Dhammika Perera quits politics; returns to Hayleys and Vallibel

Business leader and ex-Parliamentarian Dhammika Perera is set to return to the corporate world by re-joining the Boards of Hayleys PLC and Vallibel PLC in which he is the largest shareholder this week.

Hayleys PLC yesterday formally announced the re-appointment of Dhammika to its Board as a Non-Executive Director and Co-Chairman a post he held previously too. Vallibel PLC is expected to follow suite.  

The move follows dissolution of Parliament last week and signals he isn’t keen to remain in politics.

To take up a seat in Parliament as a National List MP of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Dhammika resigned from multiple Boards and stayed away from the corporate world for over two years.

In the interim period in politics Dhammika also toyed with the idea of being a Presidential candidate only to announce withdrawal a month before the 2024 election.

Hayleys PLC is Sri Lanka’s number one conglomerate with extensive interests in exports, manufacturing and services sectors whilst Vallibel is the holding company of several other listed and unlisted companies with interests in multiple sectors. 

Hayleys PLC in its announcement yesterday said Dhammika is a philanthropist, quintessential strategist and business leader with interests in various key industries, including manufacturing, banking and finance, leisure, plantations, and hydropower generation. He has over 35 years of experience building formidable businesses through unmatched strategic foresight and extensive governance experience gained through membership of the Boards of quoted and unquoted companies.

Currently, he is the Chairman/Founder of Dhammika and Priscilla Perera Foundation.