MAS Holdings enters 2020 with first non-family CEO

MAS Holdings has appointed Suren Fernando as Chief Executive Officer with effect from January 1, 2020, the first non-family CEO to lead South Asia’s largest apparel manufacturer. 

This appointment signals a fundamental shift from the founding members to the next level of leaders equipped to take MAS forward, meeting the demanding pace of growth aligned with the company’s vision for 2025. 

Suren was previously the CEO of MAS Intimates, the group’s largest cluster that grew into a US$ 800 million business under his leadership—one of the many highlights of his formidable track record spanning over 20 years at MAS. 

With the credibility and respect gained from industry peers, Suren is set to renew the focus on MAS’ core apparel business in his role as CEO, taking on new challenges and capitalizing on opportunities in the new era.

“MAS has always embraced change” Co-Founder and Chairman Mahesh Amalean stressed. 

“This transition in leadership is the beginning of a new era at MAS. We will continue to explore the full potential of our apparel business while furthering new adjacencies and identifying new opportunities for future growth. 

“During the past 33 years we have invested in building and nurturing our best talent, and now they will take the reins as we continue to fortify our position alongside innovatory pioneers of the global apparel industry. We are excited about this next phase of MAS’ journey and look forward to inspiring greater change through our business,” he said.

Mahesh, Ajay and Sharad Amalean as the founding members of MAS, led the company’s growth, diversification and market dominance for the past 33 years from the top leadership positions. As a result of this leadership dynamic, MAS aggressively expanded its global manufacturing footprint across 16 countries, a truly global enterprise powered by 99,000 people spread around the world.

Today, MAS Holdings manages a portfolio of growing businesses and is positioned as one of the world’s most recognized design-to-delivery solution providers in the realm of apparel and textile manufacturing. The company is a key contributor to the Sri Lankan economy, winning the coveted ‘Exporting Conglomerate of the Year’ award at the Presidential Export Awards for two consecutive years.