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 has been the Chairman of Aitken Spence PLC since April 2003. Heading many successful enterprises, he sits 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 Aitken Spence PLC and Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC as the youngest Board Member, and the first female member on the Board.  Ms. Jayawardena heads the Tourism sector of Aitken Spence PLC inclusive of hotels, destination management and overseas travel.

With a career spanning over 10 years at Aitken Spence, she wields a fresh perspective in management and leads strategic business units across the Group. She leads several key strategic teams as the Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotel Managements (Pvt) Ltd., as a member on the Board of Directors of Aitken Spence PLC, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, Stassen Group, Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) PLC, Aitken Spence Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, Western Power Company (Pvt) Ltd., She was appointed to the Board of Directors of Melstacorp PLC and Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka in September 2022.

A graduate of St. James’ & Lucie Clayton College and Keele University in the United Kingdom, and Emeritus Institute of Management, Singapore - Ms. Jayawardena made waves from a young age. Ms. Jayawardena was the youngest intern to work under US Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton and the Former US President Bill Clinton in 2003; and was appointed as the Sri Lankan Ambassador for EY NextGen Club from 2017 to 2019.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena was appointed to the Executive Board of The Hotel Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and represents 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 a Steering Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Tourism. She was appointed as Chairperson of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Hotels and Tourism Employers Group for the financial year 2020/21. Ms. Jayawardena is also a member of the PWC NextGen Advisory Board.

Ms. Jayawardena represents the Company as the Ambassador from Aitken Spence PLC at the Target Gender Equality initiative of the UN Global Compact since 2020. She is also a member of the Austrian Business Circle in Sri Lanka.

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

Ms. Jayawardena became the award recipient of the Expatriate Contribution Award – Gold category by 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 Hotel & Hospitality.

Her passion remains in designing the next generation of business with the core values of integrity, sustainability, empowerment, and equal opportunities. She believes driving her business decisions by using data and technology.

Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake is the Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC with effect from March 2019. Prior to this appointment, he was Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development, and was the first non-British International President of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers of UK.

Dr. Rohan Fernando joined Aitken Spence in 1994. He has been the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Plantation Management and Elpitiya Plantations PLC since August 1997, and was appointed to the Main Board in April 2005. He Heads the Sustainability for the Aitken Spence Group. Dr. Fernando was former Chairman of United Nations Global Compact Network in Sri Lanka. In 2022, Dr. Fernando received the Lifetime Marker’s Achievement Award from the Association of International Marketing Graduates in Sri Lanka (AIMG).

Mr. Rajan Brito joined the Board of Aitken Spence PLC in April 2000, was appointed Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC December 2001 and Deputy Chairman in April 2003. Mr Brito continues to be a Non-Executive Director of Aitken Spence PLC post his retirement in March 2019.

Mr. Charles Gomez is a former Banker with over 30 years experience in the finance industry, and deep knowledge in international financial markets, regulations and controls. He was appointed to the Board of Aitken Spence PLC in 2002 and to the Board of Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC in 2010.

Mr. Niranjan Deva Aditya is one of the most recognized and long-serving politicians in the UK with over 35 years in public service, and became the first Asian born MP to be elected to the European Parliament. Mr. Deva Aditya joined the Company in 2006 as an Independent Non-Executive Director.

Mr. Asirwatham was appointed to the Board of Aitken Spence PLC in September 2009. He was the Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Sustainable Tourism Project funded by the World Bank and is presently the Chairman of the Financial Systems Stability Committee of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

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

Mr. Perera is an experienced professional with a diverse background in finance, investment, and strategic leadership. He joined the Board of Aitken Spence PLC in January 2023 and holds the position of Managing Director at Melstacorp PLC. He also serves as a Board member for Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC and Browns Beach Hotels PLC.

Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake is the Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC with effect from March 2019. Prior to this appointment, he was Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development, and was the first non-British International President of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers of UK.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena marks several milestones for Aitken Spence PLC and Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC as the youngest Board Member, and the first female member on the Board.  Ms. Jayawardena heads the Tourism sector of Aitken Spence PLC inclusive of hotels, destination management and overseas travel.

