In Memoriam

Deshamanya Mr. Harry Jayawardena, the late Chairman of Lanka Milk Foods PLC, was the driving force behind our LMF Group. He contributed significantly to the development of LMF Group by giving his wealth of knowledge, experience, resources, and a wide network of local and international connections.

Mr. Jayawardena was appointed to the Board of Lanka Milk Foods PLC as a Managing Director on 13 November 1991 and has been Chairman of the Company since 7th October 2008. He directed and guided the Company in all its important decisions. His position at its helm gave LMF Group the strength and vision to become one of the most successful diversified blue-chip companies in Sri Lanka’s corporate sector.

A visionary with exceptional business acumen, he led many enterprises in very diverse fields to achieve great success. He was the Founder of the Stassen Group of Companies, the Chairman of Aitken Spence PLC, Browns Beach Hotels PLC, Balangoda Plantations PLC, Madulsima Plantations PLC, Melstacorp PLC, Lanka Dairies Limited, Ambewela Livestock Company Limited, Pattipola Livestock Company Limited, Lanka Bell Limited, Ambewela Products (PVT) Limited, United Dairies Lanka (PVT) Limited and was the Chairman of the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC.

He was a director of several other listed and privately held companies in Sri Lanka and is a former Director of Hatton National Bank PLC, the largest listed bank in Sri Lanka. Mr. Jayawardena was sought after to lead large public sector institutions and is a former Chairman of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Sri Lankan Airlines.

Mr. Jayawardena held several honorary positions including Senior Advisor for International Trade and Foreign Investments to former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. He was also a member of the Apex Task Force to Rebuild the Nation (TAFREN), established by the then President after the December 2004 Tsunami.

In 2005, Mr. Jayawardena was awarded the prestigious title, “Deshamanya” in recognition of his services to the Motherland. He is presently the Honorary Consul for Denmark and on 9th February 2010, was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark with the prestigious honor of “Knight Cross of Dannebrog”.

In 2019, Mr. Jayawardena was ranked No. 1 in LMD 100’s longest serving chairmen and in the same year was also recognised in LMD’s 100 Club A- List of 2019 as the ‘Seasoned tycoon’.

In addition to these accolades, in 2019 Mr. Jayawardena was presented the Most Admired Leader of Sri Lanka in the category of ‘Business Accomplishments – Entrepreneurship’ by International Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka (ICCSL) and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Sri Lanka.

A doyen of Sri Lanka’s corporate sector and entrepreneur par excellence, Mr. Jayawardena was a strong business leader who was decisive in his actions.

He was an inspiration whilst uplifting the lives of many by venturing into uncharted territory, and thereby providing economic opportunities to countless communities. Moreover, Mr. Jayawardena was celebrated as a courageous leader, and profoundly influential in fostering a positive business environment within the country. His unwavering efforts not only drove significant value to customers but also positioned Sri Lanka prominently on the global stage.

His entrepreneurial spirit, business acumen, and foresight fuelled capable teams under his leadership, that are passionate, and purpose-driven, to reach excellence in every sphere of their work. Among other admirable traits, his fearless leadership and ability to turn around loss-making enterprises have distinctively set him apart from other businessmen to be an example to Sri Lanka’s corporate world.