K. R. Ravindran honoured for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

One of Sri Lanka’s respected business leaders and the only Sri Lankan to head the Rotary Global as Rotary International President based in Chicago - K. R. Ravindran was recognized as Top 10 champions of Diversity by WIM /IFC (member of World Bank) in Sri Lanka for his role played in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in Rotary and his workplace.   

Ravindran co-founded Printcare Plc with the late Merrill J Fernando nearly 40 years ago. Printcare is one of South Asia’s highly respected, diversified printing and packaging companies with multiple manufacturing plants in Sri Lanka, India, and Africa. Printcare is also well known in the industry as a sought-after employer. It promotes DEI strongly, offers several worker-friendly schemes, employs physically and mentally challenged people, and works with and supports the schools and community around its plants.   

Ravindran thanked the Women in Management team, for their unwavering dedication to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at a time especially when such values are being questioned and regrettably scaled back in some parts of the world.   

“In the U.S., for instance, leading companies like Walmart, John Deere, Ford, and Harley Davidson have recently reduced or halted their DEI initiatives, citing financial pressures and maybe current political trends. In contrast, companies in Sri Lanka remain steadfast in their commitment to creating a genuinely respectful workplace, fostering a space where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered and where differences are celebrated as strengths, said K. R. Ravindran who has also been featured on the cover of the worldwide-circulating printing magazine Heidelberg News.   

Ravindran is the first Sri Lankan and 11th Asian to serve as the global head of the Chicago-based Rotary International. He subsequently served as the Chairman of the Board of the $3 billion Rotary Foundation.   

Ravindran has an impressive track record of service to our country through Rotary. He has been personally instrumental in channelling millions of dollars of philanthropy funds into worthwhile projects in the education and health sectors. He has met with many Heads of State, including Pope Francis and then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. Ravindran serves on many boards and charitable Trusts.   

A leader with courage and the ability to take risks, he championed the establishment of a task force between the Government of Sri Lanka, UNICEF, and Rotary to eradicate Polio.

He influenced Rotary to fund a significant part of Sri Lanka’s polio vaccine requirements. He worked with UNICEF to negotiate a cease-fire between the government and the LTTE, enabling the immunization of children against polio across the country.   

Sri Lanka became one of the first countries in Asia to become polio-free. Subsequently, he led the Rotary project to build 23 new schools in the country, which the tsunami had destroyed. The project cost US $12 million, and Rotary completed it in three years. One of the schools won the Geoffrey Bawa award.   

He played a major role in setting up the National Cancer Detection Centre and continues to serve as its ambassador, especially in bringing together investors and partners. The centre has screened over 100,000 women free of charge and is now expanding to screen individuals for cervical cancer. Sri Lanka hopes to become the first country in the world to eradicate cervical cancer by 2030.   

In the COVID-19 environment, he led the Rotary Sri Lanka project to upgrade the MRI.   

During the recent economic crisis in the country, he persuaded the Rotary International Board to make a one-time exception to enable the use of the Rotary brand in a unique joint programme with UNICEF to fund lifesaving medical supplies to Sri Lanka with funds which Rotary members predominantly raised across the world.   

The University of Korea conferred him with a doctorate. The Government conferred on him the title of Sri Lanka Sikhamani (Jewel of Sri Lanka) and released a postage stamp to honour him.