Leadership Profile

The Board bears responsibility for the Group’s performance, and is accountable to the shareholders who appoint them. Their vision provides policy direction while diligent oversight facilitates delivery of strategic goals.

Appointed to the Board in April 2000, Mr. Harry Jayawardena was the Chairman of Aitken Spence PLC since April 2003. He led many successful enterprises and was on the board of several listed and privately held companies. He received the prestigious ‘Deshamanya’ honour for his visionary contribution to the country.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena marks several milestones for the Aitken Spence Group as the first female Chairperson in its 157-year history, with her appointment as Executive Chairperson in February 2025. She was also the youngest, and the first female to be appointed to the Board of Aitken Spence PLC, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, and Browns Beach Hotels PLC, in December 2013.

With a career spanning over 10 years at Aitken Spence, she wields a fresh perspective in management and heads strategic business units across the Group. She leads several key strategic teams as the Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotel Managements (Pvt) Ltd., as Deputy Chairperson of Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) PLC., and as a Member of the Board of Directors of Stassen Group, Melstacorp PLC, and Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC.

Ms. Jayawardena is graduate of St. James’ & Lucie Clayton College and Keele University in the United Kingdom, the Emeritus Institute of Management in Singapore, and an Associate Alumni of the University of Cambridge (Judge Business School) in the United Kingdom.

The youngest intern to work under US Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton and the Former US President Bill Clinton in 2003, Ms. Jayawardena was appointed as the Sri Lankan Ambassador for EY NextGen Club from 2017 to 2019. She has served as a Member of the PwC Next- and Now-Generation Advisory Council since 2020.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena was appointed to the Executive Board of The Hotel Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and has represented THASL at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Committee since 2019. She is an Executive Committee Member at the International Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, since 2020, and currently serves as Vice Chairman and a Steering Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Sector. She served as the Chairperson of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Hotels and Tourism Employers Group for the financial year 2020/21. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Colombo International Arbitration Centre, Sri Lanka in January 2025.

Ms. Jayawardena has represented the Company as the Ambassador for Aitken Spence PLC at the Target Gender Equality initiative of the UN Global Compact since 2020.

In recognition of her work and commitment to inspire, she was recognised at The Top 50 Professional & Career Women Awards in Sri Lanka with the Gold Award in the Hotel & Hospitality Sector in 2017, and, in 2020, the Sri Lankan business magazine, Echelon, listed her among the most innovative and influential young leaders to have succeeded in business and in shaping the future of Sri Lanka.

Ms. Jayawardena was the award recipient of the Expatriate Contribution Award – Gold Category – Women in Management Maldives. The Professional and Career Women Awards Maldives 2022 presented this award to Ms. Jayawardena for her exceptional contributions and achievements in the field of Hotels & Hospitality.

Ms. Jayawardena was an award recipient at the Global CEO Leadership Excellence Awards 2024 (which honoured 50 top-tier CEOs and their teams who successfully navigated challenges in turbulent times) and was again recognised for Excellence in Corporate Leadership at the Global CEO Top Businesswomen Award 2025. Ms. Jayawardena was also recognised with the ‘Trailblazing Corporate Leader’ Award at the 15th To50 Professional and Career Women Global Awards 2025, organised by Women in Management, and as LMD’s Emerging Businessperson of the Year for 2025.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Dr. Dissanayake is an Alumni of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, NORAD, JICA, Business Alumni of the University of Oxford (UK). He has qualified as a Chartered Shipbroker (FICS) UK, Chartered Fellow (Logistics/Transport) FCILT UK and Fellow of Chartered Institute of Marketing UK. He has also pursued Executive Management Education at Harvard Business School USA and University of Cambridge UK. He is a Professor in Maritime Studies (visiting) at Shanghai Maritime University.

Experience

Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake is the Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC, appointed with effect from 15th March 2019. Prior to this appointment he was Secretary to the Cabinet Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development.

He was appointed as the first non-British International President of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers U.K. founded in 1911 and Royal Charter conferred in 1920.

Dr. Dissanayake has also held positions in the past that include, Chairman – Sri Lanka Ports Authority (two stints), Chairman – Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (Sri Lanka), Board Director Urban Development Authority and Board Director of Ceylon Shipping Corporation. During the period June 2004 to May 2017, he served as a Director of Aitken Spence PLC and the Chairman & CEO of its Maritime & Freight Logistics sector.

He was inducted as a “Legend of Logistics” by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at the National Logistics Awards Ceremony.

He is also the Chairman of Elpitiya Plantations PLC, Aitken Spence Plantation Managements PLC, Co-Chairman/ Professor CINEC Campus, Hon. Consul of Fiji Islands and served as a Professor in Maritime Studies (visiting) at Dalian Maritime University.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Dr. R. M. Fernando holds a PhD and an MBA from the University of Colombo. He is also a Chartered Marketer and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM UK).

