At Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, we count our people as our most precious asset. Leading them from the front and behind are our senior management team and, above them, our board of directors consisting of some corporate veterans who set the strategic direction for our company. The collective wisdom and experience of these seasoned executives are at the heart of our remarkable success as one of Sri Lanka’s largest and best-known food & beverage manufacturing & trading companies.
At the helm of CCS are a few renowned corporate captains, the visionary strategists who’re keen to propel our business to the next level of growth. We’re immeasurably grateful to them for what they bring to the table and are glad to note that much of our success owes to them.
Mr Balendra was appointed to the Board of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, on 1st January 2018 and was appointed as Chairperson on 1st January 2019. He is also the Chairperson of John Keells Holdings PLC, the parent company of CCS. Also serving as the Director of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the Hon. Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Sri Lanka, Mr Balendra has experience in the capacity of the former Chairperson of Nations Trust Bank and the Colombo Stock Exchange. Having started his career at UBS Warburg, Hong Kong, in investment banking, focusing primarily on equity capital markets He joined JKH in 2002, having qualified in law at the University of London.
Mr Cooray was appointed to the Board of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, on 1st January 2018. He also serves in the capacity of the Deputy Chairperson/Group Finance Director and has overall responsibility for the finance and accounting, taxation, corporate finance and strategy, treasury, IT functions, which also includes John Keells IT, and John Keells Research. Also serving as the Chairperson of Nations Trust Bank PLC, and a committee member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Mr Cooray holds an MBA from the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University, Houston, Texas.
He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK, a Certified Management Accountant of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants, Australia and holds a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.
Mr Gamlath is the President of the Consumer Foods Industry Group. He joined the John Keells Group in 2002 and was the Sector Financial Controller of the IT Sector and then the Consumer Foods Industry Group. He was appointed as the Head of Beverages in 2013. Prior to JKH Group, he worked at Hayleys Group. Mr Gamlath holds a BSc. (Eng) degree from the University of Moratuwa, an MBA from the University of Colombo and is a passed finalist of the CIMA UK. He was appointed as a member of the JKH Group Operating Committee (GOC) in 2017 and member of the Group Executive Committee (GEC) in 2019.
Presently acting as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Consumer Foods industry group, Nelindra Fernando has been with John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) since 2013.Prior to her role as CFO, Nelindra was the Sector Financial Controller at the Consumer Foods Sector. With over 20 years of experience, Nelindra previously worked at MAS Holdings for ten ( 10) years, Ernst & Young, Chartered Accountants for four [04] years and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of UK and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. She was appointed as a member of the John Keells Group Operating Committee (GOC) in 2018. Nelindra also serves as a Non Executive Director at Keells Food Products PLC board.
Appointed to the Board of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, on 15th May 2015, Mr Hamza brings over 30 years of managerial experience in the FMCG industry to the table. During his 28 year long career with Nestle in senior marketing and General Management positions in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Indonesia and Mr Hamza has played a significant role in transforming the Nestle’s role in Sri Lankan food and beverage market’ and had been instrumental in developing strong FMCG brands such as Nestomalt and Milo, which are the flagship brands of Nestle in Sri Lanka, today.
Presently he is also the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Handicraft Board – Laksala had been serving as the CEO/Director at Atlas Axillia (Pvt) Ltd, for a period of 5 years, prior. Mr Hamza holds a B. Com degree from the University of Peradeniya, an MBA from The American University in Washington DC and a Post Graduate degree in General Management from IMD, Switzerland.
Dr Wijeratnam was appointed to the Board of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, on 17th June 2016. A graduate of the University College London with a B.Sc Hons degree in Microbiology, Dr Wijeratnam obtained her PhD from the University of Cambridge, specializing in plant pathology and post-harvest technology.
She was the Head of the Food Technology Section and subsequently Additional Director Research and Development at the ITI (Former CISIR). Dr Wijeratnam was also the country representative for IAEA supported food irradiation programmes and has been a visiting scholar at Cornell University, RIKILT, Netherlands, the University of Hawaii, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Guelph.
She has served on the Board of Directors of the Atomic Energy Agency, on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the National Science Foundation and was the Chairman of the Institute of Post-Harvest Technology.
In January 2017, she was appointed to the International Advisory Board of the “Feed the Future - Horticulture Innovation Lab”, at the University of California, Davis.
Ms. Ratwatte was appointed to the Board of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, on 17th June 2016. A Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK, she also holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Colombo. Ms. Ratwatte holds Non-Executive Directorships in BPPL PLC, a manufacturer and exporter of household and professional cleaning products and is a Trustee of the Sunera Foundation, a non-profit organisation empowering differently abled persons using the performing arts.
She is also the Founding Trustee and Former Chairperson of the Federation of Environmental Organisations, which works to support environmental organisations operating in Sri Lanka.
Renuka Fernando, who was appointed as the Chairperson of Dialog Finance PLC and a member of the Board of the Company on 22 May 2020, and who currently serves as the Group Chief Digital Services Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC (Dialog), is a highly experienced, successful, and well-regarded business leader who has very significant business experience spanning 40 years in the banking sector and vast expertise in growing and developing banking with a special focus on digital banking.
