The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has appointed Shiran Fernando as Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer, effective 8 May 2026, succeeding Buwanekabahu Perera who will conclude a three-year tenure at the country’s oldest private-sector body.
Chamber Chairperson Krishan Balendra described the transition as planned and orderly. “This leadership transition reflects the Chamber’s long-standing belief that strong institutions are built through continuity, sound governance, and deliberate succession planning,” he said. “Over the past three years, the Chamber has been further strengthened institutionally, allowing us to move forward with confidence.”
Fernando has worked with the Chamber for nearly a decade, serving as Chief Economist and Head of the Economic Intelligence Unit and most recently as Chief Economic Policy Advisor. The Chamber said his long involvement with its policy and research work positioned him to move the organisation “from strategy to execution.”
Perera’s tenure included a two-year term as Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association Business Forum, a role the Chamber said raised Sri Lanka’s private-sector visibility across the region. Before joining the Chamber he held senior positions in banking and finance over more than four decades.
Institutional continuity will be reinforced by Deputy Secretary General Alikie Perera, who remains in her role as Chief Operating Officer and Financial Controller and as CEO of GS1 Lanka. The Chamber noted that she has served under 16 successive Chairpersons and has played a central role in steering its flagship platforms, including the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit and the Best Corporate Citizens Awards.
