Presence 09 – Editorial

As the pages of this magazine unfold, we narate the story of the entire Group through its involvement in various sectors, including a pioneering role in aviation, tourism and leisure; a well-entrenched position in golf, which is expected to further improve with the development of a second course in Bel Ombre. Reaffirming the value and importance of agriculture and leading a foray in wealth management for private clients are also new chapters of our story.

Albert Einstein rightly noted that “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” Even today, he proves right those visionaries within the Group who made bold bets on the future. Building a business means leveraging existing parameters and taking inspiration from the dreams and vision that were spelled out decades earlier.

However, we face forces that extend beyond our own actions and we must ensure a well-planned, sustainable long-term development of our activities. A development that encourages us to understand the needs of our markets and clients; inspires innovation and addresses technological complexity while remaining the guardian of traditional knowledge; draws upon our various, but not inexhaustible resources in a reasonable manner; and integrates strategy and performance to create value, while constantly reflecting on the social impact of our business activities.

Society’s expectations of businesses have increased in 2019 and they are probably far greater than they were in 1899. We are actually at crossroads. As such, we are more than ever driven to expand our core purpose and act in the best interests of the community, employees or the environment as much as those of shareholders and customers. Mapping out our strategic plan for the next four years in the earlier months of this financial year has enabled us to reaffirm our raison d’être and vision to “co-create” the future.

We have committed to a continuous improvement process by driving and ensuring the harmonious integration of sustainability principles into the Group’s culture. An example I would like to mention is our Bel Ombre territory, which can be viewed in many ways as a microcosm of our island. Our approach to the region’s growth includes sustainable business development and the preservation of the area’s inherent qualities and exceptional character. We are now more than ever determined to redevelop agriculture, add value to the region’s agricultural, culinary, historical or cultural products.

This is how our activities in the South-West of the island flourish, in a state of equilibrium between the past and the future. In November, Agrïa, the brand that replaces the Compagnie Sucrière de Bel Ombre, was launched with a view to address our plans for the future. This is how we evolve, and this how all our stakeholders in Bel Ombre and within each subsidiary of the Rogers Group have evolved during the past 120 years.