Mahesh Wijewardene succeeds Asoka Pieris as Singer CEO
Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC announced that Mahesh Wijewardene has succeeded Asoka Pieris as Chief Executive Officer effective from November 1, 2018.
Wijewardene was appointed as COO of the company in July this year and has been at Singer for 22 years. He was appointed as an Alternate Director to the Singer board in 2006.
Wijewardene joined Singer in November 1996 as Materials Manager at the Piliyandala factory and was promoted as Commercial Manager in 2001.
He was transferred to the management office of Singer (Sri Lanka) and took over the Commercial Division one year later. He was promoted to Key Management as Commercial Director in 2005 and was appointed as Director Marketing and Commercial, in charge of marketing functions, in 2013 and from 2016 as Director Sales and Commercial.
Wijewardene was selected as Singer Group’s Best Executive of the Year in 2001 and was Runnerup – Most Valuable Player of Singer Asia in 2014, awarded only to one key manager within all of Singer Asia. Wijewardene holds an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland, where he received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement.
Wijewardene has a Diploma in General Management from the Open University of Sri Lanka and was Past Chairman of Imports Section – the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. He was also Past Chairman of the Sri Lankachina Business Council and Past President of the Mercantile Cricket Association. He was adjudged the Best All-round Student at Wesley College. Chairman Mohan Pandithage stated, “I’m pleased to welcome Mahesh in his new role as CEO of Singer Sri Lanka and look forward to working closely with him in his progressive endeavours.”
Congratulating Wijewardene and wishing him continued success, Pieris said, “It gives me great pleasure to announce that Mahesh will succeed me and I am confident he will use this opportunity to take the company from strength to strength.”
Asoka steps down after eight years in the post of CEO and will be leaving Singer after a successful career in the company spanning 26 years.