Aitken Spence Chairperson Stasshani Jayawardena to assume interim Managing Director role

Wednesday, 25 February 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Stasshani Jayawardena

Aitken Spence PLC has appointed its Executive Chairperson Stasshani Jayawardena as the interim Managing Director of the company with effect from 1 April 2026.

Jayawardena is graduate of St. James’ and Lucie Clayton College and Keele University in the United Kingdom, Emeritus Institute of Management, Singapore – and an Associate Alumni of University of Cambridge (Judge Business School), United Kingdom.

Jayawardena marks several milestones as the first female Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC and of Aitken Spence PLC in its 156-year history with her appointment as Executive Chairperson in February 2025. She was the youngest and first female Board member of Aitken Spence PLC, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, and Browns Beach Hotels PLC in December 2013.

With a career spanning over 10 years at Aitken Spence, she wields a fresh perspective in management and leads strategic business units across the group. She leads several key strategic teams as the Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotel Managements Ltd., Deputy Chairperson of Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) PLC, as a member on the Board of Directors of Stassen Group, Melstacorp PLC and Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC.

Jayawardena was the youngest intern to work under US Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton and the Former US President Bill Clinton in 2003; and was appointed as the Sri Lankan Ambassador for EY NextGen Club from 2017 to 2019. She is also a member of the PwC NextGen Advisory Council since 2020.

Jayawardena was appointed to the Executive Board of The Hotel Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and represents THASL at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Committee since 2019. She is an Executive Committee Member at the International Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka since 2020 and a Steering Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Tourism. She served as the Chairperson of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Hotels and Tourism Employers Group for the financial year 2020/21. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Colombo International Arbitration Centre, Sri Lanka in January 2025.

Jayawardena represents the company as the Ambassador from Aitken Spence PLC at the Target Gender Equality initiative of the UN Global Compact since 2020.

In recognition of her work and commitment to inspire, she was recognized at Top 50 Professional and Career Women Awards in Sri Lanka with a Gold award in the Hotel and Hospitality Sector in 2017, and in 2020 by Sri Lankan business magazine, Echelon, listing her among the most innovative and influential young leaders who have succeeded in business and shaping the future of Sri Lanka.

Jayawardena became the award recipient of the Expatriate Contribution Award – Gold category by Women in Management Maldives. The Professional and Career Women Awards Maldives 2022 presented this award to Jayawardena for her exceptional contributions and achievements in the field of Hotel and Hospitality.

Jayawardena was an award recipient at the Global CEO Leadership Excellence Awards 2024. The Global CEO Awards ceremony honoured 50 top-tier CEOs and their teams who met the challenges successfully in turbulent times.