Roy Ratnavel

Roy Ratnavel
Ratnavel in 2020
Born	1969 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Alma mater	University of Toronto
Website	www.royratnavel.com

Roy Ratnavel is a Sri Lankan Tamil Canadian business executive and the author of the book Prisoner #1056 . ^{[1] [2]}

He was a Vice Chairman and served as the Head of Distribution and Executive Vice-President at the CI Financial. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Early life

Ratnavel was born in 1969 in Colombo, Sri Lanka and brought up in Point Pedro, a small town in the northern part of Jaffna Peninsula during the Sri Lankan Civil War. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}

He was arrested during Operation Liberation just for being a Tamil on suspicion and became a political prisoner at the age of 17 and underwent severe hardships at the prison in brutal and oppressive ways. After his miraculous release from prison, he reached Canada at the age of 18 with just $50 in his pocket. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Two days after arriving, his father was shot and killed by the Indian Army, during their mission in Sri Lanka. He had to start life in the new country in a highly traumatised condition, alone. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}

Education

Ratnavel's secondary education was at Hartley College. Ratnavel completed his high school while working. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}

Career

Ratnavel started his career with an entry-level job in CI Financial’s mailroom and subsequently rose to senior leadership positions as an executive vice president and later as a vice chairman and then retired after serving more than 30 years at CI Financial. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [3]}

Awards and recognition

Best Executive Awards by The Globe and Mail

Ratnavel is one of the award recipients among 50 Canadian Best Executives in 2020; they led their companies through COVID-19 and built a better country in the process. The recipients were vetted by The Globe and Mail editors. ^[1]

Bibliography

Ratnavel’s Prisoner #1056 narrates his immigrant story, fleeing from torture and imprisonment, arriving in Canada with $50 in his pocket, and then rising from the mailroom to the executive suite. ^[7]

Brian Mulroney, former Prime Minister of Canada noted on Prisoner #1056; ^[7]

“Millions of people fleeing countries less fortunate have found here in Canada a refuge from mistrust and hatred and violence which has allowed them to achieve their potential in the rich soil of our freedom. Roy’s life is one such story. While Roy’s remarkable personal journey is unique to him, reading his book one cannot help but hear a familiar refrain that will resonate with millions of Canadians, because at its core it is the story of the immigrant experience. And in the final analysis, we are all children of immigrants.”

• Ratnavel, Roy (2023), Prisoner #1056, Viking Canada, ISBN   978-0-7352-4572-3

Philanthropy

In May 2025, Roy Ratnavel and his wife, Sue Nathan, donated $1 million to the Scarborough Health Network Foundation to support inpatient mental health services at Birchmount Hospital. The donation, part of the "Love, Scarborough" campaign, aims to improve access to culturally sensitive and stigma-free mental health care for Scarborough’s diverse population. Ratnavel, a former political prisoner and civil war survivor from Sri Lanka, cited his personal experiences with trauma as motivation for supporting mental health initiatives. ^[10]

References

1. "Canada's 50 Best Executives 2020: They led their companies through COVID-19 and built a better country in the process". The Globe and Mail . October 30, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
2. "CI Investments introduces private pools". Investment Executive . October 30, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
3. "CI GAM distribution head to retire 30+ years after joining firm's mailroom". Wealth Professional. June 6, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
4. Ratnavel, Roy (18 April 2023). Prisoner #1056. ISBN   9780735245723 . Retrieved January 5, 2023.
5. "Inspired By Father's Day Again". Colombo Telegraph . June 17, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
6. "From Civil War To Corporate Success, Roy Ratnavel Shares His Story Of Overcoming Adversity And Pain". tamilculture. March 15, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
7. "Prisoner #1056". Penguin Random House . Retrieved January 5, 2023.
8. "Roy Ratnavel: Escaping Sri Lanka's civil war, and finding a new home". National Post . March 11, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
9. "Sri Lankan migrants reach out to Canadian Tamils". The Globe and Mail . October 20, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
10. "Sue Nathan and Roy Ratnavel Donate $1 Million to Scarborough Health Network to Support Mental Health". CNW Group . May 24, 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2025.