I recently attended an International meet where I heard African leaders wondering at and praising the Mauritian achievements. Rome was not built in one day, if it were, the bricks weren’t. In the pre-independence years, we thought we were moving; since we did not know where we were going, we felt satisfied: because every road would lead us there.
Late Jose Poncini, paraphrasing Sam Walton of Wal Mart, confided to me once that capital for development isn’t scarce. Vision is. A man with sight but without vision is pathetic.
Our insularity takes a heavy toll on us. We believe we are the centre of the world. We are like the the kunwen ka menda, which Bill Gates translates that we are like the frog at the bottom of the well and believe that the universe is the size of the top of the well.
People like Danny Giraud have the art of seeing things invisible to most of us common mortals. They create a vision and strive relentlessly to its completion.
Danny, married to Elizabeth Vigier de Latour, and father of three lovely daughters, holds a Masters in Management and has successively been Assistant General Manager of Raffray Brothers Ltd, Director of Nounours France, AGM and subsequently CEO of Floreal Group with a labour force of 25,000 and 20 outlets of Harris Wilson is now CEO of Medine Group, a pillar of the Mauritian economy involved in such activities as property development, Hotels, Education Hub, Leisure, Trade and Training. In all Danny has been a director in at least 12 Chaebols big companies and still has time left for sports and social work. Don’t you feel sorry for his family?
« It’s the economy, stupid ». How many times have you heard that sentence? In fact, a nation is predominantly, among other things, its economic force. Danny Giraud has recently been elevated to GOSK for contribution in business development, the promotion of sports and in the social field.
There are so many things to say about Danny but let me stress on his innovation and modernization sides to fulfil our ambition as a nation. If we tread along the beaten tracks, we will be 2016 incompatible and will deceive the young job seekers. So Danny has launched his gigantic project in Medine in line with the design of the nation. One does not have be a rocket scientist to see that this futuristic enterprise will have the potential of transforming Mauritius into a middle income land.
Let us congratulate this great Mauritian who believes in his country and tell him that we are proud of this innovator whose enterprise will usher a new future to the coming generation.