Roy Ratnavel

Roy Ratnavel is a Sri Lankan-born Tamil Canadian business executive and the author of the book Prisoner #1056.

He was a Vice Chairman and served as the Head of Distribution and Executive Vice-President at the CI Financial.

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.

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.

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.

Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award by Canadian Immigrant In 2026, Ratnavel was named one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, an annual recognition presented by Canadian Immigrant celebrating immigrants who have made significant contributions to Canada.