Raymond Houbert: 37 years of passion, passing on knowledge and resilience

After 37 years at KFC Mauritius, Raymond Houbert is preparing to close an important chapter in his working life. As Head of Operations, he has helped the company evolve, seen working methods change, teams grow and new challenges emerge. Yet when he sums up his career, figures and results are not the first things he mentions.

He chooses three words: “Passion, passing on knowledge and resilience.” Passion, because staying in the same industry for almost four decades takes a deep love of the job. Raymond also speaks of his attachment to his teams, his desire to understand people, support them and give them the means to grow.

Passing on knowledge has been central to his career. Over the years, he has trained many colleagues and recognised potential in some that they had yet to see in themselves. How does he recognise a future leader? Not simply by their results, but above all by how they respond to failure. “I look for the person who tries to understand what went wrong, who asks what they could have done differently, instead of making excuses,” he explains. Curiosity matters too. Raymond values people who want to learn beyond their own role, ask questions and are never content with what they already know.

His approach to leadership rests on a simple principle: respect. “Respect does not come automatically. You earn it every day.” For him, a manager cannot expect respect without first showing it to their teams. This principle has shaped both his leadership and the way he supports people through difficult times.

Among the memories that still make him smile, one holds a special place: bringing deaf colleagues who do not use speech into KFC’s operations. The project initially raised many questions and met with considerable scepticism. Raymond was nevertheless determined to move it forward. “Looking back, I have no regrets about insisting.” The initiative says a great deal about how he sees people: looking beyond apprehensions and perceived limitations to explore what can be made possible.

Raymond has also navigated many changes. Today, he sees digitalisation and the arrival of artificial intelligence as one of the most significant transformations. In his view, the real challenge is the speed of change. In restaurants, teams sometimes have to adopt new tools almost overnight. As that pace accelerates, he remains committed to an essential quality: humility. “There is nothing wrong with saying, ‘I don’t know.’”