Board of Directors

We are committed to ensuring that our Board is strong, working effectively and able to respond to the opportunities and challenges we face.

Mr. Nimal Welgama
Chairman/Director

Mr. Nimal Welgama joined the Board of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC on 20th May 2010 as an independent Non Executive Director and was appointed Chairman of the Board. He is also a Director/Chairman of Mobitel (Private) Limited, SLT Publications (Private) Limited, SLT VisionCom (Private) Limited, SLT Human Capital Solutions (Private) Limited, Sky Network (Private) Limited, SLT Hong Kong Limited, SLT Property Management (Private) Limited and a Director of Sri Lanka Telecom (Services) Limited. Mr. Welgama is the CEO of the Upali Group of Companies and also serves as a member of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Chan Chee Beng
Director

Mr. Chan Chee Beng, a Malaysian, was appointed to the Board of Directors on the 5th of June 2008 and subsequently to the Board of Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd. and SLT Property Management (Private) Limited. He also serves as a member of the Audit Committee.

He has more than 30 years of experience in investment banking, financial management and accounting including stints with Ernst & Young and Morgan Grenfell & Co. Ltd prior to joining the Usaha Tegas Sdn Bhd (“UTSB”) Group in 1992 as head of corporate finance. He is presently an executive director of UTSB and serves on the Boards of several other companies in which UTSB has significant interests such as Maxis Berhad (listed on Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad) (“Maxis”), Maxis Communications Berhad and Binariang GSM Sdn Bhd, having an operational base in Malaysia, Bumi Armada Berhad (“BAB”) (listed on Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad), an offshore oil and gas service provider.

He is also a director of Yu Cai Foundation and MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd (“MSS”), a regional satellite operator, and a Director in a non-executive capacity on the Board of MEASAT Global Berhad (“MGB”), the holding Company of MSS. He is a member of the Audit and Nomination Committees of BAB and Maxis and a member of the Audit Committee of MGB.

Mr. Chan holds a degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Mr. Jeffrey Jay Blatt
Director

Mr. Jeffrey Jay Blatt was appointed to the Board of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC on 5 June 2008 as an independent non-executive director, and sits on the Senior Tender Board, Technology Sub Committee, Remuneration Committee and the Nomination Committee. He is also a Director of SLT Visioncom (Pvt) Limited and SLT Hong Kong Limited. Mr. Blatt acts as Special Counsel to Astro All Asia Networks PLC and Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhard (‘Astro’), as well as Usaha Tegas Sdn. Bhd. (‘UT Group’), in Malaysia, and is of Counsel at the law firm of Tilleke & Gibbins in Thailand leading its Telecom, Media and Communications (‘TMT’) practice. From 2011 through 2014 he has been named as one of Asia’s leading TMT lawyers by the Legal 500 Asia Pacific, and by Chambers Asia Pacific. His clients at Tilleke & Gibbins include Microsoft, Apple Computer, AT&T, Facebook, Workpoint Entertainment and a variety of other international clients in the telecom, broadcasting and media space.

Prior to his current positions, he was the Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and General Counsel, at Astro and the Group General Counsel of the UT Group in Malaysia. Before moving to Malaysia, he was a partner in the nationally recognised law firms of Irell & Manella LLP, and Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor and Zafman, in Los Angeles, California, and represented technology companies including Apple Computer, Sun Microsystems, Intel, Broadcom, and Sony Electronics. He also represented entertainment companies in multimedia and special effects matters including Sony Pictures Entertainment and Light Storm Entertainment.

Mr. Blatt attended the Lewis and Clark Law School, Oregon, USA and holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, cum laude, as well a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Master of Science (M.S.) degree with Distinction, from Tiffin University, Ohio. He is a member of the California and United States Federal Bars, and is a registered United States Patent Attorney.

Mr. Shameendra Rajapaksa
Director

Mr. Shameendra Rajapaksa joined the Board of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC on the 26th May 2010 as an independent Non Executive Director and serves on the Senior Tender Board and the Technology Sub Committee. He also serves as a Director of SLT Publications (Private) Limited, SLT Hong Kong Limited and SLT Property Management (Private) Limited. Mr. Rajapaksa is a Director of Sri Lankan Airlines Ltd and is the Private Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Planning.

He had served as a Director of Sri Lanka Ports Authority and as the Private Secretary to the Minister of Ports and Aviation. His previous professional experience includes Head of Engineering Services at S2 Technologies Inc, Director of Development at Leads to Wealth Inc, Engineer at Sun Microsystems Inc and Software Team Lead at NASA ISS Earthkam Programme, all based in California, USA.