With a career spanning over 10 years at Aitken Spence, she wields a fresh perspective in management and leads strategic business units across the Group. She leads several key strategic teams as the Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotel Managements (Pvt) Ltd., as a member on the Board of Directors of Aitken Spence PLC, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, Stassen Group, Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) PLC, Aitken Spence Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, Western Power Company (Pvt) Ltd., She was appointed to the Board of Directors of Melstacorp PLC and Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka in September 2022.

A graduate of St. James’ & Lucie Clayton College and Keele University in the United Kingdom, and Emeritus Institute of Management, Singapore - Ms. Jayawardena made waves from a young age. Ms. Jayawardena was the youngest intern to work under US Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton and the Former US President Bill Clinton in 2003; and was appointed as the Sri Lankan Ambassador for EY NextGen Club from 2017 to 2019.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena was appointed to the Executive Board of The Hotel Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and represents 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 a Steering Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Tourism. She was appointed as Chairperson of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Hotels and Tourism Employers Group for the financial year 2020/21. Ms. Jayawardena is also a member of the PWC NextGen Advisory Board.

Ms. Jayawardena represents the Company as the Ambassador from Aitken Spence PLC at the Target Gender Equality initiative of the UN Global Compact since 2020. She is also a member of the Austrian Business Circle in Sri Lanka.

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

Ms. Jayawardena became the award recipient of the Expatriate Contribution Award – Gold category by 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 Hotel & Hospitality.

Her passion remains in designing the next generation of business with the core values of integrity, sustainability, empowerment, and equal opportunities. She believes driving her business decisions by using data and technology.

Dr. Rohan Fernando joined Aitken Spence in 1994. He has been the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Plantation Management and Elpitiya Plantations PLC since August 1997, and was appointed to the Main Board in April 2005. He Heads the Sustainability for the Aitken Spence Group. Dr. Fernando was former Chairman of United Nations Global Compact Network in Sri Lanka. In 2022, Dr. Fernando received the Lifetime Marker’s Achievement Award from the Association of International Marketing Graduates in Sri Lanka (AIMG).

Ms. Nilanthi Sivapragasam joined Aitken Spence in 1986 and is now Chief Financial Officer of the Group. She is also the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Corporate Finance (Pvt) Ltd, Joint Managing Director of the CINEC Campus (Pvt) Ltd, and Director to several subsidiaries and joint ventures of the Group

With a career spanning close to three decades at Aitken Spence, Mr. Susith Jayawickrama is at present responsible for managing all Group Hotels in overseas markets. A past Vice President of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, he serves on the Boards of most hotel companies in the Group.

Mr. Leel Wickremarachchi joined Aitken Spence in 2013. Prior to joining Aitken Spence PLC, he worked as a consultant in Liberia in West Africa under a USAID funded project in renewable energy, was Director General of the Public Enterprises Reform Commission (PERC), and also consulted for the Asian Development Bank.

With a career spanning over 3 decades with Aitken Spence, Mr. Nalin Jayasundera has successfully taken on different roles within the tourism sector, taking the lead at Aitken Spence Travels in 2013. Under his guidance, the Aitken Spence Travels business has grown by 100% over the last 5 years.

Mr. Iqram Cuttilan joined Aitken Spence Shipping Limited In 1983, and was appointed as a Director of the company in 2000, and as the Managing Director of the maritime sector in 2017. Mr. Cuttilan was involved in the setting up of the port management business in Africa and Fiji.

Mr. Janaka Gunawardena joined the Aitken Spence Group in 2016, bringing with him over 32 years of diverse management experience across multiple industry verticals including Integrated logistics, Supply Chain management, FMCG & Real Estate. In his current role, Mr. Gunawardena leads and directs the integrated logistics sector of the Group.

Mr. Jerome Brohier joined Aitken Spence Cargo in year 2000 and has over 30 years of experience in the express/ logistics industry, with 18 of them at Aitken Spence Cargo. Today, he holds responsibility for freight, customs brokerage, express and cargo aviation in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives.

Mr. Vasantha Kudaliyanage is an accomplished multifaceted leader in the aviation industry with comprehensive in-depth experience & knowledge of the aviation business. Counting over 33 years of service, he was recognised by Singapore Airlines and he was presented with the 2010 – CEO Award for his outstanding performance.

