Dilhan Fernando explains his family’s unique philosophy of making business a matter of human service.
Saturday 22nd February 2025 at 10am – 11.30am Online
Dilhan Fernando, owner and director of DILMAH, the famous Sri Lankan family-owned tea company, talks about this important topic and tells how Dilmah has always cared for employees, their children, their health, the wider community, and the environment as well as for the tea they grow, process and sell. It is an inspirational and moving story that will make us all think carefully about our role in today’s world.
In 2005, Merrill Fernando, founder of Dilmah Tea (who sadly passed away on 20th July 2023 at the age of 93), and his two sons Dilhan and Malik pledged to follow the principles dictated by ‘The Six Pillars of Dilmah’ in every aspect of their business and in the conduct of their workers, staff and management. Those Six Pillars are Integrity, Tradition, Quality, Customer, Ethics and Sustainability. These principles have guided the company since it was established in 1985 and, although Merrill is no longer the main driving force, Dilhan and Malik continue to uphold all the values that their father set in place.
In A Cup of Kindness, the 2012 book all about the Fernando family and Dilmah tea, the opening paragraph reads, “The story of Merrill J Fernando’s Dilmah Tea Company is one that impresses and inspires, encourages and heartens. It is a story of determination and tenacity, of unfailing vision and unwavering focus. It is the story of how one man, against all the odds, found a way of changing an industry and improving thousands of lives.”
Dilmah is a tea brand with a conscience. Merrill always told people, “I am not marketing tea. I am marketing a philosophy – the philosophy of caring and sharing, of giving everyone a very fair deal. I offer my customers the freshest and finest tea on earth; I provide my workers with the best possible deal; I share with the wider community and reinvest in the industry to make tea sustainable. My business is a matter of human service.”
In his inspirational presentation, Dilhan will discuss all aspects of Dilmah Tea and explain much more about how the profits from tea sales help so many people who work for and with Dilmah but also those in the much wider community.
This is an event that should definitely not be missed.
Zoom joining instructions for the event will be sent out 24 hours beforehand.
