Stasshani Jayawardena

Chairperson and interim Managing Director — Aitken Spence PLC

About Stasshani Jayawardena

Key facts Role: Executive chairperson and interim managing director Organisation: Aitken Spence PLC Country: Sri Lanka Sector: Diversified conglomerate: hotels, ports, logistics, power and services Headline figures: Revenue of Rs96.6bn and profit before tax of Rs12.8bn, up 18.3%, for the year to 31 March 2026 Since 1 April Stasshani Jayawardena has held both the chair and the chief executive's authority at Aitken Spence PLC, one of Sri Lanka's biggest diversified conglomerates. The board made her interim managing director after Dr M.P. Dissanayake resigned as deputy chairman and managing director on 31 March, the company's 2025–26 annual report shows. Just over a year earlier, in February 2025, she had become the first woman to chair the group in its more than 150-year history. The combination puts her in direct charge of hotels, ports, logistics, power and services businesses that operate in 12 countries across Asia, Oceania and Africa. The numbers The scale is substantial for Sri Lanka. For the year to 31 March 2026 Aitken Spence reported revenue of Rs96.6bn, up 1.6%. Profit before tax rose 18.3% to Rs12.8bn, which the company attributed to lower interest rates and the restructuring and settlement of borrowings that cut net finance costs by 22.2%. Profit after tax rose about 27% to Rs9.1bn. Total assets stood at Rs227.6bn, the workforce at 20,300, and its market capitalisation on the Colombo Stock Exchange at Rs56.4bn at the year-end. Overseas operations produced 61.4% of pre-tax profit, and tourism was the single largest contributor, with pre-tax profit of Rs7.9bn, up 31.6%, according to the annual report and Daily Mirror. The role As executive chairperson and interim managing director, Jayawardena leads the board, sets its agenda with the company secretaries and now also carries the managing director's responsibilities. The annual report lists these as implementing strategy, driving performance, succession planning for senior management and setting the group's organisational structure. She also chairs Aitken Spence Hotel Managements and is deputy chairperson of Lanka Milk Foods (CWE). She sits on the boards of Melstacorp and Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka, Daily FT reported. Her career has been built largely inside the group. According to Daily FT, she became the youngest and first female board member of Aitken Spence PLC, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings and Browns Beach Hotels in December 2013. She has spent more than a decade leading business units, especially in hospitality. She studied in the UK at St James's and Lucie Clayton College and Keele University, and is an associate alumna of Cambridge Judge Business School. She sits on the executive board of the Hotel Association of Sri Lanka and joined the board of the Colombo International Arbitration Centre in January 2025. Since 2020 she has represented the company in the UN Global Compact's Target Gender Equality initiative. A testing year The 2025–26 year tested the business. Cyclone Ditwah hit Sri Lanka in November 2025 during the peak tourist season. The group lost the DB Schenker freight agency after DSV acquired Schenker, and it secured alliances with other networks to replace the lost volumes. Losses in apparel manufacturing weighed on its strategic investments. Towards the end of the year, rising tensions in the Middle East had what the annual report calls "an immediate and material impact" on tourism and maritime operations. In her chairperson's message, Jayawardena describes a group that is "more focused, strategically aligned, and future-ready". Regional reach Her regional reach is real. Aitken Spence runs hotels in the Maldives and India as well as Sri Lanka, and has port interests in Fiji. It is looking at high-yield tourism opportunities in emerging markets across South and Southeast Asia, the annual report says. “more focused, strategically aligned, and future-ready” — Jayawardena, in her chairperson's message What to watch: whether the board names a permanent managing director or keeps her in the combined role, the effect of Middle East disruption on tourism and shipping in 2026–27, and whether the apparel losses lead to a restructuring of the strategic investments portfolio. Jayawardena ranks 36th because she now holds both board and executive control of a multinational conglomerate with 20,000 staff. Its scale is smaller than the regional groups ranked above her. Sources Aitken Spence PLC, Integrated Annual Report 2025–2026 Daily FT, Aitken Spence Chairperson Stasshani Jayawardena to assume interim Managing Director role , 25 Feb 2026 Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka), Aitken Spence concludes FY26 on strong note recording 18% PBT growth to Rs.12.8bn , 3 Jun 2026

Why this entry is on the list

Jayawardena ranks 36th because she now holds both board and executive control of a multinational conglomerate with 20,000 staff, as executive chairperson and, since 1 April, interim managing director of Aitken Spence PLC. The group runs hotels, ports, logistics, power and services businesses in 12 countries across Asia, Oceania and Africa, and reported revenue of Rs96.6bn and profit before tax of Rs12.8bn for the year to 31 March 2026. Its scale is smaller than the regional groups ranked above her.