Harry Jayawardena
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Harry Jayawardena | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 17, 1942 |
| Occupation(s) | Chairman, DCSL, Aitken Spence, Sri Lanka Insurance |
| Spouse | Priya Jayawardena |
| Website | http://www.stassengroup.com |
Deshamanya Don Harold Stassen Jayawardena (born on August 17, 1942 in Ja ela, Sri Lanka), widely known as Harry Jayawardena, is one of the most prominent and controversial Sri Lankan businessmen. He is currently the Chairman of the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC, Lanka Bell Limited,[1] Sri Lanka's only indigenously owned second largest fixed line telecommunications operator, and of the highly diversified Aitken Spence & Company Limited.[1] Mr. Jayawardena is also the Honorary Consul General for Denmark in Sri Lanka.
History
After resigning from public service as the Tea Department Manager of state owned monopoly trading company State Trading Company (Consolidated Exports) Ltd, better known as Consolexpo, he pioneered the Stassen Exports Limited on September 7, 1977 as a company to export Ceylon Tea. This happened when Sri Lanka ventured to the free market economy with the induction of the then Sri Lankan President Junius Richard Jayewardene.
The name “Stassen” was decided on since the company should have a western-sounding name that was marketable in foreign tea markets. This name held further significance as Jayawardena's middle name.
By 1988 Mr. Jayawardena's companies became a significant shareholder of the country's largest private commercial bank, Hatton National Bank.[2] The companies significantly owned by Harry Jayawardena ventured into many other areas such as food and beverage with the acquisition of majority shares of then state owned Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) Limited in 1991 and later the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC [2] (DCSL) in 1992 in the then largest transaction in the Colombo stock Exchange. In 2007 DCSL under Mr. Jayawardena’s Chairmanship became the No. 1 listed company as per the “Business Today” Top 10 rankings.[3]
The group also now include National Asset Management Limited, Balangoda Plantations PLC, Madulsima Plantations PLC, and many other Sri Lankan companies in diverse areas of business. The group has interests in commercial and development banking, insurance, telecommunication, fund management and unit trusts, food and beverage, liquor, tea and produce, hotel management,[4] destination management, hospitality, health care, power generation and infrastruture, media management,[5] port management and logistics in the Asian subcontinent including Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives.
Awards and Recognition
Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC and Aitken Spence & Co. Ltd, both of whom Mr. Jayawardena is the Chairman, were the first Sri Lankan companies ever to be listed in the Forbes List of best managed companies outside the USA.[6] In 2007 Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC is the sole Sri Lankan company to be listed once again in the Forbers List of Asia's best 200 under a US$ Billion. [7]
World renowned First Asian Green Globe award winner Kandalama Hotel [8](Heritance - Kandalama) and award winning Tea Factory hotel[9] both located in Sri Lanka are owned by the companies in the group.
Controversy
During a December 2006 attempt to remove the Chairman of the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka, Jayawardena, then Managing Director of DCSL, was qouted as threatening other shareholders at the board meeting.[10] Subsequantly Harry Jayawardena assumed duties as the Chairman of DCSL in an irregular manner.[10]
Honorary positions
Mr. Jayawardena also held several honorary positions including the Senior Advisor for International Trade and Foreign Investments to the then Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga.[11] He was a member of Colombo Stock Exchange for many years. He was a member of the Apex Task Force to Rebuild the Nation (TAFREN)[12] established by the President of Sri Lanka after the December 2004 tsunami that affacted most parts of Sri Lanka. He was also appopinted Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka’s National carrier,[13] becoming Executive Chairman in January 2008.[14]
Family
He is married to Priya Jayawardena, Honoraray Consul General to Spain in Sri Lanka. The Jayawardenas have three children.
References
- ^ "Lanka Bell targets over 100,000 CDMA lines by mid August". Daily News Online. August 9, 2005. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Stassens still holds HNB reins". Daily News Online. December 26, 2007. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Top 10". Daily News. October 10, 2007. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Sri Lanka Aitken Spence to run Oman hotels". Lanka Business Online. February 7, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Harry Jayawardena tries his hand at media, advertising". The Sunday Times eEdition. August 6, 2006. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Aitken Spence Group posts record results". Daily News Online. November 14, 2003. Retrieved 2009-22-09.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Sri Lankan Distilleries in Forbes's 'Best Under a Billion'". Lanka Business Online. October 9, 2007. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Heritance Kandalama Acclaim". Aitken Spence Hotels. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Tea Factory Hotel Acclaim". Aitken Spence Hotels. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ a b ""I'm going to shoot you," Harry tells Vittachi". The Nation on Sunday. December 3, 2006. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Cover Supplement: Aitken Spence". September 2005. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|publischer=ignored (help) - ^ "Background". www.recoverlanka.net. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Looking back at 2006: Harry J, peace talks dominate business focus this year". The Sunday Times Online. December 24, 2006. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Harry J. flies higher and higher on SriLankan Airlines". The Sunday Times Online. January 13, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-22.