Experience

Dr. Fernando joined Aitken Spence Plantation Management PLC in May 1994 and has been the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Plantation Managements PLC and Elpitiya Plantations PLC since August 1997. He has extensive experience in the plantation industry, both in the public and private sectors; corporate management, corporate strategy. He has also played a key role in the plantation privatisation programme. He was the Chairman of the United Nations Global Compact Network, Sri Lanka, a former President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Chapter and a past Chairman of the Planters Association of Ceylon.

Dr. Fernando is currently the President of the Palm Oil Industry Association which comprises of growers, processors and refiners in the palm oil industry and he also serves on the committee of the Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA).

Dr. Fernando was appointed as a member of the UNICEF Sri Lanka Business Council in 2023. He was also appointed under the Co-Chairmanship of Advisor to the President and Chairman of National Science Foundation, as a Member of the Expert Cluster on ‘Perennial Crops’ to achieve food security and nutrition in the country.

Dr. Fernando was appointed to the Board of Aitken Spence PLC on the 1st of April 2005 and is currently the Head of the Plantations segment, Corporate Strategy and Sustainability for the Aitken Spence Group.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Mr. J.M.S. Brito holds an L.L.B. degree from the University of London, an MBA from the London City Business School and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of both Sri Lanka, and England and Wales.

Experience

Mr. J. M. S. Brito is an acclaimed senior professional in both the private and the public sector industries in Sri Lanka.

He is a former Chairman of DFCC Bank, the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, Sri Lankan Airlines and has also served on the Board of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation.

Mr. Brito joined the Board of Aitken Spence PLC in April 2000, with a multi- discipline academic background and a wealth of experience from a career counting over 40 years that includes experience working with several international organisations. He was then appointed as the Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC, in December 2001 and Deputy Chairman in April 2003 which position he held until his retirement on 15th March 2019. After retirement, Mr. Brito continues to be a Non Executive Director of Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC and Browns Beach Hotels PLC.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Mr. N. J. de Silva Deva Aditya is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts FRSA established 1754, a Research Fellow of Loughbourough University of Technology, a Graduate of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and a Member Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He also holds a Bachelor of Technology (Honours) from the University of Loughborough and is a Professor at the Beijing University.

Experience

The Honourable N. J. de Silva Deva Aditya (Nirj Deva) who is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Deputy Lieutenant for the Lord Lieutenantancy of Greater London representing HM King Charles III, Presidential Envoy of Sri Lanka to the EU and the Commonwealth of 56 Nations and Senior Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka, former Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons, and a Member of the European Parliament, joined the Board of Directors of Aitken Spence in September 2006.

He was the first Post War Asian-born Conservative Member of the British House of Commons and served in Government as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Scottish Office after which he was elected as the first Asian-born British Member of the European Parliament representing over 8 million British people in Berkshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent for 20 years.

He was the Vice President of the International Development Committee for 15 years, overseeing the annual Euro 25 billion European Budget. He was the Chairman of the EU Korean Peninsula Delegation working towards a lasting peace with North Korea, Chairman of the EU China, EU Bangladesh, EU Indonesia, EU Myanmar and EU India Friendship Groups in the EU Parliament and was nominated by his political group ECR to be the President of the European Parliament and was the Chairman of the EU Delegation to the UN General Assembly. He is now the President of the Commonwealth Union; the largest cyber community encompassing the Commonwealth.

For his Tsunami Relief work he was made MEP of the Year by the European, a Chevalier of the Catholic Church, Vishwa Keerthi Sri Lanka Abhimani by the Buddhist Clergy of Sri Lanka, and Gaurav Bharat by India. He is the Publisher of the http://www.commonwealthunion. com the global media platform, the first Commonwealth wide news and TV media reaching out to 2.6 billion people and seen regularly by 18 million. He was appointed Presidential Envoy and Senior Advisor in August 2022.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Mr. C.R. Jansz holds a Diploma in Banking and Finance from the London Metropolitan University, UK. He is a Chevening Scholar and an UN-ESCAP Certified Training Manager on Maritime Transport for Shippers.

Experience

Mr. Jansz is the Chairman of Lanka Milk Foods Group, Melsta Hospitals Ragama (Pvt) Ltd and the Deputy Chairman of Melstacorp Group. He is also the Director of Stassen Group and Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka Group.

He has been the Chairman of DFCC Bank and the Sri Lanka Shippers Council.

Mr. Jansz specialises in the movement and finance of international trade.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Mr. C.J. Sevilla holds a BA Hons in Politics and History of Ideas from Kingston University, London, a Professional Certificate of Competence in Gibraltar Taxation and is an Association of Accounting Technicians qualified Accountant.

Experience

Mr. Sevilla is a Director at FORM-A-CO (GIBRALTAR) LIMITED and FORM-A TRUST (GIBRALTAR) LIMITED. He has a background in finance and accounting and has over 20 years of experience working in different roles within finance. Under his present role he oversees all company financial activities.

He also provides a range of services to clients specifically focused on accounting services and tax work. Additionally, Mr. Sevilla is a Regulated Individual regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC)

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Mr. M.R. Mihular is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) – UK.

