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. He had to start life in the new country in a highly traumatised condition, alone.[4][5][6][7]
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]
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.”
