In Memoriam : Ravindra Tadvalkar
Jan. 17, 1950-March 10, 2005

Ravi Tadvalkar passed away on March 10. Hindu last rites were said for him on March 12, in the presence of his family, friends and colleagues. A strong CGIAR presence was led by Ian Johnson, CGIAR Chairman and World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development. Eulogies commemorating and celebrating Ravi’s life preceded religious observances. He is survived by his wife, Gauri, and two children, Chetan and Rashmi.

“I had the privilege of working closely with Ravi for the past four years,” said Francisco Reifschneider, CGIAR Director. “Ravi’s financial acumen, personable nature, and commitment to the CGIAR were a source of inspiration.”

In his eulogy on behalf of CGIAR, Selcuk Ozgediz said “Ravi had a mental map of the CGIAR that no one else had … His mental map showed all the checks and balances and understanding of the implications of any action one could possibly take. Indeed, Ravi’s uncanny ability to keep track of and connect so many factors has been one of the greatest assets of the CGIAR.”

Ravi had a distinguished career, joining the World Bank Group in 1974, and transferring to the CGIAR Secretariat as Financial Officer in 1984. He rose to head its Finance and Investor Relations Team as Lead Financial Officer. He served on the Boards of IFAR and the CGIAR Gender and Diversity Program. His legacy lies in his overall contribution to the growth and stability of the CGIAR, in the indelible stamp that he left on financial management, in his self-effacing yet effective leadership of the System’s network of finance executives, and in his commitment to nurture the talents of others.

The high standards of the System’s financial operations draw continuously on the Financial Guidelines series that Ravi planned and inaugurated. He inspired finance executives to advocate and establish instruments of accountability and transparency. He encouraged them to collaborate in the review and preparation of key financial documents, such as the CGIAR Annual Financial Report, and the Annual Medium Term and Financing Plans. He was primarily responsible for developing a conceptual framework for resource allocation, whereby work programs drive resources, not vice versa.

Ravi was fully engaged in the renewal of the CGIAR and, more recently, in the Reform Program that continues to transform the CGIAR. Members and Center representatives frequently turned to him for guidance. He participated in setting up several units of the CGIAR System Office. He campaigned quietly but insistently over many years for greater use of information technology. He anchored the former Finance Committee, and was a pioneer in developing and broadening resource mobilization programs. He was an early proponent of diversity in all its forms. He was unyielding in his dedication to revitalizing IFAR.

Ravi cared deeply for the entire CGIAR System, respected its intricacies, and had a clear strategic sense of what directions it should take, and at what pace. His true “home away from home,” however, was the CGIAR Secretariat, where he spent long hours, sometimes working on his own, often with others, on diverse aspects of the CGIAR, present and future. He earned the respect and trust of six CGIAR Chairs, two Executive Secretaries, and the current Director. He enjoyed cordial relations with all his Secretariat colleagues, whatever their calling. He appreciated their professional capacities, as they respected his. He was prudent, but embraced innovation. His wise counsel was invaluable. He had steadying words and an engaging smile when they were most needed. He was a great companion; a friend who truly knew what a confidence meant. He will be missed more than words can tell.

As a tribute honoring Ravi’s many contributions to the CGIAR, IFAR has established a “Ravi Tadvalkar Memorial Scholarship,” and the first scholarship has been awarded to Ms. Namita Srivastava of India for work on screening salinity tolerance in pigeonpea and groundnut in association with ICRISAT. In addition, the CGIAR Secretariat conference room has been named “Ravi Tadvalkar Conference Room.”

For more information on IFAR scholarships visit www.ifar4dev.org