Experience

Mr. Mihular served as the Managing Partner of KPMG Sri Lanka & Maldives from 1st April 2012 to 31st March 2022 and was the Chairman of KPMG’s Middle East & South Asia (MESA) Regional Cluster during the period 1st October 2018 to 30th September 2021. Mr. Mihular previously served a term as the Chief Operating Officer of the MESA regional office. He also served on KPMG’s Europe Middle East & Africa (EMA) Board and on the Global Council of KPMG International.

Mr. Mihular is a Past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. He also served as the Chairman of the CIMA Sri Lanka Board. Mr. Mihular has completed International Executive Education programmes at INSEAD, France, Harvard Business School and the London Business School, UK.

Mr. Mihular served as a Board Member of the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) from 1996 to 2000. Subsequently he served on the IASC’s Standing Interpretations Committee and as a Member of the IFRS Advisory Council of the International Accounting Standards Board. He also served as a member of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) from 2012 to 2018.

Mr. Mihular presently serves as Chairman of Watawala Plantations PLC and Bairaha Farms PLC, and as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Sunshine Holdings PLC, Melstacorp PLC, Balangoda Plantations PLC, Madulsima Plantations PLC, Sunshine Teas (Pvt) Ltd, Lonach Dairy (Pvt) Ltd, Agility Innovation (Pvt) Ltd, DAMRO Holdings Ltd and LTL Holdings Ltd. He also serves as a Member of the Stakeholder Engagement Committee of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Mr. P. Englisch holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and multiple certifications such as Certified Public Accountant (WP), US CPA, and Certified Family Business and Family Wealth Advisor (CFBA / CFWA).

Experience

Mr. P. Englisch is a seasoned executive with over three decades of experience in the fields of family business advisory, assurance, and tax services. Mr. Englisch has established himself as a thought leader and trusted advisor in the industry.

Throughout his career, he has held significant leadership roles at prestigious firms like EY and PwC, where he led global initiatives and established centres of excellence for family businesses. He has also contributed to academia as an Executive in Residence at IMD Business School and founded his own consulting firm, Peter Englisch Consulting GmbH & Co. KG.

Mr. Englisch’s expertise spans across supporting family-owned businesses with succession planning, NextGen development, governance, and growth strategies. He is also well-versed in advising High Net Worth Individuals and Family Offices on long-term investment strategies, impact investing, and philanthropy.

Recognised for his contributions, Mr. Englisch has been inducted into the Family Business “Hall of Fame” and named one of the Top 10 Global Family Enterprise Advisors by Family Capital Magazine. He is a regular speaker at international conferences and has co-founded the Center for Family Business at the University of St. Gallen.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Dr. R.A. Fernando is an Alumni of the University of Cambridge having completed both a Post Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business in 2008 and Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership in 2014. He has an MBA from the University of Colombo.

He received a Doctor of Business Administration Degree from the European Business School in 2016.

Experience

He completed the Advanced Management Program at the INSEAD Business School (France) and is an Executive in Residence since 2010. He is a Member of the Board of Study at the Post Graduate Institute of Management (PIM) since March 2023. In April 2020, he created the ‘21st Century Board Leadership Model MasterClass’© for the Institute of Directors of Luxembourg.

In February 2023 he published ‘21st Century Leadership to Fight the Code Red for Business’ (Archway Publishing USA). His career with Multinationals spanned 1981-2007 with Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, Smithkline Beecham International covering Africa, Middle East and Asia. He was the first CEO of the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology 2008-2011 and Operations Director of the Malaysia Blue Ocean Strategy Institute 2011-2016. He was the first UN Global Compact Focal point 2007 and set up the UNGC Sri Lanka Network.

He serves on the Boards of Global Strategic Corporate Sustainability Pvt. Ltd, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC, Melstacorp PLC, Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC, Madulsima Plantations PLC, Balangoda Plantations PLC, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, Browns Beach Hotels PLC, Elpitiya Plantations PLC, UN Global Compact and Ceylon Graphene Technologies Ltd.

In 2007 “Global Strategy Leadership award” was presented to him by Professor Renee Mauborgne of INSEAD at the World Strategy Summit.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena marks several milestones for the Aitken Spence Group as the first female Chairperson in its 157-year history, with her appointment as Executive Chairperson in February 2025. She was also the youngest, and the first female to be appointed to the Board of Aitken Spence PLC, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, and Browns Beach Hotels PLC, in December 2013.

With a career spanning over 10 years at Aitken Spence, she wields a fresh perspective in management and heads strategic business units across the Group. She leads several key strategic teams as the Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotel Managements (Pvt) Ltd., as Deputy Chairperson of Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) PLC., and as a Member of the Board of Directors of Stassen Group, Melstacorp PLC, and Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC.

Ms. Jayawardena is graduate of St. James’ & Lucie Clayton College and Keele University in the United Kingdom, the Emeritus Institute of Management in Singapore, and an Associate Alumni of the University of Cambridge (Judge Business School) in the United Kingdom.

