With the Sri Lankan healthcare industry indicating immense potential for growth, particularly of the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, Rishikumar Nadarajah, Managing Director of Celogen Lanka - a trusted research-driven and quality-focused pharmaceuticals manufacturer, is resolutely guiding innovation for enhanced patient care capabilities. Leveraging his prestigious educational pedigree and extensive experiences across business verticals, Rishikumar is spearheading the evolution of the industry, envisioning a future where Sri Lanka becomes the hub for pharmaceutical research and manufacturing catering to the South Asian and Southeast Asian markets.
With his outstanding expertise, he stands today as an inspiration to many budding entrepreneurs and industry leaders, guiding them to advance through meticulous planning, approaching their careers with passion, and developing a vision that attracts success.
Building Leadership Qualities
Empowered and guided by his education in Pharmacology from Harvard University and an MBA from Cambridge, Rishikumar’s journey to his current role has been fueled by his strategic thinking skills, leadership qualities, problem-solving capabilities, decision-making prowess, conflict-resolution skills, understanding of global business practices, and innovative bent of mind.
His technical expertise of drug action, safety, and efficacy, which play a pivotal role in his current position, along with deep insights into research and development in the field, have empowered him to foster a culture of continuous learning, and develop a knack for predicting future industry trends. This skillset enables him to design business goals and objectives for driving business and company success.
Beyond theoretical expertise, Rishikumar benefitted through his work experiences in pharmaceutical research and operations, strategic management, equity analysis and capital markets research. Each position upskilled him with a unique and comprehensive set of tools which refine his decision-making, operations supervision and guidance, goal setting, and management practices today.
These experiences helped shape his career path and develop a resilient demeanor and ethical foundation that equipped him to thrive in this dynamic and competitive business landscape.
He has successfully navigated a plethora of challenges with regulatory and compliance complexities, Sri Lanka’s consistently changing policy landscape, changes to the imports and duty structures, tax regulations, labor structures, ministry directives, Central Bank policies, environmental regulations and the stringent set of guidelines imposed by the local Medicines Regulatory Authority and Global Medicines Regulatory Authorities.
“Before assuming my role as Managing Director at Celogen, I gathered a wealth of experience in various aspects in many different industries through internships and job roles. My educational and work experiences have not only provided me with a solid foundation in the technical and managerial aspects but have also instilled a leadership philosophy centered on innovation, integrity, and sustainability. This holistic preparation is instrumental in guiding Celogen towards its vision of becoming a leader in the pharmaceutical landscape”, shares Rishikumar Nadarajah, Managing Director, Celogen Lanka.
Facilitating Business Success
In navigating the complex and multifaceted challenges posed by this industry, Rishikumar draws upon his rigorous educational background in scientific principles and business fundamentals to leverage scientific innovation for the fulfillment of business goals. Furthermore, he applies these skills for managing teams, navigating the complexities of the ever-evolving regulatory and compliance requirements, and maneuvering large-scale projects by making decisions that align not only with business corporate goals, but also with patient needs.
“Leading a successful business in a challenging environment demands a vision that is both resilient and forward-thinking. This vision should be anchored in a deep understanding of the industry's dynamics, consumer needs, and macroeconomic factors. A key component of such a vision is the ability to foresee future trends and prepare the organization to navigate these. At Celogen Lanka, our vision encompasses significant investment in research and development to stay ahead of medical advancements and patient care technologies”, shares Rishikumar.
At Celogen Lanka, Our Commitment To Our Patients Fuels Our Relentless Pursuit Of Quality, Driving Us To Deliver Innovative Solutions That Enhance The Lives Of Those We Serve
For creating a patient-centric and purpose-driven environment, Rishikumar has designed his leadership philosophy to focus on the pillars of empowerment, transparency, and continuous learning, enabling employees to feel valued and motivated to excel. For achieving such drive, he encourages inclusivity and open communication within the organization, ensuring that his teams personally engage with every employee via town hall meetings, and feedback sessions regularly. Through these interactions, he hopes to nurture a growth-oriented work environment, build trust, and modify policies to drive greater productivity in the firm.
His leadership also focuses on delegating tasks and authority to his team, encouraging accountability and a ‘take charge’ attitude, conducive to employee and organizational success. Moreover, he strongly advocates continuous learning for which periodic training programs, workshops, and seminars are organized, ensuring that employees stay at the forefront of industry advancements, in turn ensuring that Celogen retains its competitive edge.
In addition to driving business success through employee empowerment, Rishikumar practices establishing a vision that transcends short-term objectives and focuses on creating long-standing value for all stakeholders. At Celogen, he realizes this by foregoing short-term profits and shortcuts, and prioritizing the establishment of long-term health gains for patients. Through such discipline, he ensures that Celogen’s range of products are always top-of-the-line, making Celogen Lanka a trusted and preferred brand in Sri Lanka.
Rishikumar Nadarajah, Managing Director, Celogen Lanka
Rishikumar Nadarajah, Managing Director at Celogen Lanka, drives business success through innovation. With a prestigious educational background and extensive industry experience, he spearheads the evolution of the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in Sri Lanka, envisioning a future where the country becomes a hub for research and development.
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