Jump to content

Merrill J. Fernando

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by DannyS712 (talk | contribs) at 15:41, 26 July 2020 (Removing extra spaces between <ref> tags). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Deshamanya
Dr Merrill J. Fernando
Sc.D
මෙරිල් ප්‍රනාන්දු
Born
Merrill Joseph Fernando

(1930-05-06) 6 May 1930 (age 94)
Pallansena, Negombo, British Ceylon
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationMaris Stella College,
St Joseph's College, Colombo
Alma materMassey University (Sc.D)[1]
Years active1988–present
Known forFounder of Dilmah
Children2, including Dilhan
Parent(s)P Harry Fernando, Lucy Fernando
Awards
 

Merrill Joseph Fernando (born 6th May 1930), in the Negombo neighbourhood of Pallansena, British Ceylon, is the founder and former CEO of global tea company Dilmah. In 2019, Fernando stood down as CEO of Dilmah, as his son, Dilhan, was appointed the new head of the company.

Early life

Fernando was born in Pallansena, Negombo, British Ceylon in 1930. Fernando attended Maris Stella College in Negombo and Saint Joseph's College, Colombo in his youth. His first job was as a inspector for a U.S. petroleum company.[2]

Career

Fernando was one of the first Sri Lankan tea tasters to be selected to learn about tea in Mincing Lane, London. Up until this time, the prevailing colonial system did not believe Sri Lankans were capable of assessing tea as they felt they ate too much curry which would affect their assessment of the taste. However, Fernando was one of five who were selected and trained in London.[3]

It was in London that Fernando witnessed a system of colonial exploitation that treated tea producing countries as raw material suppliers whereas branding and value addition were done overseas and all profits accrued never reached the producers.[4] This greatly disturbed Fernando, who dreamed that someday he would create his own brand of tea where the producing country would receive all profits from value addition and thereby get their due recognition.[5] He wanted to bring integrity back into tea.[6][7] With this intention he became, quite literally, the “face” of his brand, his smiling persona emblazoned on tea packets around the world as he urged people: “Do try it.” He wanted to bring quality, authenticity and ethics back to tea. Fresh tea is rich in antioxidants and so he wanted to offer his consumers tea that was garden fresh handpicked and packed at its origin. Fernando strongly believed that consumers had the right to know exactly what they were drinking and so he pioneered the concept of single origin tea.[8]

Charity work

Fernando believes in the philosophy of seeing business as a matter of human service. 10% of all Dilmah profits are channelled to the MJF Charitable Foundation [9] which is working towards the dignified empowerment of underprivileged people around Sri Lanka.[10] Each year, the foundation cares for over 5,000 children in its Child Development Centres, nurtures over 1000 children through the MJF Kids, empowers women, and has created over 600 entrepreneurs through the Small Entrepreneur Programme – SEP– and uplifted the lives of countless plantation workers. These are only a few of over 100 projects the MJF Foundation implements each year.[11][12]

Sustainability

In 2007, Fernando extended his commitment to human service by establishing Dilmah Conservation www.dilmahconservation.org which focuses on working towards a more sustainable use of the environment in partnership with IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Dilmah Conservation initiative aims to foster respect for the environment and ensure its protection by encouraging a harmonious co-existence of man and nature.[13] In 2010, Fernando made a Declaration of a Core Commitment to Sustainability which expanded the Dilmah Conservation scope and scale to include initiatives in the areas of Habitat & Species Conservation – both terrestrial and marine, Ecosystems Restoration, Environmental Education and Culture & Indigenous Communities.[14] In 2016, The Merrill J. Fernando Eco Innovation Awards was initiated calling for breakthrough, purposeful proposals of well-developed concepts and working prototypes that seek to solve current national and global environmental issues in the areas of Waste, Water, Energy, Blue Economy and Biodiversity.[15] “I want to prevent the hardship of young entrepreneurs of today when I compare myself with the hardship that I went through in launching Dilmah Tea,” Fernando said at the awards ceremony.[16]

Awards & achievements

Dilmah is the first producer owned tea brand in the world and is among the top ten tea brands. Merrill with over 70 years of expertise in tea has the distinction of being the most experienced teamaker in the world today. In 2005, Dilmah received an award from the Medinge Group for its work as a Brand with a Conscience and also received a Presidential Merit Award for contribution to the preservation of the environment in the same year. On the 6th of May 2015, Fernando received the Business for Peace Award in Oslo, Norway.[17] The Business for Peace Foundation annually names honourees for the Oslo Business for Peace Award in recognition of business persons who, through their own actions and commitments truly are business worthy, promoting socially responsible and ethical business practice in an outstanding way, and standing out as examples to the world.[18] In September 2016 Merrill was honoured with the Global Businessman Award at the Ada Derana Sri Lankan of the Year 2016. The award seeks to honour and celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals/groups whose efforts have far-reaching influence on the country, positively impacting the local community and thereby help place Sri Lanka on the international limelight.

