Rolf Blaser Of Baurs Honoured as CEO of the Year 2025

Rolf Blaser, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of A. Baur & Co. (Pvt.) Ltd., has been conferred the distinguished honour of CEO of the Year 2025 by the Global CEO Forum, placing him among an exceptionally exclusive cohort of business leaders recognized for outstanding strategic vision and sustained contribution to Sri Lanka's economic landscape. 

The recognition, bestowed following rigorous independent evaluation and endorsed by leading professional bodies, was formally celebrated at a ceremony on 26 February 2026 in Colombo. Since assuming leadership in October 2018, Mr. Blaser has orchestrated a period of sustained growth across the company's diversified portfolio. 

Under his stewardship, the healthcare division has doubled operations in four years, establishing partnerships with global pharmaceutical leaders and now serving as a conduit between global medical innovation and Sri Lankan healthcare needs, from medicines and diagnostics to surgical equipment and medical nutrition. In agriculture, the company has moved decisively toward sustainable solutions. When Sri Lanka's 2021 fertilizer ban threatened the sector, Baurs engaged agricultural institutes globally to architect practical transition pathways, establishing a comprehensive Centre of Excellence with Switzerland's FiBL and HAFL. The company's subsequent introduction of Super Urea, a nitrogen dual stabilizer that improves crop yields while reducing environmental impact, demonstrates the innovation-driven approach that has defined Mr. Blaser's tenure. 

The accolade follows recognition as Most Admired CEO of the Year 2022 and the leadership team's collective honour at the Global CEO Leadership Excellence Awards in December 2024. Digital transformation has accelerated markedly under Mr. Blaser's leadership. In 2023, Baurs won SAP's Finance Transformation Award after becoming Sri Lanka's first company to implement SAP S/4 HANA on cloud deployment with SAP Analytics Cloud Live reporting. The company expanded its Microsoft partnership in 2022, migrating critical IT infrastructure and SAP systems to Azure—positioning the 800-person organization as a digitally future-ready conglomerate with cloud-first strategies and data-driven decision-making capabilities. 

Beyond healthcare and agriculture, Baurs has expanded strategically into hospitality education through the Swiss Hotel Management Academy (SHMA), launched in partnership with Switzerland's École hôtelière de Lausanne. The initiative, part of the Skills for Sustainable Growth programme funded by the Swiss government and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, brings Swiss vocational training standards to Sri Lankan hospitality professionals, addressing critical skills gaps while upholding the Swiss apprenticeship model that has defined European vocational excellence for generations. 

Mr. Blaser's 30-year career spanning Sony, Johnson & Johnson, and Safilo across Europe and Southeast Asia, combined with his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Zurich University of Applied Sciences and Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen, and a decade navigating India's business environment, has equipped him with the cross-cultural competencies that define his tenure at Baurs. 

Established in 1897 by Swiss national Alfred Baur, the company has maintained unbroken operations through world wars, economic crises, and political transitions. Its iconic headquarters at Upper Chatham Street in Fort, Colombo—which celebrated its 80th anniversary with comprehensive renovation—stands as testament to institutional permanence in Sri Lanka's evolving corporate landscape. The company's operations now span agriculture, healthcare, consumer goods, industrial solutions, tourism, and education, with an extensive distribution network reaching all corners of the island. 

Beyond corporate achievements, Mr. Blaser serves as Council Member of the Employers' Federation of Ceylon, Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Board Member of The Sri Lankan Institute of Directors (SLID) and the Chair of the SLID CEO Forum. Internationally, Mr. Blaser represents 28 countries as an elected Delegate to the Organization of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) while serving as President of the Swiss Circle Sri Lanka. His commitment to community leadership is further demonstrated through his Board membership of Rotary Colombo West for 2026/2027.

For Mr. Blaser, who emphasizes that while business models evolve, core philosophy remains unchanged, the honour represents collective accomplishment—a reflection of 800-plus professionals who uphold the standards of trust, reliability, quality, and innovation that have made the Baurs name synonymous with excellence across four generations of Sri Lankan commerce.