AHRP New Executive Team: Who’s who?

Ishan Dantanarayana (President)

Chief People Officer Brandix Group and Member of Brandix Leadership Team. Director of Hotel Developers Lanka PLC (Hilton Hotels), Board Member of the Skills Development Fund, National Board Advisor to AIESEC Sri Lanka. Formerly held positions of Senior Director Human Resources – Virtusa Inc. for Sri Lanka, Asia and Europe, Global Head for Training and Development and the Global HR Processing Centre – Virtusa, Country HR Manager and Senior Regional Trainer - DHL Keells Ltd., Manager HR and Admin - MTV and MBC (Yes FM and Sirasa) and Personnel/Admin Manager, Caves Group and Ferntea. Also served as Board Member for Council of Youth Corps affiliated to the Government and was a member of the National Committee on Vocational and Technical Education.

Pradeepa Kekulawala (Immediate Past President) 

Former Head of Human Resources, present Head of Logistics and Prosperities, Sri Lankan Airlines Ltd. with diverse cross industry HRD experience having served formerly as Group Director HR BAM Holdings Group (apparel), Director Group HR and Admin - BMI Group (Engineering), AGM Group HR - Metropolitan Group (Office Automation/IT) and Director Operations Kent Academy of Career Training whilst being a Corporate Trainer and HR Consultant over two decades.

Roshan Kulasuriya (Executive Vice President)

Director Business Integration and Human Resources Singer Group.  Formerly, Human Resources Director Coats Thread Exports Ltd. and Human Resources and Corporate Affairs Director - Fonterra 

Chandana Wijayanama (Senior Vice President) 

Organisation and HR Director, Siam City Cement Lanka Ltd. Formerly held positions of General Manager HR – South Asia Gateway Ltd., Executive Vice President HR - Franke Asia, Hong Kong; Head of University relations and employment practices – Holcim Group Support, Switzerland and Vice President HR – Holcim Lanka Ltd.  Project Manager – Holcim Group Support, Thailand.

Thushara Jayawardana (Vice President) 

General Manager HR - South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT), He is an Attorney-at-Law by Profession. Formerly held positions of General Manager HR - CIC Holdings PLC., Head of HR - CIC Holdings PLC., Business Partner – Group HR Dialog Axiata PLC, Manager – HR Group Field Support Services (GFSS)-Dialog Axiata PLC.

Dinusha Jayamanne (Vice President)

HR Director – Fonterra Brands Sri Lanka and Indian Sub-Continent.  She is an attorney-at-law.  Formerly held multiple positions in HR within the Brandix Group.

Oshana Dias (Vice President)

Senior Vice President – Human Resources - Fortude. Formerly held position of Head of HR at Brandix i3 and other senior positions at Brandix.

Chinthaka Premaratne (Vice President)

Group Director HR - Fairway Holdings. Formerly held positions of, Head of HRD - Goodhope Asia Holdings Ltd, Head of HRD Services - Dialog Telekom PLC, Regional Manager HR - Lanka Bell and AVP - HR - HSBC Data Processing Lanka Ltd. 

Dilani Jayalath (Secretary)

General Manager – Human Resources, Aitken Spence Group. Formerly held other positions at Aitken Spence Group HR including the position as HR Partner of Aitken Spence Corporate Finance Ltd.

Sampath Alwis (Treasurer)

Head of Human Resources - Pan Asia Bank. Formerly held positions of Senior General Manager – Group HR Operations – Brandix Group, Head of HR/Asst. Vice President – Aegis Services Lanka Ltd., Manager HR – Virtusa Ltd., Manager HR – WNS Customer Solutions/AVIVA Global Services Lanka Ltd. and Head of HR (Retail Sector) – Richard Pieris Distributors Ltd.  

Indrani Hissalle (Assistant Secretary)

Chief Innovation and Culture Officer - Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd. Formerly held the position of Chief Human Resources Officer - Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd. 

Ravi Jayasekera (Assistant Treasurer)

Vice President of Human Resources at Union Bank of Colombo PLC.  Formerly held positions of Head of HR for HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives, interim Head of HR for HSBC Australia, Senior Manager Group HR Hong Kong, Head of HR HSBC Mauritius and has held multiple HR positions at Standard Chartered Bank and Standard Chartered Grindlays Bank.

Ransi Dharmasiriwardhana (Committee Member)

Head of Human Resources, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka (SC SL). Formerly held positions of Senior HR Business Partner (SC SL), Country Talent Acquisition Manager (SC SL), Program Director, Global Learning and Talent Development (SC Singapore), Project Director, Unlimited Potential Partnership, Infoshare, Sri Lanka (USAID/Microsoft funded project), Project Manager, American Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka, and Manager - Hard Lines at KOHLS in Maryland, USA.

Chethana Liyanage (Committee Member)

CEO - Maharaja Institute of Management and the Director – Talent Management of The Capital Maharaja Organisation Ltd. Formerly held positions of Manager - Training and Development of The Capital Maharaja Organisation Ltd, Manager – Training of MTV/MBC and Executive News Anchor of MTV Channel Ltd.

Isuru Gunasekera (Committee Member)

Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Head of Sustainability, and Enterprise Risk Management of the John Keells Group.  He was formerly the CEO of John Keells Logistics and prior to that with JP Morgan Chase in investment banking in Sri Lanka and the USA.

Darshi Talpahewa (Committee Member)

Member of the Hayleys PLC Group Management Committee and Head of Group Human Resources, Legal, and Corporate Communications for the Hayleys Group. She is also a Board Directress (non-executive) of Singer Finance PLC and of UN Global Compact. She is a member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Legislative Steering Committee and an Attorney-at-Law.

Dilrukshi Kurukulasuriya (Committee Member)  

General Manager Human Resource, Diesel and Motor Engineering PLC, Attorney-at-Law. Formerly held the positions of, HR Development Manager Avery Dennison Lanka and Head of Human Resources and Legal Ceylon Pencil Company.

Nuwan Jayaweera (Committee Member)

General Manager – Human Resource at Coats Thread Exports.  Formerly held positions of, Manager Employee Relations and People Projects Fonterra Brands Lanka and held HR positions at Growth Lanka and JDC Printing Technologies Ltd.

Suresh Muttiah (Committee Member)

General Manager HR – Union Assurance PLC. Formerly held positions of, Vice President HR – John Keells Holding (Retail Sector), HR Manager – Dialog Television Ltd, Manager HR Strategy Operations and Performance Management – Dialog Axiata PLC, Head of HR – Carsons Management Service Ltd (Leisure Sector) and Manager HR – Lion Brewery Ceylon PLC.

Kaushal Mendis (Committee Member)

Director – Human Resources and Administration at Gamma Pizzakraft Lanka Ltd and also, he serves as a Governing Council Member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA).  Formerly held positions of Head of Corporate HR at Laugfs Holdings, National Human Resources Manager at DHL Keells Ltd, Human Resources Business Partner at Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC and Human Resources Manager at American and Efird Lanka Ltd (was a joint venture of Brandix Lanka).