Great teaching enables people to do things which will change the world
and that brings us to an important moment in this ceremony
when we come to recognise someone who has gone on to do things that really do change the world
and we recognise someone's exceptional achievement through the conferment of an honorary degree
The award is this time, this morning goes to Yoganathan Ratheesan
who is to be awarded for his outstanding contribution to services to business
to entrepreneurship but also to his support to Kingston University
and I am especially delighted that we offer this award this time to a graduate of our university, I think that's rather special
So I invite Yoganathan to stand whilst Professor Richard Ennals presents you
It's a great honour to introduce you to Yoganathan Ratheesan
Yoganathan Ratheesan is owner and co-founder of Lebara Group
a highly successful telecommunications company that produces services using the mobile virtual network operator business model
He co-founded Lebara in 2001 at the age of 25 with the clear aim of transforming the international calling market
by providing ethnic and migrant communities with high quality, low cost solutions for keeping in touch with family and friends
More than 10 years on, Lebara is one of the world's fastest growing mobile companies
with some four million active customers, one thousand employees and operations in eight countries.
During this time Lebara has received a number of accolades
including being ranked as the 4th fastest growing private company in Great Britain
in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 listing in 2006
and winner of Most Innovative Service at the Mobile News Award in 2009.
In August 2012, Ratheesan took on the position of chairman of Lebara Group
after holding the position of CEO since he co-founded the company
he will now focus on the strategic development of the organisation as it builds towards it 2020 vision
of being the brand choice for 1 billion people around the world
Alongside his two friends and co-founders his next ambition is to expand their charitable venture
the 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, they plan to donate half their wealth to the foundation
Ratheesan who has recently been named Ernst and Young London and South Entrepreneur of the year 2012
Holds a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering from Kingston University
Kingston University is pleased to award Yoganathan Ratheesan with a degree of Doctor of Letters honouris causa
in recognition of his outstanding contribution to business and entrepreneurship.
Vice Chancellor, I have the honour of presenting to you Yoganathan Ratheesan for the award
By the authority vested in me, as Vice Chancellor, Kingston University
I have the honour of awarding you Yoganathan Ratheesan
the degree of Doctors Letters honouris causa
your contribution to entrepreneurship, business and your charitable works.
Congratulations, it does this university honour to have you as our graduate
I will now ask our newest graduate to address us.
Morning everyone
I'm actually going to hire Richard to do our ads you did absolutely well
Firstly let me thank my parents who are here today
and let me explain why I wanted to thank them first.
The day of my graduation at Kingston, some years ago now
I was working at a calling cards shop selling calling cards at the counter
and I had completely forgotten that it was my graduation day, so you guys have done well
So while I was at work one of my friends who I had met at Kingston
called me up and said aren't you joining us today as the ceremony
so I then rushed all the way here and I had only managed to get a photograph right at the end with an extra extra large gown
so I have managed to have a tailor made one today so thank you so much
and so that evening, my father came home after work and I told him about the ceremony
he was literally in tears with great disappointment
because he couldn't see his son graduate
and said it's the only reason I have worked so hard all my life
My mother
and father
had sold a lot of valuable possessions of theirs in order to educate me
and I had disappointed them
So I always wanted to do another degree so I can take my parents for the graduation day
so now the faculty at Kingston has now made my life a lot easier
in the fact that I don't have to embark on another degree by being here today.
So now let me thank the Vice Chancellor, Dean and the rest of the faculty at Kingston
for such an honour where I could bring my parents along and make them proud.
I hope you have all brought your parents today
unless you have an ambition of doing another degree.
I have to admit that I wasn't a model student at Kingston
I chose Aeronautical Engineering
simply because it had more numbers in it than letters
so I signed up for it.
