Ajit Gunewardene

Who is Ajit Gunewardene?

Ajit Gunewardene is a Sri Lankan corporate executive and businessman. Current joint managing director and Deputy Chairman of John Keells Holdings, Sri Lanka's foremost conglomerate. He has also served as Chairman of Nations Trust Bank, Union Assurance & Colombo Stock Exchange.

Born to Norman Gunewardene former Chairman of Aitken Spence and Delysia, he is the older brother of Otara Gunewardene founder and managing director of ODEL. Educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo, where he was active sportsmen, notably in rugby union. Gunewardene graduated from University of North Carolina with a degree majoring in economics and with a minor in political science.

Returning to Sri Lanka in 1982, he joined John Keells Holdings as a money broker, going on to form Mackinnon and Keells Financial Services and thereafter he headed John Keells Stockbrokers. In 1992 he was appointed as a Board Director of John Keells Holdings Group.