Suren Fernando
John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) yesterday announced the appointment of Suren Fernando to its director board as an Independent Non-Executive Director, with effect from August 9, 2023.
Fernando is Group CEO of MAS Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. Counting over 23 years with MAS, Fernando was previous Chief Transformation Officer of MAS Holdings, overseeing MAS’ 2025 transformation. He was also CEO of MAS Intimates, the largest division of MAS Holdings.
Among the many roles with the organisation, he also functioned in the capacity of Chief Operating Officer of MAS Intimates in 2014, heading operations and taking leadership in providing strategic management directives.
Fernando holds a BSc. in Engineering from the University of Moratuwa and is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK.
He has received extensive overseas business exposure and training, including Executive Education at Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, INSEAD Business School, Ashridge Business School, Henley School of Management, University of Wakato in New Zealand and Harvard Business School (Programme of Leadership Development).
Fernando was bestowed the Silver award for CIMA Business Manager of the Year in 2004 and
adjudged winner (Gold award) of the Chief Financial Officer of the Year, 2007, at the CIMA Janashakthi Pinnacle Awards.
He is also a member of the board of directors at World Vision Sri Lanka, a non-profitable relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.
Fernando was an active member of several working committees of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants Sri Lanka Division as well as other CSR project committees, one of which earned him the Certificate of Merit awarded by HelpAge Sri Lanka.
Having joined Slimline as a Financial Accountant in 1999, Fernando was a Certified Lead Auditors for ISO 9000-2000 and progressed to the role of Commercial Manager Slimline and subsequently to Financial Controller, prior to being promoted as Director Finance and Management Control for the MAS Intimates Division in 2004. He moved into a marketing role in 2011, functioning as Director Strategic Brands. From 2014 to December 2015, he was Chief Operating Officer of MAS Intimates.
