Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala
- Chairman
The Chairman of Sumathi Universal (Pvt) Ltd., Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala is a business professional known for his strategic vision and unwavering passion. Beginning his career in as an active member of the Sumathipala family business as a co-founder of the Sumathi Group of Companies and the founder of the Thilanga Sumathipala Foundation he now leads a vast array of companies ranging from Printing, Hospitality, Commerce, Energy, and Technology & Entertainment to Leisure. He also played a pivotal role in making the "Sumathi Awards" an integral landmark in the Sri Lankan calendar by conceptualising and leading the National Television Awards ceremony since its' inception.
Qualified in Photolithography and Graphic Reproduction from the London College of Printing, UK, Mr. Sumathipala also attended the Yokohama University (The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship of Japan) to advance his entrepreneurial skills. Following which, he helped oversee the creation of partnerships between the media, advertising agencies and advertisers in Sri Lanka during his time as the President of the International Advertising Association (IAA). A founder of the Ingrin Institute of Printing & Graphics he has helped create a centre of excellence in the printing and graphics industry of Sri Lanka that has helped a countless number of students to obtain professional Diplomas to pursue a career in Printing.
His driven and disciplined mindset has led him to serve in the capacity of President, Director and Member of many esteemed institutes and organizations such as the International Cricket Council (ICC), Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka. He was responsible for spearheading the completion of the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium in a mere 167 days and for the re-structuring and re-launch of the BCCSL's new logo and name change as "Sri Lanka Cricket" in 2004. He has also held honourable positions at the International Advertising Association (IAA), Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka, INCA-FIEJ Research Association (IFRA) India, Asian Mass Communication Research & Information Centre (AMIC).
Mr. Sumathipala was instrumental in his role as the Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC and Mobitel where he transformed SLT from a corporation to a Listed Company in the Colombo Stock Exchange. The listing consisted of nearly 1.9 billion shares, the largest market capitalization in the stock exchange. During his tenure SLT acquired a 100% stake in Mobitel, backed by his visionary leadership he enabled Mobitel to transform from a TDMA system to a state of-the-art GMS EDGE network. Mr. Sumathipala spearheaded the successful endeavour to list a USD 100 Mn corporate bond on the Singapore stock exchange, the first listed international instrument from Sri Lanka. Along with his immense business insights, Mr. Sumathipala entered the political fray as a Member of the Western Provincial Council. He has since served the nation as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament as well as State Minister of Technology and Innovation.
His quest for self-development and enhancing his skills lead him to join Harvard University and Harvard Business School for the Senior Executive programme of "Building New Ventures." Following which, he dove into the subject of "Driving Government Performance" even further as he entered the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. Upon returning to Sri Lanka, he completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Management in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Colombo, followed by a Masters' in Public Administration. In 2014 he served as a distinguished Professor on Leadership for Transformation at the Keimyung University, Republic of Korea and is currently reading for his PhD at the Beijing University of Foreign Studies, China.
With over 3 decades of expertise in making businesses future-ready Mr. Sumathipala continues to extend his knowledge to place Sri Lanka on the global map.
Mr. Udhantha Sumathipala
-Executive Director
- BSc in Architectural Science from Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Holding a bachelor's degree in Architectural Science from Curtin University in Perth, Australia, Mr. Udhantha Sumathipala's charisma is defined by his dedication and go-getter personality. His constant quest for innovation makes him an invaluable member of Sumathi Universal (Pvt) Ltd.
He is the oldest son of Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala and was awarded university colours for outstanding achievements from the University of Limkokwing. In 2018, he joined Sumathi Universal (Pvt) Ltd as an Executive Director and currently leads the subsidiary companies of SUMI. His alma mater was the distinguished Royal College, Colombo.
Mrs. Samadara Sumathipala
- Director
As a Director of the Sumathi Universal (Pvt) Ltd., Mrs. Samadara Sumathipala is a strategic, forward thinking individual with extreme temperament. Her role in the organisation is vital as she uses her passion, grit and dedication to ensure success in every aspect of the business. Mrs. Sumathipala has played a key role in many successful endeavours that the group has embarked on.
The beloved wife of Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala, it is she that determines the opportunities to stimulate growth of business and makes sensible leadership decisions with utmost integrity.
Mr. Dulantha Sumathipala
- Director
BSc. Hons. in International Management & Business from the University of Plymouth, England.
Hard work and the utmost dedication are what drives Mr. Dulantha Sumathipala. As a young, enthusiastic Manager he climbed the ranks of the company to become a Segment Director. He commenced his journey at Sumathi Printers and NAPCO Pvt Ltd and in 2020 went on to become a Director at the holding company, Sumathi Universal (Pvt) Ltd.
He is the Second son of Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala and holds a BSc. Hons. in International Management & Business, from the University of Plymouth, England. His alma mater was the distinguished Royal College Colombo.