The youngest intern to work under US Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton and the Former US President Bill Clinton in 2003, Ms. Jayawardena was appointed as the Sri Lankan Ambassador for EY NextGen Club from 2017 to 2019. She has served as a Member of the PwC Next- and Now-Generation Advisory Council since 2020.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena was appointed to the Executive Board of The Hotel Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and has represented THASL at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Committee since 2019. She is an Executive Committee Member at the International Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, since 2020, and currently serves as Vice Chairman and a Steering Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Sector. She served as the Chairperson of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Hotels and Tourism Employers Group for the financial year 2020/21. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Colombo International Arbitration Centre, Sri Lanka in January 2025.

Ms. Jayawardena has represented the Company as the Ambassador for Aitken Spence PLC at the Target Gender Equality initiative of the UN Global Compact since 2020.

In recognition of her work and commitment to inspire, she was recognised at The Top 50 Professional & Career Women Awards in Sri Lanka with the Gold Award in the Hotel & Hospitality Sector in 2017, and, in 2020, the Sri Lankan business magazine, Echelon, listed her among the most innovative and influential young leaders to have succeeded in business and in shaping the future of Sri Lanka.

Ms. Jayawardena was the award recipient of the Expatriate Contribution Award – Gold Category – Women in Management Maldives. The Professional and Career Women Awards Maldives 2022 presented this award to Ms. Jayawardena for her exceptional contributions and achievements in the field of Hotels & Hospitality.

Ms. Jayawardena was an award recipient at the Global CEO Leadership Excellence Awards 2024 (which honoured 50 top-tier CEOs and their teams who successfully navigated challenges in turbulent times) and was again recognised for Excellence in Corporate Leadership at the Global CEO Top Businesswomen Award 2025. Ms. Jayawardena was also recognised with the ‘Trailblazing Corporate Leader’ Award at the 15th To50 Professional and Career Women Global Awards 2025, organised by Women in Management, and as LMD’s Emerging Businessperson of the Year for 2025.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Dr. Dissanayake is an Alumni of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, NORAD, JICA, Business Alumni of the University of Oxford (UK). He has qualified as a Chartered Shipbroker (FICS) UK, Chartered Fellow (Logistics/Transport) FCILT UK and Fellow of Chartered Institute of Marketing UK. He has also pursued Executive Management Education at Harvard Business School USA and University of Cambridge UK. He is a Professor in Maritime Studies (visiting) at Shanghai Maritime University.

Experience

Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake is the Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC, appointed with effect from 15th March 2019. Prior to this appointment he was Secretary to the Cabinet Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development.

He was appointed as the first non-British International President of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers U.K. founded in 1911 and Royal Charter conferred in 1920.

Dr. Dissanayake has also held positions in the past that include, Chairman – Sri Lanka Ports Authority (two stints), Chairman – Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (Sri Lanka), Board Director Urban Development Authority and Board Director of Ceylon Shipping Corporation. During the period June 2004 to May 2017, he served as a Director of Aitken Spence PLC and the Chairman & CEO of its Maritime & Freight Logistics sector.

He was inducted as a “Legend of Logistics” by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at the National Logistics Awards Ceremony.

He is also the Chairman of Elpitiya Plantations PLC, Aitken Spence Plantation Managements PLC, Co-Chairman/ Professor CINEC Campus, Hon. Consul of Fiji Islands and served as a Professor in Maritime Studies (visiting) at Dalian Maritime University.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Dr. R. M. Fernando holds a PhD and an MBA from the University of Colombo. He is also a Chartered Marketer and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM UK).

Experience

Dr. Fernando joined Aitken Spence Plantation Management PLC in May 1994 and has been the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Plantation Managements PLC and Elpitiya Plantations PLC since August 1997. He has extensive experience in the plantation industry, both in the public and private sectors; corporate management, corporate strategy. He has also played a key role in the plantation privatisation programme. He was the Chairman of the United Nations Global Compact Network, Sri Lanka, a former President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Chapter and a past Chairman of the Planters Association of Ceylon.

Dr. Fernando is currently the President of the Palm Oil Industry Association which comprises of growers, processors and refiners in the palm oil industry and he also serves on the committee of the Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA).

Dr. Fernando was appointed as a member of the UNICEF Sri Lanka Business Council in 2023. He was also appointed under the Co-Chairmanship of Advisor to the President and Chairman of National Science Foundation, as a Member of the Expert Cluster on ‘Perennial Crops’ to achieve food security and nutrition in the country.

Dr. Fernando was appointed to the Board of Aitken Spence PLC on the 1st of April 2005 and is currently the Head of the Plantations segment, Corporate Strategy and Sustainability for the Aitken Spence Group.

Ms. Nilanthi Sivapragasam joined the Aitken Spence Group as an Accountant after completing her articles at Ernst & Young, Colombo.

She now holds the position of Chief Financial Officer of the Group. She is also the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Corporate Services (Private) Limited, the Joint Managing Director of CINEC Campus (Private) Limited, and a Director of several subsidiaries and joint venture companies in the Group both local and overseas.

She is a Fellow Member of both CA Sri Lanka and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of UK.

She is currently a Board Member of the UNGC Network Sri Lanka and a Member of the Taxation Steering Committee of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

She was a member of the Statutory Accounting and Auditing Standards Committees of CA Sri Lanka and a member of the Financial Reporting Standards Implementation and Interpretation Committee and also chaired the Financial Reporting Faculty.

