Razik assumes duties as BOC Chairman

Lawyer, diplomat and former head of a number of public corporations Razik Zarook yesterday assumed duties as the new Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon.

Though his appointment was effective from 9 January, Zarook took office as the 20th Chairman of BOC only yesterday, succeeding Dr. Gamini Wickramasinghe, who resigned after a six-year stint.

Zarook is a senior Attorney-at-Law and President’s Counsel, who was enrolled to the Bar in 1969.

His management skills came to the limelight when he was appointed Chairman of the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) by the then Trade and Shipping Minister late Lalith Athulathmudali, President’s Counsel.

Razik...

He was given the responsibility of turning around the CWE to become an efficient and viable much-sought-after consumer organisation, responsible for the wide distribution of essential commodities, without letting any artificial scarcities be created even during turbulent times.

Under his tenure, the CWE was a model profitable and viable organisation having diversified and acquired many assets developing real estates and establishing a number of public and quoted companies as Sathosa Motors, Sathosa Printers, and Lanka Milk Foods, of which he was founder Chairman.

Zarook, an old boy of St. Servatius College Matara and Zahira College Colombo, also held office as Chairman of the Agricultural Development Authority and National Aquatic Research and Development Authority (NARA).

Late President Premadasa appointed him as Ambassador to the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and thereafter as the first Ambassador to Hungary.

Subsequently he was appointed as High Commissioner to Singapore. Apart from his professional education at the Sri Lanka Law College, Zarook is also an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Ahamedabad.