AAP SENATE
Dr.SUNETHRA JAYARATNE NUGAWELA
Sunethra Jayaratne Nugawela
LLCC(UK)MIPA(UK)MCPM
Dr Sunethra Jayaratne Nugawela is the Chairperson/Executive Director of the Academy for Administrative Professionals. A renowned Administrative Professional with national and international exposure, with progressive Corporate/Senior Managerial experience augmented by doctorate in Business Administration, MBA and professional qualifications in Secretarial, Office Practice, Business Communication, Business Administration, Human Resources, Personality Development, Event Management and Management.
She has been awarded the Fellow membership of the Institute of Administrative Management (UK), and was featured by the Executive Secretary Magazine of UK creating history being first Asian in both occasions. She is also a member of the Association of Business Executives (abe) UK, London Chamber of Commerce Industry (UK), Institute of Administrative Professionals(UK) and The American Society of Administrative Professionals (USA). She is the only Sri Lankan appointed as an Advisor to the Women Secretaries and Administrative Professionals Association of Thailand, (WSAT), Certified lecturer of Institute of Professionally Qualified Secretaries(UK) and Dr Nugawela is the first and only Sri Lankan who served the Association of Secretaries and Administrative Professionals in the Asia Pacific (ASA) as a President, and now serves as an Honorary Life President. She is an assessor certified by Tertiary and Vocational Training Authority (TVEC) of Sri Lanka on Secretarial and Event Management. She is a Fellow Member of Chartered Professional Managers (CPM), Member of Sri Lanka Institute of Training and Development, Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Colombo Toast MasterS. She is also a bi-lingual writer, visiting lecturer, assessor, trainer and a counsellor.
She is a consultant to Events in Elegance, Happy Time Party Suppliers, and Excellent Travels
Prof. Lakshman R. Watawala
Prof. Lakshman R Watawala is the Chairman, Board of Investment. Deputy Chairman, Gestetner ( Ceylon ) Ltd. , Director, Richard Peiris & Co. Ltd.Director, Asian Alliance Insurance Co. Ltd and a Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. He is also the President, Society of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka.
Prof. Watalawala has formerly held the positions of the Chairman & Director-General of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Chairman, People’s Bank & People’s Merchant Bank . He has served the Ministry of Finance as an advisor. Prof. Watawala who is the founder President of AAT Sri Lanka, is the past President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka , South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) and the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA).
Prof Anoma S. P. Abhayaratne
Prof Anoma Abhayaratne, is currently holding the position of Professor in Economics, Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Peradeniya, in, Sri Lanka. During the period 2009-2012, she served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the same University, claiming to be the First Lady Dean, to the Arts Faculty. She possesses qualifications in PhD in Economics, University of Essex, UK. MA in Econometrics, University of Essex, UK. MPhil in Agriculture Economics, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, Postgraduate Diploma in Computing, University of Bradford, UK , BA in Economics Honors (Second Class, Upper Division), University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka.
Her experience other than an academic, counts as a Short term Consultant, at UNDP Regional Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka,World Bank, Colombo, Sri Lanka,Path Finder Foundation, Colombo, Sri Lanka and Plan Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
She has been accolade with Academic Honours and Awards from “Commonwealth Postdoctoral Fellowship for academic Staff†by the Association of Commonwealth Universities in the UK., Asia Fellowship†by the Asia Scholarship Foundation, Bangkok, Thailand, “Asia Fellowship Follow-up Grant†by the Asia Scholarship Foundation, Bangkok, Thailand, “Commonwealth Postgraduate Scholarship†by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, “British Technical Co-operation Award†by the British Council, UK “P. D. Khan Gold Medal†by the University of Peradeniya for the most outstanding performance at Special Arts Degree in Economics in 1983, “University Scholarship†by the University of Peradeniya for the best results at the first year examination at the Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya in 1980, and “M F Khan Prize for Greatest Competence†award to the student who obtains highest aggregate marks over all courses at the first year examination, by the University of Peradeniya in 1980.
She joins Academy for Administrative Professionals as an Hony Academic Advisor from November 2014.
DR W A M GUNASEKERA
Dr. Wilkin Albert Maurice Gunasekera had both his primary and secondary education at St. Joseph’s College Colombo.
