Ceylinco Holdings announces two new appointments to Board from January

Tuesday, 10 December 2024 01:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ranil Goonetilleke

Chrishan Fernando

Ceylinco Holdings PLC has announced the appointment of Ranil Goonetilleke and Chrishan Fernando as Independent Non-Executive Directors with effect from 1 January 2025.

Goonetilleke (FCMA), is a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants UK (CIMA). He began his career at KPMG Sri Lanka, and thereafter joined Haycarb PLC to its Finance Division and progressed to be its Divisional Manager - Finance. Subsequent to his employment at Haycarb, in 1998, he joined Ceylon Brewery PLC as its Financial Controller and in April 2004 was appointed Director Finance Lion Brewery Ceylon PLC which post he held until his retirement in December 2023.

Currently he is a Non- Executive Director of Lion Brewery Ceylon PLC, Pegasus Hotels of Ceylon PLC and Namunukula Plantations PLC. He also serves in their Audit Committees and Related Party Committees. He is the immediate past Chairman of tile Exporters Association of Sri Lanka of tile Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

During his career spanning over 40 years, in addition to his experience in finance and related fields, he has gained a good working knowledge in tile areas covering Manufacturing, Legal, Logistics, Governance, Audit, Insurance, Procurement, Risk Management and Cost Restructuring. He has participated in several training programs covering varied general management topics both overseas and in Sri Lanka whilst more specifically in Strategic Cost Management at INSEAD France and Formulating and Actioning Strategy, Wharton University, Philadelphia.

He is a Board Member of the National Council for Child and Youth Welfare.

Chrishan Fernando is a veteran leader with nearly 25 years of experience in the global IT industry.

His international career began with Compaq Computer in 1997, where he was based in Singapore, overseeing markets across South Asia. Following the merger with HP, Chrishan returned to Sri Lanka, his homeland, and established the HP office there.

In 2009, Chrishan was head hunted by IBM to serve as the Country General Manager for Sri Lanka, leading the country’s largest IT company. During his tenure, he introduced new lines of business, including software and IBM’s Global Business Services, to the Sri Lankan market.

As Dell Technologies in Sri Lanka and the Maldives Country Manager Chrishan led the organisation to achieve the No.1 position in market share for both consumer and commercial business segments in Sri Lanka. Additionally, he contributed to the growth of Fiserv as Director of Sales in Sri Lanka.

Currently, Chrishan serves on the boards of several Sri Lankan startups. A passionate advocate for skills-based education, he is committed to empowering Sri Lanka’s adaptable human resources, believing they hold the key to the nation’s progress.

Chrishan holds an MBA in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Marketer (Asia Pacific). He is also a Certified Director of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors.

Beyond his professional achievements, Chrishan is deeply involved in religious and social work. He actively participates in numerous social service initiatives and serves on the Standing Committee of the Colombo Diocese of the Church of Ceylon.