Sunshine Holdings PLC announces new leadership appointments

March 21, 2024: Diversified conglomerate Sunshine Holdings PLC (CSE: SUN) announced that Aruna Deepthikumara, Michelle Senanayake, Dr. T. Sayandhan and Shantha Bandara, who are Executive Committee members of the Group, have been appointed as Executive Directors.

Commenting on the appointments, Sunshine Holdings Group CEO Shyam Sathasivam said, “We are excited to announce the elevation of Aruna Deepthikumara, Michelle Senanayake, Dr. T. Sayandhan, and Shantha Bandara to the positions of Executive Directors within our Group. Their wealth of experience, strategic insight, and unwavering commitment have been invaluable assets to Sunshine Holdings, driving our diverse portfolio towards sustained growth and success. As we navigate dynamic market landscapes, I am confident their leadership will further fortify our position as a leading conglomerate dedicated to delivering excellence for all stakeholders.”

Aruna Deepthikumara, the Group Chief Financial Officer, has been appointed to the board of Sunshine Holdings PLC. With over two decades of experience, Aruna has a track record of finance leadership, successful business process improvement and cross-functional team leadership. Aruna is a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and an Associate Member of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka. In addition, he holds B.Sc. in Marketing Management from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura, and an Associate member of Chartered Institute Marketing.

Michelle Senanayake, Group Chief People and Corporate Communications Officer has been appointed to the board of Sunshine Consumer. Michelle has over 27 years of corporate experience, of which 15 years have been in leading human resources functions. She holds an MBA (HR) from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) - University of Sri Jayawardenapura and is an International Coaching Federation Certified professional coach. Michelle is also a Chartered Member of the CIPM and a professional member of the AHRP.

Sunshine Medical Devices and Lina pharmaceutical manufacturing Chief Executive Officer Dr. T. Sayandhan has been appointed to the board of Sunshine Healthcare. With over 32 years of experience, Dr. Sayandhan has been driving Sunshine Medical Devices and Lina to achieve remarkable success since 2017. He has a Doctorate in Business Administration from Asia e University and an MBA from the University of Peradeniya. Dr. Sayandhan is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, and Institute of Management Sri Lanka.

Sunshine Pharmaceuticals and Healthguard Distribution Chief Executive Officer Shantha Bandara has been appointed to the board of Sunshine Healthcare. Shantha Bandara has more than 26 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He has been spearheading the pharmaceutical business to reach newer heights and become one of the leading healthcare companies in Sri Lanka since 2011. He spearheaded the formation of Healthguard Distribution which provides last mile access to all pharmaceutical companies to reach the entire pharmacy network of Sri Lanka through a master distributor model. Shantha holds an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) - University of Sri Jayawardenapura. He is currently the Vice President of the Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI).

About Sunshine Holdings PLC

Sunshine Holdings PLC is a publicly listed conglomerate mainly in the healthcare and consumer sectors, with strategic investments in agribusiness. Established over 57 years ago in 1967, the Group is now home to leading Sri Lankan brands such as Zesta Tea, Watawala Tea, Ran Kahata, Daintee, Milady, Healthguard Pharmacy and Lina Manufacturing, with nearly 2,000 employees and revenue over LKR 51 billion. The business units comprise Sunshine Healthcare Lanka, Sunshine Consumer Lanka, and Watawala Plantations PLC, which are leaders in their respective sectors and most of them were certified as a “Great Place to Work” in 2023.

From left: Aruna Deepthikumara, Shantha Bandara, Michelle Senanayake and Dr. T. Sayandhan