Prior to joining Dialog in April 2020, she headed Nations Trust Bank PLC (NTB) as the Director/Chief Executive Officer in 2012 and has played a pivotal role in bringing the organization to where it is today. During her stint with NTB, she played many senior leadership roles, including Deputy Chief Executive Officer, DGM, Retail & Consumer Banking, and AGM, Corporate Financial Solutions. Prior to joining NTB, Renuka held the positions of Vice President / Head Global Transactional Services and Head of Consumer Banking at ABN AMRO Bank N.V, Sri Lanka. She has also worked at Banque Indosuez, Sri Lanka, as Manager Corporate Banking, and at Nederlandsche Middenstands Bank, Hong Kong.
In addition to playing key leadership roles in the corporate sector, she has also served as Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce and has previously served as Director of Lanka Clear (Pvt) Ltd. and Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Bankers Association.
She is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, UK. She is also an alumni of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Shivaan Kanag-Isvaran is a Barrister-at-Law of the Lincoln’s Inn (2000), a Graduate in Law from the University of Warwick (1998), holds a Masters in Law in International Business Law from the London School of Economic and Political Science (1999), and is an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka (2002).
He practices on the civil side in both the original and appellate courts and also specializes in international commercial arbitration, where he has represented clients both locally and internationally and has experience advising in connection with infrastructure and construction projects
He is an accredited mediator of the Singapore International Mediation Institute. He was a member of the Special Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, appointed to examine matters related to the Winding-Up Rules and their implementation.
He is a member of the Academic and Governing Council of the Bandaranayake Academy for Leadership and Public Policy and currently serves as a lecturer for the Diploma Course in Arbitration conducted by the Institute for the Development of Commercial Law and Practice.
President of the Consumer Foods Industry Group, Daminda joined the John Keells Group in 2002 and served as the Financial Controller of the IT Sector and the Consumer Foods Industry Group; and the Head of Beverages. Prior to joining the JKH Group, he worked at Hayleys Group. Daminda is an Engineering Graduate of the University of Moratuwa, an MBA of the University of Colombo and is a finalist of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of UK. He was appointed to the John Keells Group Operating Committee (GOC) in 2017 and to the Group Executive Committee (GEC) in 2019.
Presently acting as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Consumer Foods industry group, Nelindra Fernando has been with John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) since 2013.Prior to her role as CFO, Nelindra was the Sector Financial Controller at the Consumer Foods Sector. With over 20 years of experience, Nelindra previously worked at MAS Holdings for ten ( 10) years, Ernst & Young, Chartered Accountants for four [04] years and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of UK and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. She was appointed as a member of the John Keells Group Operating Committee (GOC) in 2018. Nelindra also serves as a Non Executive Director at Keells Food Products PLC board.
Head of Supply Chain Management of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, Sanjeewa joined the John Keells Group in 2010. Having worked at Unilever Sri Lanka for 14 years in different areas of the supply chain, he is an Associate of the Institute of Engineers, Sri Lanka, and holds a BSc. Engineering degree from the University of Peradeniya and an MBA in Management of Technology from the University of Moratuwa.
Head of Frozen Confectionery category of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, Sathish has over 25 years’ experience in sales and marketing functions in diverse industry sectors. Prior to joining JKH, he was attached to Unilever Sri Lanka for 14 years in sales, marketing, customer and trade marketing fields. He has also worked for Pure Beverages Ltd, Cargills Ceylon PLC, Bharti Airtel Lanka Ltd and Heineken Asia Pacific. Sathish holds a master’s degree from Cardiff Metropolitan University (UK) and a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK).
Imani Perera is Head of Human Resources, Consumer Foods at John Keells Holdings PLC. With nearly 20 years of experience in human resources, her career has seen her rise through various leadership positions, including Vice President and Assistant Vice President - Head of Group Learning and Development at John Keells Holdings PLC. Imani’s diverse background spans roles in business development, trade marketing, HR consulting, and training and development. She holds a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in English Language and Literature, along with a professional qualification in marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). Her expertise and strategic vision play a vital role in shaping the human resources landscape within the Consumer Foods Sector.
Head of Beverage Category of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, Jude joined the John Keells Group in 2020. Jude has over 15 years’ of experience in the FMCG sector, having started his career at Dialog Axiata and continuing at Unilever Sri Lanka, Reckitt Benckiser Bangladesh & Reckitt Benckiser Sri Lanka. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing & Management from Edith Cowan University, Australia and a Diploma in Industrial Psychology. Jude is currently reading for his MBA at University of Colombo.
Head of Factory of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, Previously he was the Factory Manager of The Colombo Ice Company (Pvt) Ltd. Irsula joined John Keels Group in 2015. Prior to that, he worked at Unilever Sri Lanka for 8 years in the engineering function. He is an Associate of the Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka and holds a B.Sc. Engineering degree from the University of Moratuwa and an MBA in Management of Technology from the University of Moratuwa.