She served on the Board of CIMA Sri Lanka Division from 1997-1999 and 2010-2012. She also served as a Board Member of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board from 2009 - 2019 and was a Council Member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors from 2011 – 2017

She was previously a Director of Women and Media Collective, a non-governmental organisation involved in the empowerment of women.

Mr. Susith Jayawickrama has had a career spanning over three decades with Aitken Spence and is the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Hotel Managements (Private) Limited, which manages all hotels of the Group.

Mr. Jayawickrama serves on the Aitken Spence Group Management Council and on the Boards of most hotel companies in the Group including that of Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC. He is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants UK. He has more than three decades of experience in senior management positions in the Group’s hotel sector and the tourism industry in Sri Lanka and overseas.

Mr. Jayawickrama is a past Vice President of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL).

Mr. Leel Wickremarachchi joined Aitken Spence in February 2013 as the Deputy Chairman/Managing Director of its power segment. He also functions as CEO/ Managing Director of Western Power Company (Pvt) Ltd., a subsidiary of Aitken Spence PLC, which owns and operates the country’s first waste to energy power plant with an installed capacity of 10 MW.

Mr. Wickremarachchi has held senior positions in both public and private sector organisations. Immediately before joining Aitken Spence PLC, Mr. Wickremarachchi worked as a consultant to the Government of Liberia, in West Africa, under a USAID funded project, in the renewable energy sector. He was Director General of the Public Enterprises Reform Commission (PERC) from 2004 to 2006. He also did a consultancy assignment in 2004 for the Ministry of Privatisation of the Government of Pakistan, funded by Asian Development Bank, in establishing a Public-Private Infrastructure Financing Facility for Pakistan. He had also worked at USAID/ Sri Lanka, from 1992 to 1998, managing its project on establishing a market for private sector infrastructure in Sri Lanka, which resulted in the Government of Sri Lanka approving the private sector to invest in thermal power projects, as Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Later he functioned as CEO of Private Sector Infrastructure Development Company (PSIDC), subordinated debt financing company for private sector financed infrastructure, owned by the Government of Sri Lanka and funded by the World Bank and KfW of Germany.

Mr. Wickremarachchi holds an MSc in Engineering from the People’s Friendship University of Moscow, Russia and has obtained his MBA from the Post Graduate Institute of Management of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He has attended many Executive Development Programmes including the programmes conducted by the JFK School of Government of Harvard University, USA, on “Infrastructure in a Market Economy” and the National University of Singapore on “General Management”.

Mr. Nalin Jayasundera has had a career spanning 4 decades with Aitken Spence, joining initially in 1983 and then re-joining the company in 1990. Having successfully played different roles within the Tourism Sector he took over the leadership of Aitken Spence Travels (Private) Limited (ASTL) as the Managing Director in 2013. ASTL, a joint venture with TUI AG, is the leading destination management company in Sri Lanka.

With over 40 years of experience in the Tourism sector he possesses a wide knowledge of the travel industry. Mr. Jayasundera has played an important role in developing the Tourism Sector by venturing into many new markets, developing new products and seeking new opportunities that have come up with new global trends. His best accolade in the recent years is leading his team to grow the Aitken Spence Travels business by reviving the tourism sector to handle 228,000 pax, which is the best ever in the history of the company and is also the highest pax count handled by any Destination Management Company in Sri Lanka. In addition to its presence in the Maldives, Aitken Spence Travels has expanded its business to Myanmar.

Mr. Jayasundera is currently the President of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and he has held the position of Secretary in the past. He is a member of SLID and SKAL International. He was a member of the Sri Lanka Tourism Advisory Council, a Board Member of the Sri Lanka Conventions Bureau and currently serves as a Board Member of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and is a member of the Committee for strengthening the Administrative Structure of the Tourism Sector to Boost the Tourism Industry of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Iqram Cuttilan joined Aitken Spence Shipping Limited In 1983. He was appointed as a Director of the company in 2000, as Chief Operating Officer in 2014 and as the Managing Director/CEO of the maritime segment in 2017.

He currently overlooks the Maritime, Freight and Insurance segments of the Group.

He was involved in setting up the port management activities in Africa and Fiji and serves as a Director of Fiji Ports Terminal Limited and Fiji Ports Corporation Limited. He is a Director of the CINEC Campus (Private) Limited.

Mr. Cuttilan served as Chairman of the Ceylon Association of Shipping Agents (CASA) between 2019 to 2021. Prior to this, he held the positions of Treasurer and Vice Chairman of CASA.

He served as a member of the Advisory Committee on Logistics of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board between 2015 to 2021. He serves as a member of the Maritime & Logistics Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (ECCSL) and the German Chamber (AHK). He is a Past President of the Sri Lanka Malaysia Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and a Past President of the Sri Lanka Indonesia Friendship Association (SLIFA). He currently serves as a Vice Patron of the Mercantile Hockey Association.

