Rohan Fernando appointed as SLT Chairman

A veteran tea exporter and the founder of the Heladiv Tea brand, Rohan Fernando was appointed as the new Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), on Tuesday. 

The government was earlier planning to appoint former Urban Development Authority (UDA) Chairman Nimal Perera to the position.

However, the appointment of 75-year-old Perera was delayed due to a maximum age limit imposed at 70, as per Section 211 of the Companies Act No. 7 of 2007. 

Fernando is the current Chairman of HVA Food PLC, which is known for its Heladiv-branded tea, registered and sold in 40 countries. 

He is a past Chairman of the Tea Exporters Association of Sri Lanka and currently a council member. 

Further, he served as President of the National Chamber of Exporters in 2008 and 2009 and currently serves as a council member representing the board. 

He also serves as a Director in several organisations, including Ceylinco General Insurance Ltd.

Fernando, who posses over 42 years of experience in the tea industry, began his career as a trainee tea taster at Carson Cumberbatch & Co., in 1970s, before founding his own firm in 1990s. 

Following the presidential elections, W.K.H. Wegapitiya, Kanishka Senanayake, Nilanthi Pieris and Pradeep Kumara have resigned as Directors of SLT.

The Sri Lankan government owns approximately 54 percent of the shares in SLT through the Treasury and other state-controlled financial institutions, while Global Telecommunications Holdings NV owns 44.98 percent of the shares of the firm.