Shameer Rasooldeen (Class of 2016)
Shameer Rasooldeen is popularly known for being the host of “Face the Nation”, a weekly current affairs show that covers issues of social and political relevance in Sri Lanka. Prior to this, Shameer was a journalist with News1st for 13 years, becoming the youngest director of English news at the largest private media organization. In 2014, under his leadership, News1st started an initiative called “News1st UReport”, a platform that allowed any Sri Lankan to report news with the use of their mobile phones. Currently there are more than fifty thousand UReporters across Sri Lanka. He has reported on a wide range of issues including armed conflict and natural disasters in Sri Lanka for CNN World Report as well as Channel News Asia. He has filed a record 51 stories from the United Nations General Assembly during his fellowship at the United Nations in a span of two month. He was awarded the Silver Medal at the United Nations Correspondents Awards for his reporting.
He joined the Capital Maharaja Group in 2004 as a news reporter. He attributes his success to his mentor Mr. R. Rajamahendran, the Chairman of the Capital Maharaja Group. In 2007, a story produced by Shameer won the best Feature Report of the year award at the CNN World Report Awards. His story was titled "Coexistence of children of different ethnicity in Sri Lanka", was aired on CNN World Report. In 2016, Shameer was promoted to the position of CEO to head the tea operations at AF Jones Exporters Ceylon (Private) Limited, a subsidiary of the Capital Maharaja Organisation in Sri Lanka. He was adjudged Sri Lanka's Outstanding Young Personality of the year in 2014.