He holds a Diploma in Marketing from CIM (UK), Diploma in Business Management (SLBDC) and is a Chartered Member of CILT (UK). He is also a member of the Alumni of the National University of Singapore and the Open University of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Janaka Gunawardena joined the Aitken Spence Group in 2016, bringing with him over 33 years of diverse management experience across multiple sectors including integrated logistics, supply chain management, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and real estate.

Commencing his professional journey at Unilever Sri Lanka, Mr. Gunawardena has gained substantial cross-functional and global leadership experience. Prior to joining Aitken Spence, Mr. Gunawardena held several key senior positions, including Director at Mack International Freight (Pvt) Ltd (formerly the local agent for D B Schenker), Chief Executive Officer at Trans-Ware Logistics both subsidiaries of the John Keells Group as well as Country Manager at DHL Nepal. He also served as General Manager at AICT, GAC Pakistan the country’s largest dry port and as Head of Logistics at GAC in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.

At Aitken Spence, Mr. Gunawardena currently leads the Group’s integrated container services segment, driving strategic growth and operational excellence.

He holds a MBA from the University of Western Sydney, Australia, and is a Chartered Member of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).

Mr. Jerome Brohier heads the agency representation and overseas operations segment within the Maritime & Freight Logistics Sector. He joined Aitken Spence Cargo in the year 2000 as the Manager of the express segment. He has over 35 years of experience in the express/ logistics industry, a majority of which is at Aitken Spence Cargo. He was promoted as a Director of the express segment in 2006 and also functioned as the Country Manager of TNT International Express in Sri Lanka and the Maldives from 2008. In 2011 he took over as the Vice President of the freight and courier segment. In 2022, he was promoted to Managing Director – Agency Representation and Overseas Operations with responsibility for freight, express and cargo aviation agencies in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives and Cambodia.

Mr. Brohier holds an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business (AIB), Adelaide, is an alumni of NUS- Stanford Graduate School of Business, Singapore and a member of the Association of Business Executives (ABE), UK. He is an Ex-Co member of the Sri Lanka – Singapore Business Council, a past president of the Sri Lanka Association of Air Express Companies and a former committee member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Vasantha Kudaliyanage, an accomplished multifaceted leader in the aviation industry with comprehensive in-depth experience & knowledge of the aviation business, is the Managing Director of the General Sales Agency for Singapore Airlines.

Mr. Kudaliyanage’s professionalism and systematic approach continues to ensure excellent service delivery for project completion. His outstanding services have been recognised by SIA, our longest GSA of 55 years and he was awarded, 2010 – CEO Award and many regional awards.

Joining Aitken Spence, he counts for 37 years of service, marked by exemplary loyalty, dedication and reliability. His flexibility and adaptability in managing diverse services and delivering results while professionalism and systematic approach continues to ensure excellent service delivery. With the current position, a rapid overall growth was shown, with increased productivity at Aitken Spence Aviation, winning the GRIT award for Sales & Cargo in 2022 and CEO Excellence Award in 2023 followed by Regional VP Excellence Award 2023 for Airport Operations.

Mr. Chaminda Hindurangala has been with Aitken Spence Group for over 24 years, joining initially in 1996 and then re-joining in 2018. Having successfully played significant roles within the power generation segment and the maritime segment, where he was head of operations of the port management business in Africa.

He took over the leadership of the elevators segment in 2018. Aitken Spence Elevators (Private) Limited is a joint venture with OTIS Company (Singapore), and the agents for OTIS in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. OTIS is the leading elevator brand in the world.

In 2022 he was also given the leadership of MMBL Money Transfer (Pvt) Ltd, a joint venture with MMBL Pathfinder Group. MMBL Money Transfer (Pvt) Ltd is the largest representative for Western Union, RIA & MoneyGram in Sri Lanka

He is well experienced in business development and business process re-engineering to improve processes and increase efficiency. He is also a Director of Aitken Spence Ports International Limited and CINEC Campus.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA) Sri Lanka, and has completed CPA Australia, completed a Diploma in Marketing from CIM (UK), and holds an MBA from the University of Wales (UK) and is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Mr. Deshantha Silva joined the Aitken Spence Group on 1st July 2021 and counts over 27 years of diverse management experience across multiple industries in manufacturing and service sectors. He serves Aitken Spence Group Management Council by heading the printing & packaging segment as Director/Chief Executive Officer. His manufacturing industry exposure includes apparel, furniture and printing & packaging industries.

He formerly held Chief Executive Officer positions at Finco Trading (Private) Limited, The Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC and at ACME Printing & Packaging PLC. He also held the position of Director / Chief Operating Officer at Alpha Industries (Private) whilst serving Finco Group of Companies for 15 years.

Mr. Silva is a qualified engineer, having graduated from University of Moratuwa and holds a Master of Business Administration with an Overall Merit Pass from University of Colombo. He completed his qualifications in accountancy in 1995 and got his membership from CIMA in 2001. With the completion of the Diploma in Marketing at CIM in 1999, he got his membership at CIM in 2002. Currently, Mr. Silva is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in UK, an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in UK and an Associate of the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) in UK. He is also a Lifetime Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Managers in Sri Lanka (CPM) and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (CMA) in Sri Lanka, the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) in Australia and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

He was a director of the Association of Laminated Flexible Packaging Manufacturers (ALFPM) for many years and is currently a member of the Council of Management and the Governing Body of the Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging (SLIP) and an EXCO member of Sri Lanka Association of Printers (SLAP).

