The Quiet Maverick’s story

• Informatics and IIT founder and former BOC, SEC Chairman Dr. Gamini Wickramasinghe launches biography

Founder Chairman of Informatics and Informatics Institute of Technology and former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Bank of Ceylon Dr. Gamini Wickramasinghe recently launched his biography – The Quiet Maverick.

The biography is the work of writer, journalist and biographer Savithri Rodrigo who has penned the stories of diverse personalities and corporates.

Gamini’s story is a worthy read – from his passion to build solid careers for young people to taking Bank of Ceylon to heights never seen before, to being a trailblazing pioneer by introducing British degrees to Sri Lanka’s higher education sphere and being an astute negotiator in matters of national interest.

In his foreword, IIT Chairman Deshamanya Dr. M.D.D. Pieris writes, “This book reveals the story of an extraordinary, quick thinking, creative and decisive entrepreneur grounded in solid human values, unselfish, inclusive and altruistic… The extensive text provided by Savithri Rodrigo is a lively, fast moving, eminently readable text.” 

Pieris continues, “The book brings out with vividness and concrete examples of Gamini’s extraordinary character… Altogether therefore, this is a book that can be enjoyed at multiple levels from the warm glow of close family relationships to interesting and diverse friendships, to the pervasive presence of kindness and examples of carrying out tangible assistance to those in distress and need, to the display of qualities of entrepreneurship, leadership and initiative leading to rapid assessment and execution.”

As an introduction to Gamini, Savithri reveals, “Through three-score years and ten and a little beyond, Dr. Gamini Wickramasinghe blazed his own trail, quietly and with absolute conviction. His life was shaped by his parents who nurtured him in the fundamentals of Buddhism, while his leadership skills became apparent very early on, on the rugby and cricket fields. His hardworking traits surfaced in the UK when every job, no matter how difficult, was done in the pursuit of his mission; from being a night guard to driving a forklift, working three jobs while studying for multiple qualifications and burning the midnight oil to drive revenue for a global petroleum giant.”

This book reveals the story of an extraordinary, quick thinking, creative and decisive entrepreneur grounded in solid human values, unselfish, inclusive and altruistic

“His vision places him as the godfather of higher education in IT across one spectrum and a revolutionary in transforming the country’s largest state bank on the other. In between, he conferred scholarships on hundreds of young people, brought hope to many Internally Displaced Persons, built bridges during times of ethnic strife and even saved numerous animals from slaughter. His green thumb rooted multiple crops in the Mahaweli including Cavendish bananas and pioneered drip irrigation across the country.”

“As his story unfolds, what can be seen most clearly is that Gamini’s unassuming and straightforward leadership style has transformed people, mindsets, cultures and leaders. And that’s what makes him a quiet maverick.”

The book is available at all leading bookstores and online at www.pererahussein.com. 

Pix by Shehan Gunasekara