Harry Jayawardena
Encyclopedia
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, Sri Lanka's only indigenously owned second largest fixed line telecommunications operator, and of the highly diversified Aitken Spence
PLC.http://www.aitkenspence.com Mr. Jayawardena is also the Honorary Consul General
for Denmark
in Sri Lanka. He was listed as the Richest Person in Sri Lanka in 2008.
Currently, he is also the Chairman of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
.
By 1988 Mr. Jayawardena's companies became a significant shareholder of the country's largest private commercial bank, Hatton National Bank
. 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
http://www.dcslgroup.com (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.
The group also now include Balangoda Plantations PLC, Madulsima Plantations PLC, Pelwatte Sugar Industries 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, destination management, hospitality, health care, power generation and infrastruture, media management, port management and logistics in the Asian subcontinent including Sri Lanka, India
and the Maldives
.
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. In 2007 Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC is the sole Sri Lankan company to be listed once again in the Forbes List of Asia's best 200 under a US$ Billion.
World renowned First Asian Green Globe
award winner Kandalama Hotel(Heritance - Kandalama) and award winning Tea Factory hotel both located in Sri Lanka are owned by the companies in the group.
that affacted most parts of Sri Lanka. He was also appopinted Chairman of SriLankan Airlines
, Sri Lanka’s National carrier, becoming Executive Chairman in January 2008.
in Sri Lanka. The Jayawardenas have three children.
Deshamanya
Deshamanya is the second highest Sri Lankan national honour awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a civil honour.It is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the awardee's name....
Don Harold Stassen Jayawardena (born on August 17, 1942 in Ja ela, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
), 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
Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC
Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC is a diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of US$ 300 Million. It was one of the first Sri Lankan companies to be listed in Forbes's Best Managed companies under a USD billion...
, Lanka Bell Limited, Sri Lanka's only indigenously owned second largest fixed line telecommunications operator, and of the highly diversified Aitken Spence
Aitken Spence
Aitken Spence PLC is a blue chip conglomerate operating out of Colombo, Sri Lanka.-History:Aitken Spence was formed in 1868 as Clark Spence and Co. It was appointed as an agent for Lloyds of London in 1876. Aitken Spence was established as a limited liability company in 1948...
PLC.http://www.aitkenspence.com Mr. Jayawardena is also the Honorary Consul General
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
for Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in Sri Lanka. He was listed as the Richest Person in Sri Lanka in 2008.
Currently, he is also the Chairman of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
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 JayewardeneJunius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene , famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the first executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 till 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence...
.
By 1988 Mr. Jayawardena's companies became a significant shareholder of the country's largest private commercial bank, Hatton National Bank
Hatton National Bank
Hatton National Bank PLC is a leading private bank in Sri Lanka. It has overseas extension offices in Chennai and Karachi.- History :...
. 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
Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC
Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC is a diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of US$ 300 Million. It was one of the first Sri Lankan companies to be listed in Forbes's Best Managed companies under a USD billion...
http://www.dcslgroup.com (DCSL) in 1992 in the then largest transaction in the Colombo Stock Exchange
Colombo Stock Exchange
The Colombo Stock Exchange is the main stock exchange in Sri Lanka. It is one of the most modern exchanges in South Asia, providing a fully automated trading platform...
. In 2007 DCSL under Mr. Jayawardena’s Chairmanship became the No. 1 listed company as per the “Business Today
Business Today
Business Today may refer to:*Business Today , an American, non-profit student organization*Business Today , an Indian fortnightly business magazine* Business Today...
” Top 10 rankings.
The group also now include Balangoda Plantations PLC, Madulsima Plantations PLC, Pelwatte Sugar Industries PLC
Pelwatte Sugar Industries PLC
Pelwatte Sugar Industries PLC is a listed as SUGA.N0000 in the Colombo Stock Exchange. The main sugar factory of the group is located in Buttala in The Moneragala District in the Uva Province , about 225 km from Colombo to the east of the country. Pelwatte Sugar was incorporated on 19 February...
, 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, destination management, hospitality, health care, power generation and infrastruture, media management, port management and logistics in the Asian subcontinent including Sri Lanka, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
.
Awards and recognition
Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLCDistilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC
Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC is a diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of US$ 300 Million. It was one of the first Sri Lankan companies to be listed in Forbes's Best Managed companies under a USD billion...
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. In 2007 Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC is the sole Sri Lankan company to be listed once again in the Forbes List of Asia's best 200 under a US$ Billion.
World renowned First Asian Green Globe
Green Globe
Green Globe is based on Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit . Green Globe Certification and Green Globe Asia Pacific deliver separate certification services and standards to the travel & tourism as well...
award winner Kandalama Hotel(Heritance - Kandalama) and award winning Tea Factory hotel 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 quoted as threatening to shoot the Chairman. Subsequently Harry Jayawardena assumed duties as the Chairman of DCSL in an irregular manner.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. 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) established by the President of Sri Lanka after the December 2004 tsunami2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
that affacted most parts of Sri Lanka. He was also appopinted Chairman of SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Sri Lanka. It operates to destinations in Asia and Europe from its base and hub at Bandaranaike International Airport . The airline's trademark phrase is 'You're Our World', and the company's logo features a stylized peacock...
, Sri Lanka’s National carrier, becoming Executive Chairman in January 2008.
Family
He is married to Priya Jayawardena, Honoraray Consul General to SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in Sri Lanka. The Jayawardenas have three children.