Royal recognition

"May the spirit of renovation that symbolizes the ancient Zoroastrian festival of Jamshedi NoRuz be emulated by all people and nations, where friendships are renewed and quarrels are set aside to usher in peace, tranquility, well-being and the rejuvenation of happiness and all that is good in the world,” noted a celebratory message from the Prime Minister of UK Theresa May addressed to the Zoroastrian community on March 21, 2018.
"Although NoRuz is celebrated by many communities, its origins and religious significance, are, of course, Zoroastrian… The Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) is the oldest Asian faith-based voluntary association in the UK and together with the Zoroastrian community has contributed to the progress, well-being and prosperity of our country,” noted May’s message which was shared by ZTFE president Malcolm Deboo.

ZTFE members have been celebrating NoRuz over the last 111 years, noted an email from Deboo mentioning, "The oldest photograph in the ZTFE archives is of our then president Dr Dadabhai Naoroji [first Indian/Asian member of Parliament (MP) in Britain] together with Sir Mancherjee Bhownaggree (second Indian/Asian MP in Britain), Allan Octavian Hume [father of the Indian National Congress (INC)] and guests from other faith communities including founder members of the INC celebrating NoRuz in 1906 at the Café Royal, Regent Street.”
At the NoRuz celebrations in 2018, ZTFE felicitated Rohinton (Ron) Kalifa, vice chairman of Worldpay, in recognition of his "being conferred Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year’s Honours List 2018 for his services to financial services and technology” as noted the plaque presented to him.
In his Navroz message to the community, Lord Karan Bilimoria of Chelsea congratulated Kalifa for the "extremely well-deserved honor,” adding, "It is a matter of pride for the Zoroastrian community here in the UK and worldwide. I have had the privilege of knowing Ron for some years and he is an utter inspiration. His success story has been a remarkable journey. Working at Natwest Bank he had the good fortune to be the equivalent of ADC (aide-de-camp) to Lord Alexander of Weedon, chairman of the Bank… In Worldpay he created a company that was a division of a bank into a large and phenomenally successful Fortune 100 company. Quite apart from his business success it is Ron’s character that has made him such a respected and popular person. I have heard nothing but praise from people who know him or who have met him, and his warmth and generosity all make him the most wonderful human being who I am privileged to count as a friend.”
Kalifa is recognized as "one of the global leaders in the payment industry, frequently sought after by governments and commenting on TV and conferences on the emerging trends facing the financial services industry,” remarked Deboo. "Worldpay now has a near 50% market share of all payments in the UK. In other words one out of every two payments in the UK High Street are through Worldpay,” revealed Deboo.

Photos: Raj Bakrania

"On a typical day, Worldpay processes 40 million mobile, online and in-store transactions worldwide,” noted a communication from Claire Hardy, head of external communications at Worldpay. Intimating Parsiana of the honor for Kalifa, Hardy had written that he has transformed the business "from a domestic company into a truly global business with a market capitalization of over six billion pounds and with over 5,500 employees spanning 25 offices around the globe.” Last year he ranked third in the UPstanding power list of top 100 US and UK BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) executives.
Born in Bombay, Kalifa initially studied at the city’s St Mary’s School. When the family migrated to the UK, he pursued his studies there and later at the Harvard Business School. His illustrious career spanning over 30 years across various disciplines, including marketing, operations, strategy and finance, have taken him to Greece and America too. Additionally, he is a non- executive director at Transport for London and Visa, and an operating partner to Advent International, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. His passion is known to be cricket with him being a playing member of the prestigious Marylebone Cricket Club.
With the OBE investiture ceremony scheduled for June 1, 2018, Ron will be going to the Buckingham Palace with his wife Gillian, son Ryan, father Minoo, former company secretary of Tata Limited in the UK, and mother Nargis.