Maharaja Foods appoints two Non-Executive Independent Directors

Monday, 29 April 2024 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Imran Furkan

Melanga Doolwala

Maharaja Foods Ltd., has announced the appointment of Imran Furkan and Melanga Doolwala as Non-Executive Independent Directors.

Founded by the visionary entrepreneur late Sivasaraman Guganathan hailing from Velani -Jaffna, Maharaja Food Products commenced operations in 1995, sourcing premium quality food items such as rice, potatoes, onions, and lentils etc., empowering local farmers whilst providing high quality food products to its customers. Today, the company stands as a symbol of quality and innovation, enriching lives with a diverse array of products including rice-based and flour-based products, spices, fish-based products, and a range of grocery items, serving both local and overseas consumers through its network of distributors in Sri Lanka, France, United Kingdom and Australia.

The new Director Imran currently advices Boards and CEOs on personal leadership, strategy as well as geopolitical and technology risk management. Currently serving as CEO of Tresync, Australia; Imran is passionate about fostering collaboration, connecting people and businesses together, fostering industry partnerships, and offering advice on macro socio-economic technological strategy. This is evidenced by his achievements in Senior management and Board Directorship roles in industries such as regulatory and industry bodies, IT/GBS, finance, commodities, media, and professional services in the Asia-Pacific region. He is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of Interfaith Network (IFN), city of Greater Dandenong, Australia. Imran was formerly an Independent Non-Executive Director of Trade Finance and Investments PLC, also served as the CEO of SLASSCOM and the Sri Lanka Press Institute. Imran is a Fellow of CPA Australia, CIMA UK, has an MBA from Australia, and a BA (Hons) Sustainable Performance Management from the UK.

The other new Director Melanga holds over 23 years’ experience in finance, specialising in financial management and strategy. At present he serves Chissworld PLC as a Non-Executive Independent Director. At Maharaja Foods, Melanga oversees critical board functions as the Chairman of the Audit Committee and the Related Party Transactions Review Committee. He is also Director of Omee Products Ltd. and A. M. D. Holdings Ltd. Formerly, Melanga was the Principal Officer/General Manager Finance and Operations at Arpico Insurance PLC, and also held management positions at X-Ont Software Ltd. and Janashakthi Insurance PLC. He holds an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) UK.

After the demise of late Guganathan in 2016, his spouse Thavamalar Guganathan (also hailing from Velani -Jaffna) took over the leadership of the business thus Maharaja Foods since then is a women owned enterprise. The company is contemplating raising fresh equity capital to finance business expansion in the near future.