Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Thursday, 22 January 2026 03:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Chemanex PLC has appointed Dr. Anura Ekanayake as Chairman of its Board and appointed Waruna Madawanarachchi as a Non-Independent, Non-Executive Director.
Dr. Ekanayake was appointed to the Chemanex Board on 29 August 2016. He is a former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the Industrial Association of Sri Lanka and the International Natural Rubber Council. He has had an illustrious career in public service serving as a Senior Economist of the Mahaweli Authority, Director on the Boards of the State Plantations Corporation and JEDB, Director of Planning to the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Director General of the Ministry of Public Administration. He left his two-decade-long public service and joined Unilever Sri Lanka and served as Director – Human Resources and Corporate Relations for 8 years. He serves at present on a number of boards of listed companies and non-listed companies.
Dr. Ekanayake holds a B.A. (Hons) and an MSc (Agriculture) from the University of Peradeniya and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Australian National University. He is also a Fellow Member of the Institute of Certified Professional Managers.
Madawanarachchi is a senior agribusiness leader with extensive experience in corporate leadership, agricultural R&D, and strategic business development. He has played a pivotal role in driving innovation-led growth within the agribusiness sector, with particular emphasis on national seed system development, management of commercial farms and productivity enhancement. His work spans in areas like strategy formulation, governance, and the commercialization of agriculture research through public-private partnerships and international collaborations.
With a proven track record in managing cross-functional teams and engaging key stakeholders, he has contributed to strengthening the agribusiness operations in CIC Holdings PLC. He is widely respected for his ability to align scientific innovation with commercial objectives and regulatory frameworks. His professional focus is on building resilient agribusinesses, fostering innovation ecosystems, and delivering measurable value across the agricultural value chain.
Madawanarachchi currently serves as the Managing Director of CIC Agri Cluster. In addition, he holds directorships in CIC Agri Businesses Ltd., CIC Dairies Ltd., CIC Seeds Ltd., CIC Grains Ltd., Unipower Ltd., CIC Cropguard Ltd., as well as several other subsidiary companies within the CIC Agri Group.
He is a graduate from Peradeniya University and has obtained his Master’s Degree in Agronomy from Mississippi State University, USA.
