Roshan quits Kahawatte Plantations to lead Hayleys plantation biz

Professional planter Roshan Rajadurai is leaving Kahawatte Plantations Plc to join Hayleys Group to lead the latters plantation business.

He has been appointed as the Managing Director of Kelani Valley Plantations PLC as well as Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC, with effect from 1 January 2013.

Diversified blue chip Hayleys plantation sector accounts for 4.5% of Sri Lanka’s tea and 2.5% of rubber production apart from employing over 25,000 people.

The two companies together own and manage 44 tea and rubber estates with a total extent of nearly 19,500 hectares. The sector also includes Mabroc Teas Ltd., a leading tea exporter in value added form to over 50 countries.

The appointment follows G.K. Seneviratne relinquishing his position as Managing Director of Kelani Valley from 31 December 2012 whilst remaining as a Director, and separately S.T. Gunatilleke relinquishing his position as Director/CEO of Talawkelle Tea Estates with effect from 31 December 2012.

The respective boards placed on record their appreciation of the valuable contributions from both Gunatilleke and Seneviratne to the companies over the years.



DPL Plantations Ltd. owns 71% of Kelani Valley, whilst Hayleys Plantation Services Ltd. owns a 75% stake in Talawakelle Tea Estates with MJF Group holding 5%.

Incoming Managing Director Rajadurai has been the CEO/Director of Kahawatte Plantations PLC since 1 April 2008, having joined the company in 2002 as the General Manager of Nawalapitiya region. He has nearly 30 years of management experience in the plantation sector and has held several senior positions with Janatha Estates Development Board and Kahawatte Plantations, including that of Estate Group Manager of Kelani Valley Plantations.

He possesses a BSc in plantation management from the University of Wayamba and a Masters degree in business administration from the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.

Seneviratne joined DPL Plantations in 1992 and to the Board in 1995 and was the Chief Executive of Kelani Valley Plantations since 1994, was appointed as Director in 1996 and as Managing Director in May 2004.

He was appointed to the DPL Board in 1998 and to the Hayleys Group Management Committee in January 2007. He has been in the plantation industry since 1970 and is a past Chairman of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon.  He also served as a member of Sri Lanka Tea Board, Rubber Research Board, Plantation Trust Board and the Tea Association of Sri Lanka and is a former Consultant of the Investment Monitoring Board, JEDB/SLSPC Estates.

Gunatilleke joined Talawakelle Tea Estates in 1992 and was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer in 2001. He was appointed to the Board of Hayleys Plantation Services Ltd. in 2003 and to the Board of Talawakelle Tea Estates in 2004.

A senior planter with over 40 years of experience in plantation management, he has held the position of Regional Director of the Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation and served as a Consultant to United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on tea plantation management.