Rami Ranger, Baron Ranger

Raminder Singh Ranger MBE
Born	1947
Other names	Rami Ranger
Occupation	Company Director

Raminder Singh Ranger MBE is an entrepreneur and social and political reformer. His business interests span from his principal company, Sun Mark Ltd, which is an international marketing and distribution company, but he also has companies and business interests in diverse fields ranging from shipping to beverage manufacturing to property development. His company, Sun Mark, is the only company to have been awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise for five years running and he has now been honoured by the Queen on seven occasions. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Sea Air and Land Forwarding Ltd, also a Queens Award for Export winner.

Early life

Ranger was born in July 1947 in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan) – two months after the death of his father, Shaheed Nanak Singh of Multan (now in Pakistan). He has seven brothers and a sister. Shaheed Nanak Singh was fiercely against India’s partition and advocated that all should consider themselves to be Indians first and then only go for choosing the religion of their liking for peace of mind. He was killed while trying to save the lives of 600 students of DAV School, Multan (now in Pakistan) who had become caught up in religious riots. Though he could not save his own life, the students were saved. Inheriting the principles of his father, Ranger constantly puts his efforts to unite the Indians and Pakistanis living in the UK as he feels that the internecine effects of their enmity has been adversely impacting their cordiality so vital for their mutual benefits and peace between India and Pakistan and their new homeland, Britain.

Since the family had migrated to Patiala in the Punjab state of India during India’s historic partition, Ranger was given admission in Modern School Patiala. After the completion of his school education, he went to Mohindra College, Patiala and then obtained a B.A. degree from the Govt. College Chandigarh. He was brought up by his mother, a courageous and hard working lady who was a teacher and had to struggle hard to take care of her family and ensure good education for her children and get them married in good families. However, it was quite an arduous task for her to pull on such a large family by fulfilling all their necessities and that’s why there came a moment when Ranger had to discontinue his studies after reaching the UK where he had gone to study Bar at Law in May 1971. Ranger acquaints: “Due to unfavorable financial condition I could not complete my education and decided to take up job to earn money so that I can complete my studies. Regrettably, I could not fulfill my dream until today”.

Business Philosophy & Achievements

Ranger started his first business in 1987 with just £2 capital from a shed. Ranger’s first business was of shipping cargo by sea, air and land. Now he owns two huge companies which are doing enormous business under his dynamic leadership. Today Ranger is the Chairman of Sun Mark Ltd and Sea Air & Land Forwarding Ltd. Both of his companies received the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement 1999 and the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013. When Ranger was asked about his business ethics that made him such a successful biz titan, he answered: “My work ethics are simple. I only succeed when my customers succeed. I work hard for the success of my customers which ultimately becomes my own success”.

• Rami Ranger was awarded the IOD Director of the Year award 2012 – large company for London and South East region.
• Rami was subsequently awarded the IOD Director of the year for a Large Company for the whole of the UK at the IOD Annual Awards dinner in October 2013.;.
• In June 2014, Rami Ranger was awarded the Global Icon Award for International Trade & Enterprise by Skilltree, which advises educational institutions all over the world.
• On 18 July 2014, . Rami Ranger was presented 5th Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP
• On 5 November 2014 Rami Ranger was named the Man of the Year at the GG2 Leadership Awards in London with the award presented by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. David Cameron. In his speech David Cameron singled out Dr Ranger as an example of how people can assimilate into British society and become highly successful and a role model for others.
• In February 2015 Rami was made a Freeman of the City of London in recognition of his charitable work and his support for British trade and industry.
• On 10 July 2015, Rami was awarded the Corbett Keeling Lifetime Achievement Award by Family Business Place at the Red Ribbon Awards 2015.
• Rami received the Diversity Award at the House of Lords from the World Peace and Prosperity Foundation for his contribution to bringing together the numerous communities living in the UK.
• He received the Turkish Community Award for his contribution to the Turkish Community in the UK and for strengthening their ties with the UK
• He received award for his support and contribution to the British Curry Industry from BCA (Bangladesh Caterers Associations)on 22nd November 2015.

Social and political work

Ranger is the Chairman of the British Sikh Association. This was set up to stop the extremist Sikh organizations from representing the Sikh point of view in Britain. He has vigorously argued with these extremist organizations that the Sikhs were created to defend the unity, integrity and the basic human rights of every Indian and not to break her up. When Sikh Gurus never claimed a separate kingdom for themselves, then why should their followers demand a kingdom for themselves?

Education, charity and helping the underprivileged

in November 2012, Rami Ranger was asked to join the Princes Trust Enterprise Fellowship. The Fellowship is a collective of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs which works to enable The Prince’s Trust to reach young people and to pass on their experience and expertise to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Ranger is already a patron of the Princes Trust and not only helps financially but takes out time to deliver talks to children and youths from underprivileged backgrounds to share with them his story and experiences. He explains how he rose from being a refugee with no father and only an honest and noble spirited mother to raise him and seven siblings in a society where there was no welfare system and you could only succeed if you worked hard. His message is one of hope and accomplishment through honest means and that if you have the right approach to work and life then anyone can succeed.

Ranger also delivers lectures to MBA students to help inspire them and has received considerable appreciation for his honest approach and has himself been described as a "scholar of good sense". He recently lectured at Herfordshire University of Herfordshire and was recently asked to present degree awards to graduates for 2012.

Rami Ranger recently donated £250,000 to The London Southbank University to help support and inspire student and graduates to engage in business.

Rami donated £40,000 to the University of West London towards a new group pavilion in the campus library to enhance the facilities for the university students.

Rami is a patron of the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust which was set up to erect a statue in Parliament Square in Britain. Rami firmly believes that the world owes a debt of gratitude to the memory and teaching of Mahatma Gandhi and donated £100,000 to the foundation to keep alive his memory.

Ranger set up the Shaheed Nanak Singh Foundation with the mission statement of "To work in unity with all communities within the United Kingdom whilst respecting their cultural ethnicity and religious beliefs in order to overcome barriers, promote greater social cohesion and responsibility, and create wealth for the improvement of everyone and the objectives of: Promote a fuller participation in our social, political and economic life so that there is a recognised connection with, and a stake in the United Kingdom; Support, honour and acknowledge all those who work for inter faith tolerance and community cohesion; Use trade to overcome barriers between communities, promote mutual respect, trust and interdependency.

The foundation also holds an annual lecture in India promoting peace, acceptance of different cultures and religion so that varying communities may live side by side in harmony. The first lecture was held at the Punjabi University, Patiala, India in 2008.

As part of the Annual Memorial Lecture the foundation recognizes people who have supported peace and inter community harmony for India. The recipient of the "Soul of India" award for 2013 was the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of India, Mr Salman Kurshid.

Additional achievements, positions and honours

In the Queen's Birthday Honours 2005 Ranger was appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to British Business and the Asian Community.