Appreciation on James Selvam Mather He was the fatherly adviser to all the articled clerks

• He was the fatherly adviser to all the articled clerks during our time
• ames Mather was a member of the Council of CA Sri Lanka

He was invited by me as the Guest of Honour when I was president at the OPA and he related the story as to what happened at the TY rag party held at the Boys Scout Headquarters next to the army headquarters when a few of them climbing the roof to take a peep at the cabaret artiste 

By Prof Lakshman R Watawala 

It is with profound sadness and grief that I received the news of the passing away of James Selvam Mather our Mentor, Guru, an erudite Chartered Accountant, Staff Partner and Senior Partner at Turquand Youngs (TY currently EY) who made professional chartered Accountants by recruiting, guiding and training young students after college to become successful professional chartered accountants and be promising leaders in the Private and Government sector. 

As a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Eng & Wales) and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, he was a leading chartered accountant well respected by all. As the staff partner he conducted the Poppy Day monthly to meet articled clerks. It was a very anxious moment for all of us as he checked the Foulks Lynch Tutor answer scripts and the places of training and work done. Our career development, career progress and reaching the top with hard work, integrity and honesty was the outcome of the moulding we received during our articled clerk days and thereafter.  He was the fatherly adviser to all the articled clerks during our time and thereafter. With the Senior Partner Late M. T. L. Fernando they made us proud to be with TY as a leading audit firm in Sri Lanka. I was recruited by James Mather with no pull or favour, but on my STC school certificates and was articled under Late M .T.L. Fernando Senior Partner of TY where the duo led the top Chartered Accounting & Audit firm taking it over from the British.  After passing out my first job as Group Accountant at Rowlands, a leading motor company, was his wish to succeed those who held the posts earlier from T.Y. Lakshman de Silva and Chubi Jayasinghe and with Anil Peiris joining later. 

James Mather was a member of the Council of CA Sri Lanka and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from CA Sri Lanka in 2015   and was also recognised to the Hall of Fame of CASL. He supported me to contest and win at the institute council elections at a young age which enabled me to end up becoming its president for two terms. He supported me when I started and led the AAT Sri Lanka and CMA Sri Lanka where he served on the advisory Council with the other erstwhile chartered accountant and senior partner from Ford Rhodes currently K.P.M.G. Dr. Gamini Wijeyesinghe.   

Jonathan Mather his nephew did not receive any special treatment and was treated same as the others. In later days, every time Jonathan was in Sri Lanka he used to host a lunch at which many of us were present. However, we missed the last one due to his illness.  

He was invited by me as the Guest of Honour when I was president at the OPA and he related the story as to what happened at the TY rag party held at the Boys Scout Headquarters next to the army headquarters when a few of them climbing the roof to take a peep at the cabaret artiste and unfortunately the roof came down and some were injured.  This is only one of the few interesting stories during the articled clerk days and our colleagues will have many more to add.

We have lost someone who has been part of our life from student days, a mentor, guide, advisor, friend, and we owe our achievements to this great personality respected in the profession and corporate sector. 

We pay our condolences to his wife Nelun, son Rohan, daughters Shyamala, Rehana and to his nephew Jonathan who had a close link with the uncle and much loved by him.

May his soul rest in peace.    

(The writer is an Articled Clerk TY & Co. (EY) Chartered Accountants Past President Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka Former Chairman Peoples Bank and BOI Sri Lanka)