Toyota Lanka CEO, Mr. Manohara Atukorala, named CEO of the Year for Strategic Leadership in Crisis Management & Mobility Excellence

 Mr. Manohara Atukorala, MD/CEO of Toyota Lanka, receiving the CEO of the Year 2025 for Strategic Leadership in Crisis Management and Mobility Excellence award from dignitaries at the award ceremony held at Cinnamon Grand Colombo

Mr. Atukorala’s career trajectory exemplifies the power of visionary foresight and disciplined execution, culminating in the remarkable transformation of Toyota Lanka during his twenty-three years with the company, from a loss-making organization into one of Sri Lanka’s most profitable automotive companies. After joining the company in a leading finance role and later assuming the apex leadership position, Mr. Atukorala has consistently driven Toyota Lanka’s evolution from a traditional Sales–Spares–Service operation into a dynamic multi-brand mobility and logistics enterprise under Toyota’s vision of “Mobility for All”.

Mr. Manohara Atukorala, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Lanka, has been named CEO of the Year for Strategic Leadership in Crisis Management & Mobility Excellence. This prestigious accolade celebrates his exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to operational excellence, strategic agility, and the sustainable growth of Toyota Lanka, particularly during periods of unprecedented challenges.

Mr. Atukorala is an alumnus of De Mazenod College, Kandana, and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. He holds an MBA from the University of Colombo and is also an Executive Education alumnus of HEC Paris Business School, having completed several global executive education programmes that have further strengthened his international strategic outlook.

He began his professional career with internships at B. R. De Silva & Co. and KPMG Sri Lanka, building a strong foundation in accounting and corporate advisory. He subsequently specialised in the hospitality sector, gaining valuable professional experience in both Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which helped shape his broad managerial perspective before transitioning into corporate leadership.

Mr. Atukorala’s career trajectory exemplifies the power of visionary foresight and disciplined execution, culminating in the remarkable transformation of Toyota Lanka during his twenty-three years with the company, from a loss-making organization into one of Sri Lanka’s most profitable automotive companies. After joining the company in a leading finance role and later assuming the apex leadership position, Mr. Atukorala has consistently driven Toyota Lanka’s evolution from a traditional Sales–Spares–Service operation into a dynamic multi-brand mobility and logistics enterprise under Toyota’s vision of “Mobility for All”.

Under his stewardship, the company not only achieved the overall No.1 position in the national automotive sector but also set new benchmarks in governance, operational discipline, and customer experience. Being the first local CEO within the Toyota Group in Sri Lanka, Mr. Atukorala marks a historic milestone in the company’s leadership journey. His tenure is distinguished by a strategic focus on innovation, resilience, and value creation, ensuring that Toyota Lanka remains a role model within the Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation ecosystem.

The award for Strategic Leadership in Crisis Management underscores Mr. Atukorala’s exceptional capability to navigate Toyota Lanka through multiple national crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturn, and government-imposed restrictions on vehicle imports.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he implemented rigorous safety protocols across all operations while maintaining business continuity. Through proactive workforce planning, digital adoption, and operational restructuring, Toyota Lanka continued to serve customers efficiently, protecting both employees and clients. His leadership has impacted the welfare of employees throughout the organisation.

In the wake of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and foreign exchange challenges, Mr. Atukorala demonstrated remarkable strategic agility. Amid vehicle import restrictions and severe supply chain disruptions, he maintained profitability and margin discipline without compromising customer service or employee welfare. By diversifying revenue streams and accelerating the company’s transition to a multi-brand mobility and logistics solutions enterprise model, he reinforced Toyota Lanka’s resilience, enabling the company to thrive even under adverse market conditions.

Beyond crisis management, Mr. Atukorala has championed initiatives that advance mobility excellence and workforce development. He was instrumental in establishing the Toyota Lanka Auto Academy, which today delivers technical training across nine South Asian countries and has nurtured over 2,000 young automotive professionals. Many of these graduates are now contributing to the global automotive sector in regions including the Middle East, Australia, the UK, New Zealand, and Japan.

Under his guidance, Toyota Lanka has played an active role in advancing industry development and community engagement. The company has contributed to shaping the national automotive curriculum, while Mr. Atukorala himself serves as a key mediator in Government-led road safety initiatives aimed at improving driving standards and public awareness. 

Recognising the importance of nurturing young talent, he also introduced the Global Toyota Dream Car Art Competition to Sri Lankan Schools, through which seven students have gone on to achieve global recognition. Through these efforts, Mr. Atukorala has extended Toyota Lanka’s impact beyond the automotive sector, supporting education, youth development, and road safety while fostering innovation and skills development within the wider community.

A hallmark of Mr. Atukorala’s leadership has been his commitment to embedding the Toyota Way principles and Japanese management discipline into local operations. By strengthening governance, quality culture, and performance excellence, he has ensured that Toyota Lanka operates with integrity, transparency, and consistent operational rigor.

Further reinforcing ethical leadership, he championed the launch of Toyota LIFE, a framework emphasising Loyalty, Integrity, Fairness, and Ethicality, which has become integral to Toyota Lanka’s organisational culture. These values have bolstered employee engagement, sustained a 95% retention rate, and positioned the company as a transparent and values-driven organisation.

Mr. Atukorala’s achievements have translated into numerous milestones for Toyota Lanka. The company has earned Toyota Customer Delight Excellence Gold Awards, Toyota Sales & Marketing Awards, recognition for Leading Performance Excellence in Global Toyota Motor Corporation Group Companies and has previously ranked among the Top 10 National Best Employers 2025 by The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, further solidifying its reputation as a leader in corporate governance and employee engagement.

Additionally, Toyota Lanka has achieved multiple brand leadership accolades, including No.1 Product & Most Loved Brand and Sri Lanka’s Most Loved Automobile Brand by LMD, underscoring the company’s market impact under Mr. Atukorala’s guidance.

His leadership philosophy, which integrates strategic vision, disciplined execution, and people-centric values, has become a contemporary business case study. The University of Colombo is compiling its Toyota Lanka turnaround as a reference on leadership, risk-taking, business model innovation, cultural transformation, and strategic agility, highlighting the replicable lessons of his tenure.

Looking forward, Mr. Atukorala continues to champion sustainable mobility solutions, digital innovation, and workforce development. His approach emphasises creating long-term stakeholder value, nurturing talent, and advancing technological adoption within the automotive sector.

Mr. Atukorala’s recognition as CEO of the Year for Strategic Leadership in Crisis Management & Mobility Excellence celebrates a career defined by transformative leadership, operational resilience, and an unwavering commitment to people, ethics, and innovation. His achievements serve as a compelling blueprint for corporate leadership in challenging times, demonstrating how vision, discipline, and integrity can drive both business success and societal impact.

Under his stewardship, Toyota Lanka has emerged stronger, more resilient, and more innovative, embodying the principles of the Toyota Way while setting new standards in strategic leadership and mobility excellence. This award not only honours his individual contributions but also recognises the enduring legacy he has built for Toyota Lanka, the automotive sector, and the community in Sri Lanka.