Para appointed new Chairman of SL Port Authority

• Quits as Chairman/CEO Aitken Spence Maritime, Ports and Logistics to assume national role once again

Top professional and maritime economist Parakrama Dissanayake has been appointed the new Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) by Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.

Dissanayake was also the Chairman of SLPA from 2001-2004. He was recently elected the first Non-British International President of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers UK, founded in 1911, Royal Charter conferred in 1913.

Before assuming duties as Port Chief, Dissanayake was Chairman/CEO Aitken Spence Maritime, Ports and Logistics and a Main Board Director of Aitken Spence Plc. 

He gave leadership to Aitken Spence Ports International, the first Sri Lankan company to venture into Port Management overseas and the first Sri Lankan company to pursue a Public Private Partnership in ports overseas.

Some of the industry-related leadership positions he has held include Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (Sri Lanka), Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (Sri Lanka), Chairman of the Sri Lanka Transport Board Advisory Council and Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (SC) on Ports, Aviation and Logistics.

Professionally he has obtained the highest Chartered qualification in Shipping {FICS (UK)} and Logistics/Transport {FCILT (UK)}.

He is a University of Oxford (UK) Business Alumni, Alumni of University of Sri Jayawardenepura and a Fellow of the Harvard Business School (USA), Norad and JICA.