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Harry Jayawardena

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Harry Jayawardena
Born
Don Harold Stassen Jayawardena

(1942-08-17)17 August 1942
Ja-Ela, British Ceylon
Died3 February 2025(2025-02-03) (aged 82)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
OccupationBusinessman
Years active1977–2025
Known forChairman of Melstacorp
SpousePriya Jayawardena
Websitestassengroup.com

Deshamanya[1] Don Harold Stassen Jayawardena (17 August 1942 – 3 February 2025), known as Harry Jayawardena, was a Sri Lankan industrialist. He was the chairman of Melstacorp PLC[2] and was the Honorary Consul General for Denmark in Sri Lanka. Forbes listed him as one of the richest people in Sri Lanka.[3]

Career

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Early career

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Jayawardena first joined a British-owned tea export firm in Santha as a tea trader.[citation needed] He moved to the government-owned State Trading Corporation (Consolidated Exports), better known as Consolexpo Ltd, becoming the head of the Tea Department, which controlled the monopoly of tea exports of Sri Lanka under the administration of Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike in the 1970s.[4][5]

Private sector

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After resigning from Consolidated Exports, Jayawardena founded Stassen Exports Limited on 7 September 1977 in order to export Ceylon Tea.[citation needed] In 1988 Jayawardena's companies became a significant shareholder of the country's largest private commercial bank, Hatton National Bank.[6] These companies later ventured into many other areas. In 1992, his business empire bought a controlling interest in the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC (DCSL), which was at the time the largest transaction in the Colombo Stock Exchange.[citation needed] In 2007, under Jayawardena's Chairmanship, DCSL became the No. 1 listed company as per the "Business Today" Top 10 rankings.[7][8][9]

Controversy

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In December 2006, an alleged attempt to remove the Chairman of the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka, Jayawardena, then managing director of DCSL, was allegedly quoted as threatening to shoot the chairman.[10] Subsequently, Harry Jayawardena assumed duties as the Chairman of DCSL. The same newspaper alleged that Jayawardena threatened a customs officer, many years back.[11]

Jayawardena announced his voluntary resignation from CPC (Ceylon Petroleum Corporation) on 12, January 2012, a post given by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Due to his personal issues, he announced his resignation.[12]

Business interests

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Jayawardena was a major shareholder and Chairman of the board of directors of the following Colombo Stock Exchange companies:[13]

Jayawardena had interests in these publicly traded companies:[citation needed]

And in these private companies:[13][citation needed]

  • Stassen Group
  • Milford Exports
  • Lanka Dairies
  • Ambewela Livestock Company
  • Pattipola Livestock Company
  • Lanka Bell
  • Continental Insurance Lanka
  • Bellavantage Pvt Ltd

Death

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Jayawardena died in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 3 February 2025, at the age of 82.[15]

Honours

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Jayawardena was awarded the title of Deshamanya by the President of Sri Lanka for his services to the industry in 2005.[1] In 2010, he was appointed Knight of the Order of Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe II for his services to Denmark as its Honorary Consul General in Sri Lanka. He received the award for his outstanding and exemplary contribution to Denmark and for fostering bilateral ties between Sri Lanka and Denmark.[16]

Company awards and recognition

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Jayawardena was the chairman of both Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka and Aitken Spence, these companies were the first Sri Lankan companies ever to be listed on the Forbes List of best managed companies outside the USA.[17] In 2007, Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC was the sole Sri Lankan company to be listed once again in the Forbes List of Asia's best 200 under a US$1 Billion.[18]

Honorary positions

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Jayawardena held honorary positions including the Senior Adviser for International Trade and Foreign Investments to the then Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga.[19] He was a member of Colombo Stock Exchange for many years.[citation needed] He was a member of the Apex Task Force to Rebuild the Nation (TAFREN)[20] established by the President of Sri Lanka after the December 2004 tsunami. He was also appointed Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka's National carrier,[21] becoming Executive chairman in January 2008.[22]

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Awards". President of Sri Lanka Secretariat. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Lanka Bell targets over 100,000 CDMA lines by mid August". Daily News Online. 9 August 2005. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  3. ^ Springer, Jon (20 November 2013). "Sri Lankan Dhammika Perera's Master Plan". Forbes. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  4. ^ Cassim, Nisthar. "Tea boy to tycoon". The Daily FT. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  5. ^ Hulugalle, Arjuna. "My memories of Stassens' beginning". Island. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Stassens still holds HNB reins". Daily News Online. 26 December 2007. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Top 10". Daily News. 10 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  8. ^ "Thailand's Siam City Cement bags Holcim Lanka for US $ 373mn - Business News | Daily Mirror". Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Daily News". Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  10. ^ ""Harry J threatened to shoot me" – Vittachi". The Sunday Times. 3 December 2006. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  11. ^ "'Dirty Harry' threatens Business Times journalist". Archived from the original on 14 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  12. ^ "Harry J to resign ?". Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  13. ^ a b "D. H. S. Jayawardena Chairman / Managing Director". DCSL Group. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Harry Jayawardena, Balangoda Plantations PLC: Profile and Biography". Bloomberg News.
  15. ^ "Prominent businessman Harry Jayawardena passes away". www.adaderana.lk. 3 February 2025. Archived from the original on 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Harry Jayawardena Honoured". Business Today. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Aitken Spence Group posts record results". Daily News Online. 14 November 2003. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  18. ^ "Sri Lankan Distilleries in Forbes's 'Best Under a Billion'". Lanka Business Online. 9 October 2007. Archived from the original on 19 December 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  19. ^ "Cover Supplement: Aitken Spence". LMD Cyber Edition. September 2005. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  20. ^ "Background". recoverlanka.net. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  21. ^ "Looking back at 2006: Harry J, peace talks dominate business focus this year". The Sunday Times Online. 24 December 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  22. ^ "Harry J. flies higher and higher on SriLankan Airlines". The Sunday Times Online. 13 January 2008. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
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