Mr. Rajapaksa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Mr. Jayantha Dharmadasa
Director

Mr. Jayantha Dharmadasa is a business personality with over 35 years of experience in Business Management and over 27 years in the Health Care Industry.

Having completed his education at S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, he joined the family business Conglomerate i.e. Nawaloka Group of Companies. Mr. Dharmadasa is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Certified Professional Managers (FCPM). He was appointed to the Board of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC as an independent Non-Executive Director with effect from 26th May 2010. He also serves as the Director of SLT VisionCom (Pvt.) Ltd., SLT Human Capital Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd., and Galadari Hotels (Lanka) PLC. Mr. Dharmadasa is the Chairman of Nawaloka Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. In addition, he holds the Chairmanship of Nawaloka Hospitals PLC, Nawaloka Medical Centres (Pvt.) Ltd., Nawaloka Metropolis Clinical Laboratories (Pvt.) Ltd., Nawaloka Constructions Co. (Pvt.) Ltd., Nawaloka Polysacks – Sharjah, Sasiri Polysacks (Pvt.) Ltd., Nawaloka Aviation (Pvt.) Ltd., Ceyoka (Pvt.) Ltd., Nawaloka Trading Co. Ltd., Kola (Pvt.) Ltd., Concord Ventures Exports Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd., Sahas Wear (Pvt.) Ltd., New Ashford International (Pvt.) Ltd., Nawaloka Petroleum (Pvt.) Ltd., and Nation Lanka Finance PLC.

He is the President of Sri Lanka Cricket, the Chairman of the Outstanding Song Creators Association (OSCA) and Cinestar Foundation. He was the past Chairman of National Film Corporation and Past President of Asian Cricket Council.

Mr. Kalinga Indatissa
Director

Mr. Kalinga Indatissa joined the Board of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC on 26th May 2010 as an Independent Non- Executive Director. He is the Chairman of the Audit Committee and serves on the Senior Tender Board. He is also a Director of the SLT Human Capital Solutions (Pvt) Ltd., and SLT Property Management (Pvt) Ltd.

Mr Indatissa is a senior legal practitioner who counts more than 28 years of active practice. He was appointed a Presidents Counsel in 2012.

He was also a Director of the Sri Lanka Foundation and has been appointed as the Competent Authority reviewing underutilised assets and enterprises. He has also served as a Director at the Employees Trust Fund Board and Lecturer at Sri Lanka Law College and also as a visiting lecturer of Sri Lanka Hotel School and Sri Lanka Police Higher Training Institute. He served as a member of the Interim Committee of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board from 2010-2011.

Earlier he held the position of an Examiner and Lecturer in Civil Procedure, Law of Evidence and Criminal Law at the Sri Lanka Law College. He was a tutor in Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Administrative Law, Law of Evidence and Civil Procedure, Sri Lanka Law College.

He has also penned numerous books on the laws pertaining to computer crime, civil procedure and criminal law in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Lawrence Paratz
Director

Mr. Lawrence Paratz was appointed to the board of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC as an Independent Non-Executive Director with effect from 26th May 2010.

Mr. Lawrence Paratz holds an M. Sc. (Telecommunication Systems) with Distinction, and was awarded the Philips prize from Essex University, and an M. Eng. Sc. from the University of Queensland.

He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia (FIEAust) and an alumnus of the Stanford University Executive Development Programme. He also holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Science and Engineering (Honours).

In 2011, he was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).

Mr. Paratz has more than 30 years experience in all facets of the telecommunication industries including mobile, fixed, broadband, satellite and international networks both domestic and international. This includes capital and infrastructure development, operations, sales, customer service and regulatory issues. As a Director and Chief Executive of Acacia Australia Pty Ltd, he was responsible for development of an integrated proposal for delivery of national broadband communication for Australia.

He has served as a Director of Maxis Communication Berhad, and as Chairman of the Technology Committee of the Board. He is a former senior executive of Telstra Corporation (Australia). He is a Director of Vernet Pty Ltd, a Company providing ultra high speed Broadband to Universities and Research Establishments in Australia, and of Real Thing Entertainment Pty Ltd, an Australian technology company specialising in voice and conversation technology.

He also serves as a Director of mobile operator Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd. and of SLT Property Management (Pvt) Ltd.

Ms. Pushpa Wellappili
Director

Ms. Pushpa Wellappili is a member of Sri Lanka Administrative Service. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Jaffna, a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the Open University of Sri Lanka and a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from the University of Colombo. She is also an attorney- at law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

Ms. Wellappili was appointed to the Board of Directors on the 28th June 2012 as a Non-executive Director and serves as a member of the Audit Committee.

She currently holds the position of Deputy Secretary to the Treasury in the Ministry of Finance and Planning. She has over 30 years of experience in the public service and has held a various posts since joining the public service.