On November 30, 2016 Fernando was honoured with the FIRST Award for Responsible Capitalism and the award was presented by Philip Hammond MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, at the Royal Automobile Club, London. The Award recognises business ethics, emphasising his unique philosophy of making business a matter of human service. Fernando is the only Sri Lankan to have received this Award. The previous award winners include Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi the enormously respected CEO of PepsiCo, the Prince of Wales, and Prof. John Kay of the London School of Economics, to name a few.[19][20][21]

  • Honoured as a One of the Three Most Admired Leaders in Sri Lanka’, he was chosen for his passionate commitment to “Quality and Integrity”, and for the philosophy he established at the heart of his Dilmah Tea business. The other two “Most admired” winners were former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and businessman Sohli Captain. [a 1][a 2][a 3]
  • In 2018, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his humanitarian service from the World Association of Chefs' Societies at the Congress [b 1][b 2], followed by the 2nd highest Sri Lankan National award in August 2019; the bestowing of the title “Deshamanya”. [c 1]
  • Bringing 2019 to a close, Dilmah Founder was capped as an Honorary Doctor of Science from Massey University, New Zealand, in recognition of his strong leadership in ethical business within the food and beverage industry. [d 1][d 2][d 3][d 4]

Further reading

  • The Cup of Kindness. Dilmah Publication. 2012.
  • The Story Behind Your Cup of Tea. MJF Charitable Foundation. 2013.
  • The Teamaker (2009). Dilmah Publication.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Honorary doctorate for Dilmah Tea founder". Massey University. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  2. ^ Ind, Nicholas; Horlings, Sandra (3 March 2016). Brands with a Conscience: How to Build a Successful and Responsible Brand. Kogan Page Publishing. p. 17, 18, 19. ISBN 978 07494 7544 4.
  3. ^ http://www.asianenterprise.biz/merrill-fernando-beyond-the-tea-garden/full.html
  4. ^ http://fridaymagazine.ae/features/people/friday-talks-to-dilmah-s-founder-merrill-fernando-1.1978304
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-07-06. Retrieved 2016-01-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ http://gulfbusiness.com/pictures-new-luxury-tea-lounge-opens-in-dubai/
  7. ^ http://www.hbs.edu/businesshistory/emerging-markets/pages/profile-detail.aspx?profile=mfernando
  8. ^ http://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/Sri%20Lanka/Case%20study%201.pdf
  9. ^ http://www.mjffoundation.org
  10. ^ http://www.dilmahtea.com/tea-inspired-ebooks/free/business_is_matter_of_human_service/index.html
  11. ^ http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170226/business-times/empower-culinary-hospitality-school-receives-prestigious-worldchefs-certification-229949.html
  12. ^ http://www.ft.lk/article/600891/Empower-Culinary-and-Hospitality-School-receives-prestigious-World-Chefs-certification
  13. ^ http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Tea-veteran-wants-plantation-industry-out-of-State-control--136040.html
  14. ^ http://businessforpeace.no/meet-the-winners-merrill-joseph-fernando/
  15. ^ http://www.ft.lk/article/581614/Merrill-J.-Fernando-Eco-Innovation-Awards-rewards-creative-innovators#sthash.Xu5XcejI.dpuf
  16. ^ http://www.sundaytimes.lk/161127/business-times/merrill-j-the-entrepreneur-who-beat-all-odds-to-succeed-in-his-venture-217954.html
  17. ^ http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150412/business-times/dilmahs-merril-j-selected-as-oslo-business-for-peace-2015-honouree-143728.html
  18. ^ http://www.iccwbo.org/News/Speeches/2015/Oslo-Business-for-Peace-Awards/
  19. ^ http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=37094
  20. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSm7NIN5qRk
  21. ^ https://pressroom.dilmahtea.com/dilmah-in-news/celebrating-150-years-of-ceylon-tea-by-importing-tea--83.html
  22. ^ http://www.dilmahtea.com/tea-inspired-ebooks/free/tea_maker/index.html
  1. ^ "Merrill J. Fernando honoured as 'Most Admired Leaders in Sri Lanka'", Sunday Times
  2. ^ "Merrill J. Fernando among ‘Most Admired Leaders in Sri Lanka’", Sunday Observer,2018-09-16
  3. ^ "Merrill J. Fernando honoured as one of 'Most Admired Leaders in Sri Lanka'", The Island,2018-09-15
  1. ^ "Dilmah Tea founder honoured by World Association of Chefs’ Societies Lifetime Achievement Award", Daily FT,2018-07-17
  2. ^ "Dilmah Tea Founder honoured by World Association of Chefs’ Societies with Lifetime Achievement Award", The Island,2018-07-21
  1. ^ "National honours for Dilmah Founder", Daily FT,2019-09-03
  1. ^ "Dilmah Tea founder Merrill J Fernando to be awarded honorary doctorate by Massey University", NZ Herald,2019-11-20
  2. ^ "Honorary doctorate for Dilmah Tea founder", Massey University
  3. ^ "Merrill Fernando awarded hon. Doctorate in New Zealand", The Island,2019-12-08
  4. ^ "Dilmah founder Merrill J. Fernando awarded honorary doctorate by Kiwi University", Daily FT ,2019-12-02
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Merrill_J._Fernando&oldid=969628273"