Mr. Suresh Muttiah, prior to joining Aitken Spence PLC was attached to John Keells Group for a period of 10 years, where he held positions of General Manager – Human Resources at Union Assurance PLC and Vice President Human Resources of the group’s retail sector, where he played a key leadership role in implementing many business transformation HR strategies.

Suresh also worked at Dialog Axiata PLC for a period of 5 years and Carsons Cumberbatch group for 7 years holding key HR leadership positions. Overall, Suresh counts 25 years in the field of Human Resources of which 21 years in leadership positions.

In recognition of his significant contributions in the field of HR, Suresh was recognised with the ‘Outstanding HR Leadership of The Year Award’ in 2016, ‘Most Influential HR Leaders’ in 2019, ‘501 Fabulous Global HR Leaders of the World’ 2020 and ‘Top Most HR Leaders Award, Sri Lanka’ 2024 by World HRD Congress. Suresh was also recognised as the prestigious Alumnus of Year award by University of Southern Queensland – Australia in 2017. As the Chairperson of the HR sub-committee of Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL) and the President of the University of Southern Queensland Alumni – Sri Lankan Chapter and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of HR Professionals, Sri Lanka, Suresh was instrumental in executing many pioneering initiatives.

Suresh holds an MBA and Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Southern Queensland Australia, Chartered Qualification in HRM (CQHRM) from Institute of Personnel Management SL. Suresh is a member of CIPD (UK), IPMA HR (USA), AHRP (SL) and MCIPM (SL).

Mr. Lushan Perera joined the apparel industry in 1999 at LM Apparels (Brandix Casual Wear) in Sri Lanka as a Merchandiser for 2 years before moving to Next Sourcing Ltd, Sri Lanka (Part of Next PLC UK), where he worked as a Merchandiser Controller, gaining 5 years of experience.

Between 2005 -2008, he was attached to Melbourne Washing Plant Pvt Ltd., of EAM Maliban Group, Sri Lanka as the Business Development and Customer Relationship Manager liaising with many global retailers and local manufacturing groups.

Subsequently, in 2008, Mr. Perera relocated to Bangladesh and assumed the position of Head Merchandiser at Regency Garments Ltd. His exceptional performance led to a promotion in 2014, when he was appointed as the General Manager Merchandising/Country Manager at FR Apparel Trading, a Dubai based company that is a member of the Hirdaramani Group. Throughout his nine-year tenure with the company, he achieved remarkable revenue growth.

In 2016, Lushan assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer/Director at Progress Apparels Bangladesh Ltd, where he was a founding member. During his tenure, he successfully led the company to achieve an accumulative sales turnover exceeding USD 60 million within a span of 3 years. He continued to oversee all operations in this capacity until 2021.

In May 2022, Lushan assumed the position of Head of the Aitken Spence Apparel segment, to successfully navigate the organisation through the challenging economic downturn that Sri Lanka was experiencing at that time.

He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing UK and holds certifications as a Management Accountant and Global Business Analyst from ICMA Australia. Additionally, he pursued business studies at the National University of Singapore and obtained a Master's degree in Business Administration from Royal Roads University in Canada. Certificate, case studies of world’s leading companies from Harvard Business School 2019 and obtained various Industrial studies & certifications from Textile Universities in Sri Lanka.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena marks several milestones for the Aitken Spence Group as the first female Chairperson in its 157-year history, with her appointment as Executive Chairperson in February 2025. She was also the youngest, and the first female to be appointed to the Board of Aitken Spence PLC, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, and Browns Beach Hotels PLC, in December 2013.

With a career spanning over 10 years at Aitken Spence, she wields a fresh perspective in management and heads strategic business units across the Group. She leads several key strategic teams as the Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotel Managements (Pvt) Ltd., as Deputy Chairperson of Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) PLC., and as a Member of the Board of Directors of Stassen Group, Melstacorp PLC, and Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC.

Ms. Jayawardena is graduate of St. James’ & Lucie Clayton College and Keele University in the United Kingdom, the Emeritus Institute of Management in Singapore, and an Associate Alumni of the University of Cambridge (Judge Business School) in the United Kingdom.

The youngest intern to work under US Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton and the Former US President Bill Clinton in 2003, Ms. Jayawardena was appointed as the Sri Lankan Ambassador for EY NextGen Club from 2017 to 2019. She has served as a Member of the PwC Next- and Now-Generation Advisory Council since 2020.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena was appointed to the Executive Board of The Hotel Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and has represented THASL at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Committee since 2019. She is an Executive Committee Member at the International Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, since 2020, and currently serves as Vice Chairman and a Steering Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Sector. She served as the Chairperson of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Hotels and Tourism Employers Group for the financial year 2020/21. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Colombo International Arbitration Centre, Sri Lanka in January 2025.

