Ratheesan Yoganathan
| Ratheesan Yoganathan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
6 December 1975 Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| Residence | London , UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater |
Havering College, Hornchurch Kingston University(B.Sc.) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founder and Chairman of Lebara Group [1] |
| Net worth | £230 million (Sunday Times Rich List, 2015)[2] |
| Title | Chairman of Lebara Group [1] |
Ratheesan Yoganathan (born 6 December 1975) is a British entrepreneur who, with Rasiah Ranjith Leon and Baskaran Kandiah, is best known as the co-founder of Lebara Group. On August 10, 2012, he took on the role of Chairman of Lebara Group[3] and returned as CEO in March 2014. He owns about one third of the company's stock.[4] He read aeronautical engineering at Kingston University.[5]
Early life and education
Yoganathan Ratheesan was born in Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka.
Career
Ratheesan Yoganathan worked at an ICS outlet selling call-time cards. Later he managed the pricing department and worked in sales and marketing departement. At ICS, he made friends with two other Tamil colleagues, Rasiah Ranjith Leon and Baskaran Kandiah, who eventually became his business partners.[4]
Business
In 2001, Ratheesan Yoganathan, Rasiah Ranjith Leon and Baskaran Kandiah founded the Lebara Group. Yoganathan ran Lebara as the CEO till August 2012 when it hired David Moffatt who was appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective August 10, 2012. Thereafter Yoganathan became the Chairman of Lebara Group, before returning as CEO in early 2014.
Charity
Ratheesan Yoganathan along with co-founders Rasiah Ranjith Leon and Baskaran Kandiah started Lebara Foundation,[6] a charitable venture in 2005. His next big ambition is to expand Lebara Foundation, which is already building a community with homes, a school and a clinic for local and displaced children in Chennai, southern India. To fund it, he plans to donate half his wealth to the foundation.
Other interests
As a strong believer in supporting young entrepreneurial talent, Yoganathan officially launched "The Entrepreneurial Way" at Cass Business School, London, in December, 2012. The Entrepreneurial Way offers students and recent graduates since 2005, the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges - including Ratheesan Yoganathan - for investment, funding and additional support, such as mentoring. The scheme offers potential entrepreneurs practical advice on how to develop their business ideas and make them work in the real world.[7]
References
- 1 2 "Lebara appoints new CEO". Mobile Magazine.
- ↑ "Sunday Times Rich List". The Sunday Times (page 74). 26 April 2015.
- ↑ "Lebara names David Moffatt CEO and Yoganathan Ratheesan Chairman of Lebara Group" (PDF). Lebara Media. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-08-23.
- 1 2 "Series: The Friday interview". London: Guardian.co.uk.
- ↑ Juliette Garside (18 November 2011). "Lebara co-founder made virtual phone network a real money-maker". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- ↑ "Lebara Foundation Website".
- ↑ "Launch of The Entrepreneurial Way" (PDF). Lebara Media. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-12-07.
External links
- Ratheesan Yoganathan on LinkedIn
- at tamilculture.ca
- at growthbusiness.co.uk
- at Mobile Magazine
- "Lebara Charity Foundation Website"
- at londonlovesbusiness.com
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Company founded |
CEO of Lebara Group 2001–2012 |
Succeeded by David Moffatt |
| Preceded by Role Created |
Chairman of Lebara Group 2012–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |