Hayleys invites Otara to Singer SL Board as first ever female director

Friday, 3 August 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Singer Sri Lanka PLC, a subsidiary of business leader Dhammika Perera-controlled Hayleys PLC, has appointed fashion icon and entrepreneur Otara Gunewardene to the Board as a Non-Executive Director.

Otara is the first female Director on the Board in Singer Sri Lanka Plc history.

In April Hayleys created history by appointing the first ever female director Jayanthi Dharmasena to the Board for the first time in its 140 years.

Otara rose to fame as a leading female entrepreneur, fashion icon and philanthropist. Her lifestyle store ODEL became renowned throughout Asia as a top retailer, and she was the first female entrepreneur to take her company public in 2010.

After 25 years of hard work and dedication that propelled ODEL as Sri Lanka’s number one department store, Otara sold her shares to Softlogic PLC in 2014.

During her tenure at ODEL, she initiated Embark, a brand that would become synonymous with street dog welfare in Sri Lanka. She revolutionised the idea of street dog welfare by using all profits from Embark’s brand and merchandise towards rescue and treatment operations. With the progression of Embark as an organisation that works towards rescuing, treating, re-homing and improving the lives of street dogs, she has also branched out to animal welfare in general, environment conservation and social welfare through Embark and the Otara Foundation.

In April Hayleys created history by appointing the first ever female director Jayanthi Dharmasena to the Board for the first time in its 140 years.

With the latest appointment, the Singer Sri Lanka PLC Board of Directors comprises of Mohan Pandithage (Chairman), Dhammika Perera (Co-Chairman), Asoka Peiris (Managing Director), Deepal Sooriyaarachchi, Sarath Ganegoda, Hardy Jamaldeen, Dumith H. Fernando, G.J. Walker, S. Goodman, D.K.D.S. Wijeyeratne, Otara Gunewardene, Kumar Samarasinghe (alternate to Asoka Peiris), Mahesh Wijewardene (alternate to G.J. Walker), and K.K.L.P.L. Yatiwella (alternate to Sarath Ganegoda).