New EDB Chief pledges to do best for brand ‘Sri Lanka’ exports

Newly appointed Chairman of the Export Development Board Suresh de Mel yesterday pledged to do his best for brand ‘Sri Lanka’ exports, especially by small and medium enterprises. 

“I am humbled by this honour and privilege, but have no illusions about the long (and winding) road ahead,” said Suresh, who is highly-respected business leader well known for campaigning for exports and tourism especially by the small and medium sector as well as passionately championing entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka via the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN).

“I pledge to do my best for brand Sri Lanka exports and of course for the vast untapped potential of my SME colleagues around the country at this vital time,” he told the Daily FT.

Suresh was appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and succeeds another prominent exporter and industrialist, Prabhash Subasinghe, who gave notice last week after completing one year of service. 

Suresh completed his tertiary education with a Bachelor of Science Degree from California and worked in the US as an Agricultural and Environmental Engineer for 10 years. He returned home in 1990 and invested in Tangalle – a post-conflict area at the time, to employ unemployed young women and earn foreign exchange for the country by manufacturing designer fishing flies (artificial sport fishing bait) for export to the US.

Lanka Fishing Flies Ltd., a pioneering export industry, was started by his father in 1981 as a cottage industry in their home in Nugegoda. Today the company employs 200 women in Tangalle, Ratnapura and Nugegoda, producing the world’s best quality fishing flies for export. 

He is also the Chairman of EcoWave Ltd. and EcoWave Travels, which are social enterprises working with 200 spice farmers in the Moneragala and Ampara Districts, promoting sustainable organic agriculture and responsible eco/agro tourism.

He actively serves on several boards and committees – Government and Non-Government, for the development of regional SMEs, entrepreneurship, vocational training, labour relations, responsible tourism, sustainable agriculture, and exports.