And I am so thankful to all my lecturers I have had during my years at Kingston
for the incredible patience
to educate students like me with great passion and giving us the wisdom to face to wider world
in order to build a future not only for ourselves but also for the wider community
If it was not for their support I don't know where I would be today, so thank you again
To those of you who know my story, I'm told that I'm an entrepreneur
because I don't believe that I am an entrepreneur which is why I'm standing here before you today
and for the most part the word defines me in terms of my success and what I have achieved
and things I have built but to me my success is merely a by-product of the things that define the person that I am
the life I have been given and the choices that I have made along the way.
Lebara was founded 11 years ago by three friends
together we have built an organisation with an idea that started off with a napkin at an airport in Bergen in Norway
and today Lebara has received $1 million in revenue and have operations in over 8 countries
and it continues to grow and expand year on year.
The vision that I have for Lebara, for the brand to be the brand of choice for 1 billion people around the world by 2020
Let me explain what I mean by that because a lot of people get that wrong.
We don't mean that we want to have 1 billion customers
By 2020 the estimated world population will be 8 billion and out of that 8 billion, 1 billion people will be migrants
so our 1 billion and being brand of choice that Lebara wants to continue to focus on migrant communities around the globe.
And I know it's hard to believe but I'm a dreamer
I would like to say to all of you that if you dare to dream you are already way ahead than most of the people on this planet
because that's where it all starts, with a dream.
It not about what you know, it not about what you don't know, it about what you believe in
that's what matters anyway
Pour your heart into your dreams and drive it with conviction as people say anything is possible
as long as you put your heart and mind to it.
Learn to dream with your eyes wide open, learn to dream day and night because dreams do come true
and I'm standing in front of you.
Our parents taught us the morals and values
our teachers have given the basic academic learning
and our own experiences give us the confidence to choose the path to our future
but it is you who has to make that decision at the end of the day.
To me I wanted to apply the basic principles I have learnt from my parents and my teachers and build a company
I have done this with clear consciousness with the support of Leon and Karen
who are my friends and co-founders at Lebara.
I can tell you it has not been easy
but it has been deeply satisfying
and for that I would like to thank them and all their families for their unconditional love and support.
for those who are graduating today, along with your degree ensure that you have the right attitude
because skills can be learnt, knowledge can be acquired at any company
but your attitude can not be taught.
Congratulations first of all, but whether you got a 1st class degree or a 2.1 or 2.2 or a maybe a pass because I was one
your attitude will get you a long way in the path of succession
Your attitude is a set of characteristics that will uniquely define you
focus your energy on your strengths not on your weaknesses
because it will take a life time if you want to mend your weaknesses
so ensure that you are best in what you do and where your strengths are.
I have to confess that I am neither old enough or wise enough to give you an answer
but I want to say this
the secret to being successful is very simple
it's nothing to do with money or fame and everything with finding your purpose
and if you have the conviction to stay true to that purpose
you will possess the greatest joy and fulfilment possible.
The purpose of your life has to be far greater than your personal agenda.
As Richard said earlier yes when we started the organisation, we wanted to make money
I wanted to look after my family, I wanted to have a nice house, nice cars and the list carries on.
At some point you realise, what is enough for you?
and I can honestly admit in front of all of you that I do have more than I need
and I have been given more than I deserve
so in my point of view it's rightly so to give back.
hence why the Lebara shareholders together have given half of our shares back into the Lebara Foundation
My purpose has been re-defined which is I would love to look after 100,000 children
at any point in time before my time
meaning not just feed them but bring them on board, educate them, feed them
and give them a life so they can carry on with their future.
Today Lebara Foundation feeds over 16,000 children around the world, every single day.
So as many people ask me what is the secret behind your success
or the recipe of success and so forth
to me I no answers to give you the only thing I can say is
whatever the basic principles are
whatever that your heart leads you to do just follow them
and ensure that you don't give up while you're at it.
I would like to wish you all the very best of luck in whatever you choose to do
or wherever your path leads you to but never forget to dream.
and before I finish I would to take a few moments to say something in Tamil so my father can understand.
Thank you.