He entered the Colombo Medical Faculty of the University of Ceylon in 1967 and graduated MBBS in 1972. He worked in Negombo Hospital, Galle General Hospital and Kandana Chest Hospital. In 1979 he proceeded to England to specialise in Chest Medicine but decided to change to General Internal Medicine as a speciality. He worked in Amersham General Hospital and High Wycombe General Hospital from 1979 to 1984.
He pursued a full time course in General Internal Medicine at the Hammersmith Royal Postgraduate Institute of Medicine. On completion he was awarded the prize for the best student. In 1984 he was successful at the MRCP examination and was admitted to the membership of the Royal College of Physicians London. He returned to Sri Lanka and worked in the state health service from 1985 to 1990. He was a Resident Physician at General Hospital Colombo for a short period and then as Consultant Physician at Ragama General Hospital.
In 1990 he left government service and joined Nawaloka Hospital as Specialist Physician in General Internal Medicine where he continues to work full time. He was conferred the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1998 and the Fellowship of the Ceylon College of Physicians in 2002.
He served as a President of Rotary Club of Colombo Central and continues to be an active member.
Dr Bert Gunasekera will serve as a Board Member of AAP with effect from November 2014.
Dr. Chalinda beneragama
PhD in Photobiology, Iwate University, Japan (2010)
MSc in Turfgrass Science, Obihiro University, Japan (2007)
MPhil in Floriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (2005)
CTOL, University of New South Wales, Australia, (2020)
PGCTm, University of Peradeniya, (2003)
BSc (Agric), University of Peradeniya (1999)
Senior Lecturer in Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya (Since 2010)
Lecturer in Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya (2001-2010)
Editor-in-Chief, Tropical Agricultural Research Journal (Since 2019)
Chief Editor, Acta Horticulturae Journal, Volume 1278 (2020).
Chairman, Workgroup Postharvest in Emerging Countries, International Society for Horticultural Sciences (ISHS), Belgium (2017 April to date)
Director, Agriculture Education Unit (AEU), Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya (2016 Feb – 2020 Jan)
Director, Staff Development Centre, University of Peradeniya
Chairman, Young Scientists Forum, National Science and Technology Commission, Colombo (2014)
Visiting Lecturer/Invited Trainer in 11 Public Universities/Higher education Institutes in Sri Lanka, 7 Private Universities/ Higher education Institutes in Sri Lanka, 7 Other Research Institutes in Sri Lanka, 8 International Higher Education Institutes 6 countries
Deshabandu Tilak De Zoysa
A well-known figure in the Sri Lankan business community, Tilak de Zoysa, FCMI (UK) FPRI (SL), Honorary Consul for Croatia and Global Ambassador for HelpAge International was conferred the title of “Deshabandu†by His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka in recognition of his services to the country and was the recipient of “The Order of the Rising Sun. Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon†conferred by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.
In addition to being the Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Advisor to the Al-Futtaim Group of Companies in Sri Lanka, he Chairs Carsons Cumberbatch PLC, Amaya Hotels and Resorts USA (Radisson), AMW Capital Leasing and Finance PLC, Jetwing Zinc Journey Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and HelpAge Sri Lanka.
He is also the Vice Chairman of Ceat Kelani Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., Orient Insurance Ltd. and serves on the boards of several listed and private companies which include John Keells PLC, Taj Lanka Hotels PLC, TAL Hotels and Resorts Ltd, Lanka Walltiles PLC, Nawaloka Hospitals PLC, Dutch Lanka Trailer Manufacturers (Tata Group), Eastern Merchants PLC, Associated Electrical Corporation Ltd., Inoac Polymer Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., Cinnovation INC., GVR Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and Varun Beverages Lanka (Pvt) Ltd (Pepsi).
He is a past Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, HelpAge International (UK) and served as Member of the Monetary Board of Sri Lanka (2003-2009).
Deshabandu Tilak de Zoysa was a special invitee at the inauguration of the AAP in 2005 and since then he had been a great strength to the academy. AAP is honoured and privileged to welcome him as an Hony Academic Advisor of AAP; effective November 2014.
The Academy for Administrative Professionals (AAP) in Sri Lanka is a registered Educational Institution launched in April 2005 under an Academic Advisory Board and Board of Directors comprising eminent personnel in the sphere of education. The key purpose of AAP is to help Administrative Professionals to enhance their skills and become more effective contributors to their employers and also to improve youth employability.