| Dr. Chris Nonis, Trustee and Council Member of the Royal Commonwealth Society Headquarters in London, which oversees the work of the RCS in the 53 Commonwealth countries, was elected as its Deputy Chairman in 2008. Dr. Nonis has the distinction of being the first Sri Lankan in the 140-year history of the Royal Commonwealth Society, London, to be elected to this pivotal international role. Dr. Nonis is the Chairman of the Mackwoods Group of Companies, established in 1841- the second oldest mercantile establishment in Sri Lanka. He qualified in London, with a First Class Honours B.Sc. from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine; obtained his M.B.B.S. from the Royal Free Hospital Medical School, University of London, and obtained his Membership of the Royal College of Physicians, M.R.C.P. (U.K.). He is a Director of the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA); and serves on the Grants Board of the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA); the National Advisory Council for Export Development of the EDB (NACFED); the Vice Chairman of the Services Group of the Employers' Federation of Ceylon; the Advisory Committee on Peace & Reconciliation of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; the Country Coordinating Mechanism for Sri Lanka of the Global Fund; Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Spices & Allied Products of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board; and President of the India Life Sciences Institute - Sri Lanka Committee. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, London and has been an advisor to the World Health Organization, Geneva. |