Ms. Jayawardena has represented the Company as the Ambassador for Aitken Spence PLC at the Target Gender Equality initiative of the UN Global Compact since 2020.

In recognition of her work and commitment to inspire, she was recognised at The Top 50 Professional & Career Women Awards in Sri Lanka with the Gold Award in the Hotel & Hospitality Sector in 2017, and, in 2020, the Sri Lankan business magazine, Echelon, listed her among the most innovative and influential young leaders to have succeeded in business and in shaping the future of Sri Lanka.

Ms. Jayawardena was the award recipient of the Expatriate Contribution Award – Gold Category – Women in Management Maldives. The Professional and Career Women Awards Maldives 2022 presented this award to Ms. Jayawardena for her exceptional contributions and achievements in the field of Hotels & Hospitality.

Ms. Jayawardena was an award recipient at the Global CEO Leadership Excellence Awards 2024 (which honoured 50 top-tier CEOs and their teams who successfully navigated challenges in turbulent times) and was again recognised for Excellence in Corporate Leadership at the Global CEO Top Businesswomen Award 2025. Ms. Jayawardena was also recognised with the ‘Trailblazing Corporate Leader’ Award at the 15th To50 Professional and Career Women Global Awards 2025, organised by Women in Management, and as LMD’s Emerging Businessperson of the Year for 2025.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Dr. Dissanayake is an Alumni of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, NORAD, JICA, Business Alumni of the University of Oxford (UK). He has qualified as a Chartered Shipbroker (FICS) UK, Chartered Fellow (Logistics/Transport) FCILT UK and Fellow of Chartered Institute of Marketing UK. He has also pursued Executive Management Education at Harvard Business School USA and University of Cambridge UK. He is a Professor in Maritime Studies (visiting) at Shanghai Maritime University.

Experience

Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake is the Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC, appointed with effect from 15th March 2019. Prior to this appointment he was Secretary to the Cabinet Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development.

He was appointed as the first non-British International President of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers U.K. founded in 1911 and Royal Charter conferred in 1920.

Dr. Dissanayake has also held positions in the past that include, Chairman – Sri Lanka Ports Authority (two stints), Chairman – Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (Sri Lanka), Board Director Urban Development Authority and Board Director of Ceylon Shipping Corporation. During the period June 2004 to May 2017, he served as a Director of Aitken Spence PLC and the Chairman & CEO of its Maritime & Freight Logistics sector.

He was inducted as a “Legend of Logistics” by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at the National Logistics Awards Ceremony.

He is also the Chairman of Elpitiya Plantations PLC, Aitken Spence Plantation Managements PLC, Co-Chairman/ Professor CINEC Campus, Hon. Consul of Fiji Islands and served as a Professor in Maritime Studies (visiting) at Dalian Maritime University.

Ms. Nilanthi Sivapragasam joined the Aitken Spence Group as an Accountant after completing her articles at Ernst & Young, Colombo.

She now holds the position of Chief Financial Officer of the Group. She is also the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Corporate Services (Private) Limited, the Joint Managing Director of CINEC Campus (Private) Limited, and a Director of several subsidiaries and joint venture companies in the Group both local and overseas.

She is a Fellow Member of both CA Sri Lanka and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of UK.

She is currently a Board Member of the UNGC Network Sri Lanka and a Member of the Taxation Steering Committee of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

She was a member of the Statutory Accounting and Auditing Standards Committees of CA Sri Lanka and a member of the Financial Reporting Standards Implementation and Interpretation Committee and also chaired the Financial Reporting Faculty.

She served on the Board of CIMA Sri Lanka Division from 1997-1999 and 2010-2012. She also served as a Board Member of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board from 2009 - 2019 and was a Council Member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors from 2011 – 2017

She was previously a Director of Women and Media Collective, a non-governmental organisation involved in the empowerment of women.

Qualifications and Areas of Expertise

Dr. R. M. Fernando holds a PhD and an MBA from the University of Colombo. He is also a Chartered Marketer and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM UK).

Experience

Dr. Fernando joined Aitken Spence Plantation Management PLC in May 1994 and has been the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Plantation Managements PLC and Elpitiya Plantations PLC since August 1997. He has extensive experience in the plantation industry, both in the public and private sectors; corporate management, corporate strategy. He has also played a key role in the plantation privatisation programme. He was the Chairman of the United Nations Global Compact Network, Sri Lanka, a former President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Chapter and a past Chairman of the Planters Association of Ceylon.

Dr. Fernando is currently the President of the Palm Oil Industry Association which comprises of growers, processors and refiners in the palm oil industry and he also serves on the committee of the Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA).

Dr. Fernando was appointed as a member of the UNICEF Sri Lanka Business Council in 2023. He was also appointed under the Co-Chairmanship of Advisor to the President and Chairman of National Science Foundation, as a Member of the Expert Cluster on ‘Perennial Crops’ to achieve food security and nutrition in the country.

Dr. Fernando was appointed to the Board of Aitken Spence PLC on the 1st of April 2005 and is currently the Head of the Plantations segment, Corporate Strategy and Sustainability for the Aitken Spence Group.