Having successfully played significant roles within the power generation segment and the maritime segment at Aitken Spence over a span of 18 years, Mr. Chaminda Hindurangala took over the leadership of the elevators segment in 2018. He was previously heading operations of the port management business in Africa.

Mr. Bhathiya Bulumulla joined Elpitiya Plantations PLC in February 1999 and was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company in 2013. He was appointed as the Director of Aitken Spence Plantations Managements PLC and of Elpitiya Plantations PLC during the years 2017 and 2018. He is the current Chairman of the Planters Association of Ceylon and serves on the Board of Plantation Human Development Trust and the Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Deshantha Silva joined the Aitken Spence in 2021, bringing with him over 24 years of diverse management experience across multiple industries in manufacturing and service sectors. He heads the Printing & Packaging segment as Director/ Chief Executive Officer. His manufacturing industry exposure includes apparel, furniture, and printing & packaging industries.

Mr. Suresh Muttiah joined Aitken Spence in 2022 and counts 22 years in the field of Human Resources of which 18 years in leadership positions. In recognition of his significant contributions in the field of HR, Mr. Muttiah was recognised with the ‘Outstanding HR Leadership of The Year Award’ in 2016, ‘Most Influential HR Leaders’ in 2019 and ‘501 Fabulous Global HR Leaders of the World’ by World HRD Congress. He is instrumental in implementing transformational HR strategies for the Group.

Mr. Lushan Perera joined Aitken Spence in May 2022 and heads the Apparel segment for the Group. He counts over 23 years of experience in the apparel industry, both in Sri Lanka and overseas, with over 13 years in senior managerial positions.

Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake is the Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC with effect from March 2019. Prior to this appointment, he was Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development, and was the first non-British International President of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers of UK.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena marks several milestones for Aitken Spence PLC and Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC as the youngest Board Member, and the first female member on the Board.  Ms. Jayawardena heads the Tourism sector of Aitken Spence PLC inclusive of hotels, destination management and overseas travel.

With a career spanning over 10 years at Aitken Spence, she wields a fresh perspective in management and leads strategic business units across the Group. She leads several key strategic teams as the Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotel Managements (Pvt) Ltd., as a member on the Board of Directors of Aitken Spence PLC, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, Stassen Group, Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) PLC, Aitken Spence Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, Western Power Company (Pvt) Ltd., She was appointed to the Board of Directors of Melstacorp PLC and Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka in September 2022.

A graduate of St. James’ & Lucie Clayton College and Keele University in the United Kingdom, and Emeritus Institute of Management, Singapore - Ms. Jayawardena made waves from a young age. Ms. Jayawardena was the youngest intern to work under US Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton and the Former US President Bill Clinton in 2003; and was appointed as the Sri Lankan Ambassador for EY NextGen Club from 2017 to 2019.

Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena was appointed to the Executive Board of The Hotel Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and represents 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 a Steering Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Tourism. She was appointed as Chairperson of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Hotels and Tourism Employers Group for the financial year 2020/21. Ms. Jayawardena is also a member of the PWC NextGen Advisory Board.

Ms. Jayawardena represents the Company as the Ambassador from Aitken Spence PLC at the Target Gender Equality initiative of the UN Global Compact since 2020. She is also a member of the Austrian Business Circle in Sri Lanka.

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

Ms. Jayawardena became the award recipient of the Expatriate Contribution Award – Gold category by 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 Hotel & Hospitality.

Her passion remains in designing the next generation of business with the core values of integrity, sustainability, empowerment, and equal opportunities. She believes driving her business decisions by using data and technology.

Dr. Rohan Fernando joined Aitken Spence in 1994. He has been the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Plantation Management and Elpitiya Plantations PLC since August 1997, and was appointed to the Main Board in April 2005. He Heads the Sustainability for the Aitken Spence Group. Dr. Fernando was former Chairman of United Nations Global Compact Network in Sri Lanka. In 2022, Dr. Fernando received the Lifetime Marker’s Achievement Award from the Association of International Marketing Graduates in Sri Lanka (AIMG).

Ms. Nilanthi Sivapragasam joined Aitken Spence in 1986 and is now Chief Financial Officer of the Group. She is also the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Corporate Finance (Pvt) Ltd, Joint Managing Director of the CINEC Campus (Pvt) Ltd, and Director to several subsidiaries and joint ventures of the Group