Praveena Joseph de Saram
Chair of the RCCI Board/ Managing Director
Praveena is a scientist and entrepreneur focused on furthering learning and employment opportunities for marginalized groups. In addition to serving on the board of the RCCI, Praveena is a trustee of the Princeton-Blairstown Center, an over 100 year old charity that serves vulnerable youth in the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and the CEO of Poopooh LLC, a triple bottom line start-up based in Princeton New Jersey. Prior to joining the RCCI as its Managing Director, Praveena was a scientist at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute conducting research sponsored by Allergan plc, a global pharmaceutical company. Praveena’s past experience also includes time as a management consultant with Kearny and as COO of Optimal Acuity Corporation. She holds a masters degree in Physics from the University of Oxford and another in Molecular Biology and Neuroscience from Princeton University. She divides her time between Colombo, Sri Lanka and Princeton, New Jersey.
Shyama Perera
Director, The Studio – Fine and Performing Arts Academy
Shyama Perera is the Founder of the Studio of Fine and Performing Arts Academy, Sri Lanka and the producer of the National Youth Music Festival. She is the Director of the International Institute of Music, Speech and Drama and the Country Representative of the London College of Music. For over four decades, she has been an active member of the music industry and a leading philanthropist spearheading several charitable initiatives that have raised funds for causes primarily serving women and children. She is a Charter Member of Zonta Club II of Colombo and a member of the Board of Governors for Women in Need, Sri Lanka. On a voluntary basis she teaches music and movement to differently-abled children. She is a Past President of the Past Pupil’s Association of Bishop’s College, Colombo.
Nilusha Kapugama
Chief Operating Officer, LIRNEasia
Nilusha Kapugama is the COO of LIRNEasia. Her association with the RCCI spans two decades, starting from her time working as a teacher under its founder Shiranee Joseph de Saram. Nilusha joined the RCCI’s board in 2021 after many years leading development and fundraising efforts as a volunteer.
Prior to LIRNEasia, Nilusha worked as a Senior Business Consultant and Team Lead for Research and Consulting at Stax Inc, a strategy consulting firm based in Boston and Chicago in the US and Colombo in Sri Lanka. She also taught Economics at the Colombo International School. Nilusha has a BSc in Economics from the University of London and a MSc in Development Economics and Policy from the University of Manchester.
Chiranthi Cooray
Chief Transformation Officer, Hatton National Bank PLC
Chiranthi Cooray is Deputy General Manager/Chief Transformation Officer of Hatton National Bank PLC. Chiranthi serves on the Boards of the HNB General Insurance Ltd, CSR Sri Lanka (Guarantee) Ltd & Advisory Board of AISEC Sri Lanka and serves as a Trustee of the HNB Sustainability Foundation. She also serves in the SLID Education & Technical Working Committee and Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce Policy Advocacy Committee.
She is a past President of the Association of Human Resource Professionals, Sri Lanka. Chiranthi holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Wales (Cardiff Metropolitan). Chiranthi was awarded the HR Leadership Award for Global HR Excellence organized by World HR Congress in February 2015.
She has also been awarded the Gold Category at the Women for Governance Professional & Career Women Awards 2014/2015 by the Women in Management for her exceptional contribution and achievements in the field of Human Resources. Under her leadership the Hatton National Bank PLC has achieved many local and international awards in the last 10 years in HR and Sustainability spheres. In 2017, Chiranthi served as the Chairwoman of the National Task Force to recommend a strategic road map to increase female labour force participation in Sri Lanka for the National HR Development Council of Sri Lanka.
Deshal de Mel
Finance Committee Chair Economist, Research Director – Verité Research
Deshal de Mel is an economist who has experience across government, private sector, and academia, currently serving as Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance of Sri Lanka. He was also a member of the National Trade Negotiation Committee where he led negotiations on trade in services, completing Sri Lanka’s first bilateral trade in services agreement with Singapore. He previously worked in the corporate sector as Senior Economist at the Hayleys Group, one of Sri Lanka’s largest diversified conglomerates. He has served on a number of corporate and non-corporate boards, including at present Sampath Bank PLC, and previously Sri Lankan Airlines, Sri Lankan Catering, and the Centre for Poverty Analysis. He was also a Commissioner at the Securities & Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka in 2018-2019. He has a degree in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics from the University of Oxford and a Masters in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics. He was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader in 2019.
Other Board Members
- Lalini Kobbekaduwa – Chairperson, Denzil Kobbekaduwa Foundation
Kaushalya Bandara – Deputy Finance Committee Chair , Director, TexStyle Lanka Exports (Pvt) Ltd
Dr. Rouchelle Sriranjan – Research Fellow, Cambridge University Cardiology Registrar, Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge
Dr. Jagath Wijesekera – Consultant Neurologist, NHS Trust, UK
Board Secretary
Chamindi Ekanayake – Nithya Partners
Advisory Council
- Ramal Jasinghe – Vice President, National Chamber of Exporters, Former CEO – Fairfirst Insurance/ Soft Logic Life Insurance/ Asian Alliance General Insurance
- Savindri Talgodapitiya – Founder, Talgo Math
- Arnila Gunaratne – Founder and Chief Educator – Gaia Learning