Visionary Chairman of Hayleys PLC, leading group-wide transformation in sustainability, logistics, and diversified growth since 2009.

Veteran planter and industry leader with 40+ years’ experience shaping national plantation policy and agribusiness strategy.

Mr. Alawattegama has 40 years of experience in the Plantation Sector. He joined Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation as an Assistant Superintendent and after privatization of the Estates, has been with Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC from its inception. He has held the positions of Group Manager, Visiting Agent, Deputy General Manager, Senior Regional General Manager, General Manager - Plantations in the company and was the Director - Plantations prior to taking over as Director/CEO, in February 2020. He holds a MBA from the London Metropolitan University, UK and also, a Fellow Member of the National Institute of Plantation Management

Mr. Fernando is a Director of MJF Group of Companies and the CEO of MJF Leisure (Private) Limited. Established by Mr. Merrill J. Fernando; Dilmah, named after his two sons Dilhan and Malik, was the first producer owned tea brand, offering tea ‘picked, perfected and packed’ at origin. Dilmah is founded on a passionate commitment to quality and authenticity in tea, it is also a part of a philosophy that goes beyond commerce in seeing business as a matter of human service.

H. D. K. Randiligama, appointed to the Board on 27.12.2024, is the Group GM – Procurement & Inventory Control at Vallibel One PLC. With an MBA (PIM) and a Business Management degree from Kelaniya, she has held leadership roles locally and internationally, driving supply chain transformation. She also serves on the Boards of BOI, Hayleys Leisure PLC, and NAITA.

Mr Athukorala is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, Fellow Member of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK. Master of Business Administration, University of Warwickshire, UK; Certified Management Accountant, Australia. He counts over forty years’ experience in the fields of Management, Human Resources, Accountancy, Auditing, Consultancy and Finance. Retired international staff member of the Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines. Worked in a number of countries mainly in the Asian region.

J. D. N. Gunasekara, appointed to the Board on 27.12.2024, brings over 25 years of experience in Finance and General Management across sectors including FMCG, Tea, Leisure, and Renewable Energy. He is Group Finance Director of MJF Group and Executive Director of Dilmah Ceylon Tea PLC. A Fellow of CIMA and ACCA, and member of AICPA, he also serves on multiple boards and chairs the ICC SL Integrity & Ethics Committee.

Lt Col J. M. Kariapperuma, Independent Non-Executive Director since 2020, has over 36 years in the plantation industry, including as CEO of Horana Plantations PLC. He also held senior roles at Hapugastenna, Udapussellawa, and Balangoda Plantations. A commissioned Lt Col in the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, he completed the General Management Programme at NUS. He is currently Director General of BMICH and has held multiple board and consultancy roles in plantations and sports.

Chairman and CEO of Siam City Cement Lanka Ltd, Mr. Ekanayake brings over 30 years of leadership in finance and operations across the cement and construction sectors. He previously held senior roles at Holcim in Vietnam and Sri Lanka, including Vice President – Finance and Finance Director. He is a Fellow Member of CA Sri Lanka, CMA Sri Lanka, and a CPA Australia member. He has also completed executive education at London Business School and IMD Switzerland.

Mr. Talwatte, an accomplished business professional holds a B.Eng (Hons) in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and a MSc in Engineering Business Management from the University of Warwick, UK. He commenced his career at Nortel Networks in Project Management with stints in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. With over two decades of management experience, Mr. Talwatte has made significant contributions to the success of businesses locally and internationally. His acumen for innovation and knowledge of the business landscape is evident in his role as a FounderDirector in Healthcare (Lifeline Pharmaceuticals, Credence Genomics), Technology (UPay), and Tourism ventures (Saffron Leisure, Plush Villas); two of which were acquired by publicly listed companies in Sri Lanka

T. M. Hewagama, appointed to the Board on 05.05.2025, is the Group CFO and GMC member of Hayleys PLC, overseeing Finance, ESG, Risk, Tax, and Corporate Reporting. Since joining in 2010, he has driven Hayleys’ ESG integration and advanced corporate reporting standards. He holds an MBA and BBA in Finance from the University of Colombo and is a Member of CA Sri Lanka. He also serves on several Hayleys boards and the UNGC Network Sri Lanka.