arrival Sauzier launched and started managing CIEL’s first private equity fund, namely Kibo Fund. Explaining its success, Sauzier states: ‘Kibo I is now reaching the end of its ten year life, allowing me to be involved and follow closely all investments and exits made by the fund as well as shareholder issues during the lives of the investments and with investors in the fund. A second fund has since been launched, The Kibo Fund II’.

In January 2010, Sauzier was promoted to head of legal affairs for the Group and set up a legal department where she is supported by a team of three barristers who she recruited and trained to work with her in a ‘fully-fledged and operational legal department for the whole group’. She advises Group companies on compliance, deal structuring and shareholder matters, while also liaising with international and local lawyers in drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts and other legal documents.

She has also been instrumental in dealings with the regulators like the Bank of Mauritius, the Financial Services Commission and with the Stock Exchange of Mauritius. Sauzier has been involved in various mergers and acquisitions transactions for the Group with exposure to diverse industries like banking, hotels, property, healthcare, private equity, textile, agro business and fiduciary. Most recently, Sauzier worked on the MUR 700m acquisitions of a new hospital in Mauritius, previously known as Apollo Bramwell Hospital and now rebranded as Wellkin. She has also been involved in cross border deals in various countries notably in sub-Saharan Africa, Indian Ocean and Asia and creating partnerships with famous international brands such as the Four Seasons and the Shangri-La, and Fortis International, one of the top healthcare players in India.