Sudeepa Weerasekara is the Head of Sales for Beverages at Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, boasting 11 years of specialized experience in marketing and sales. He holds a Bachelor of Business with a double major in Management & Marketing from Edith Cowan University (ECU) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) along with a Master of Business Administration from Staffordshire University. Sudeepa's career journey includes significant roles such as Head of Emerging Category, Senior Marketing Manager, Marketing Manager and Brand Manager, Assistant Brand Manager at Ceylon Cold Stores, as well as Senior Executive Brands at Associated Motorways (Private) Limited. His dynamic leadership and in-depth understanding of the beverage market are instrumental in driving the sales growth and market presence of the company's beverage sector.
Head of Sales for the Frozen Confectionery category, Mahendra joined Ceylon Cold Stores PLC in 1991 and has 27 years experience in sales function in both Soft Drinks and Ice Cream categories.
Financial Controller of the Consumer Foods Industry Group. He joined the John Keells Group in 2022. He has over 18 years of experience in FMCG, Travel & Tourism, and Textile & Audit. Gihan is an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and the Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka.
Madushan Perera is the Assistant Vice President - Head of Financial Planning & Analysis (Consumer Foods Sector) at John Keells Holdings PLC. With over 10 years of experience, he holds a B.Sc in Accounting Special from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, an ACMA, CGMA-Associate membership, and a CIM - Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Marketing. His journey includes roles such as Manager in Management Accounts and Senior Manager in Planning and Strategy at Ceylon Cold Stores PLC.
Head of Innovation and Product Development of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, Udaya joined the John Keells Group in 2014. Prior to that, he has worked at Lion Brewery Ceylon PLC and Varun Beverages Lanka (Pvt) Ltd over 12 years and he has more than 18 years of experience in different areas of FMCG industry. Udaya holds a BSc. Degree in Microbiology from University of Kelaniya and MSc in Food Science & Technology from University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
Head of Marketing in the Beverages category of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, Dilshani joined the company in 2019. She has over 20 years’ experience in sales and marketing functions in diverse industry sectors including her stint at AkzoNobel Paints Lanka Pvt Ltd for 9 years in Marketing & Category Management functions. Dilshani holds a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK).
Head of quality assurance of Ceylon Cold Stores, Nirosh has 20+ years of experience in the FMCG food and beverage sector.Having held key roles in R & D , quality and regulatory affairs. Nirosh hold the BSc. (Agri) Special degree from University of Peradeniya and MBA from the Post Graduate Institute of Management from University of Sri Jayawardenapura.
Head of Tax of John Keells Consumer Food and Retail Industry Group. Thushani has over 13 years of experience in tax compliance and tax advisory services for clients of a diversified portfolio. Thushani joined the John Keells Group in 2021; having previously served at Ernst & Young, Sri Lanka for a last 10 years. Thushani is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and holds a B.Sc. Finance (Special) degree from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura.
Factory Manager of The Colombo Ice Company (Pvt) Ltd, Previously he was the Head of Production of The Colombo Ice Company (Pvt) Ltd. Indunil has over 20 years of experience in Ice Cream Manufacturing, Process Design and R&D. He holds a master’s degree in food science and technology from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura and bachelor’s degree in applied sciences from Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
Iranda joined with CCS back in 2005 and has 20+ years of experience having held key roles in Business Systems and Information and Communication Technology. Iranda holds the BSc. Mangement Information Systems degree from the University College Dublin and the MBA in Project Mangement from the Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Damith joined with CCS in 2021 and he has previous experience in Avery Dennison, Fonterra Brands Lanka and MAS Holdings. Damith holds the BSc. Engineering degree from University of Moratuwa and the MBA from University of Sri Jayawardenapura. In addition, Damith holds the MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Mangement from Birhimham City University, UK.
Jani Ganeshan serves as the Sector Financial Controller for the Consumer Food Sector of John Keells Holdings PLC, with a rich professional background spanning 13 years. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Colombo and is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (FCA). Additionally, she has earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of West London. Jani's previous roles include General Manager at Rockland Distilleries, Deputy Sector Financial Controller at Richard Pieris & Company, and Finance Manager at Ceylon Cold Stores PLC. Her extensive financial expertise and strategic insight play a crucial role in steering the financial operations of the sector
Kumudu Gamage is the Head of Engineering for the Consumer Food Sector at John Keells Holdings PLC, bringing over 20 years of extensive experience in the field. He holds a B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Moratuwa and has played significant roles in various prestigious organizations. Prior to joining JKH, he served as the Deputy General Manager of Engineering and R&D at Alumex PLC and as Sector Head for Food Solutions at Silvermill Group. Additionally, Kumudu has substantial experience in the manufacturing of personal care products and food products, having worked in roles that involved innovation and technology management, as well as project engineering. Notably, he held many roles in the engineering field at Unilever Sri Lanka, where he contributed to significant advancements in engineering. Kumudu's vast expertise and leadership in engineering and R&D contribute significantly to the company's growth and innovation in the consumer food sector.
