Aitken Spence announces three new Independent Non-Executive Directors

Aitken Spence PLC has announced the appointment of Dr. Ravi Fernando, Peter Englisch and Christian J. Sevilla as Independent Non-Executive Directors.

Dr. Ravi 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 holds a Doctor of Business Administration Degree from the European Business School in 2016. 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 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, Aitken Spence Plantation Managements PLC, UN Global Compact, LOLC Holdings PLC, and Ceylon Graphene Technologies Ltd.

In 2007 ‘Global Strategy Leadership Award’ was presented to him by Prof. Renee Mauborgne of INSEAD at the World Strategy Summit.

Peter Englisch is a seasoned executive with over three decades of experience in the fields of family business advisory, assurance, and tax services. With a strong educational background, including 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), Englisch has established himself as a thought leader and trusted advisor in the industry. Throughout his career, Englisch 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.

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, 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.

Christian J. Sevilla is a Director at Form-A-Co (Gibraltar) Ltd., and Form-A-Trust (Gibraltar) Ltd. 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, Sevilla is a Regulated Individual regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC).