WHO WE ARE

Ravi Dadlani is the Managing Director/CEO of CEAT Kelani International Tyres, A joint venture between CEAT India Ltd and Kelani Tyres PLC, Sri Lanka. His professional career encompasses more than 30 years of experience including Managerial in the manufacturing, FMCG, food & Beverages, industrial and Consumer Durable Industries in Sri Lanka as well as in international markets.

His industry experience covers from startups in Sri Lanka to established international brands re launched. His professional expertise covers general management sales management, brand management, product management, and strategic planning retail promotion in diverse sector. His active involvement with the sales and marketing fraternity in Sri Lanka has contributed to development of the profession, whiles he currently also contributes to the development of the rubber industry as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka association of manufactures and exporters of rubber products.

Mr. Dadlani has also influenced the careers of many sales and marketing professionals being a resource person for training and program on the subject. A dynamic and energetic individual he has been instrumental in strategic planning for the implementation of ground breaking initiatives in the sectors, he has been involved in, while leading dynamics teams in several market leading brands/industries both in the international and domestic markets.

A past pupil of Royal College Colombo, Ravi Dadlani entered the field of Sales and Marketing in 1989, after completing his preliminary marketing studies with the Charted Institute of marketing (CIM), UK. His exposure to several international study programs at NUS, ISB, JUSE and IIMA are key leanings that he brings to the industry.

Shamal Gunawardena is a seasoned marketer with 20+ years of Marketing and Sales management experience in the Food and Beverage industry. Further, he has significant expertise in leadership roles with 11 years of Country Leadership level reporting to the Managing Director. Shamal has served as both Director Sales and Commercial and Country Commercial Manager at Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd. (CCBSL) for 11 years cumulatively. He had previously taken on the roles of Portfolio Band Manager and Channel Development Manager at CCBSL. Shamal was also the Country Business Manager - Sri Lanka and Maldives at Cadbury Plc. and Brand Manager for the Pizza Hut and Delifrance Chain in Sri Lanka. Shamal is a Certified Management Accountant and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) together with a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Wales.

As a consummate Human Resources professional, Thushara’s experience in the field span over 20 years. Having headed Group HR functions in reputed conglomerates such as Richard Peiris (Arpico) Group of Companies, he is well versed in growing potential of the workforce at scale, through the establishment of empowering and rewarding work environments. Thushara adopts a strategic view of talent acquisition and development that is aligned with CEAT Sri Lanka’s core ideals. The company culture and the overall performance dynamic stems from his vision for Human Resources, both of which are instrumental in the nurturing of individual as well as team mindsets. He is also responsible for setting company-wide skill benchmarks to constantly evolve capabilities, which make the yearly achievement of business objectives possible. Thushara holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Monash University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Vipul holds over 10 years of collective experience within the RPG Group and CEAT. Having started out as Head of Commercial for International Business at CEAT India, he progressed on to become the Executive Assistant to the Managing Director. Subsequently, he led the Project Management Office and played a pivotal role in defining a new purpose and vision for the company, emphasizing on strategic aspects of the business. Vipul also has extensive experience in areas of Business Finance and Digital Transformation, having proven himself to be equally adept at driving profitability as well as digitalizing business processes. Key achievements in the latter role include a 90%+ conversion of dealer payments into digital and automated route planning for distribution. As CFO for CEAT Sri Lanka, his primary scope is to sustain the company’s financial strength while also heading IT operations and driving organization-wide digitalization. Vipul holds a B.Com Degree from St. Xavier’s College (Kolkata) and an MBA in Finance from NMIMS. He is also a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Manojkumar brings over 28 years of versatile manufacturing experience to CEAT Sri Lanka. Having held responsibility over an expansive portfolio of tyre brands such as Dunlop, Apollo and JK, his exposure covers every aspect of a production operation including maintenance. As a hard core manufacturing specialist, he possesses a highly ranged awareness of global best practices and the strategic understanding on implementing them to continuously improve PQDSCM parameters. Manojkumar provides both management and operational leadership to CEAT Sri Lanka’s two manufacturing facilities, which serve the critical purpose of supplying to cater to the country’s tyre demands across all segments, through both Radial and Bias-play products. He is the holder of a B Tech Mechanical Degree from the Calicut University – Kerala, India.

Mr. Kiran S Shettigar Joined CEAT Sri Lanka as General Manager - Technology and a Member of EXCOM. He has over two decades of experience across Passenger Car Radial - Process Technology and New product Industrialization. He has an educational background of Diploma in Rubber Technology and Mechanical Engineering. He started his career with Apollo Tyres in 2003 and associated with CEAT Tyres since 2011. He handled critical assignments like PCR Product establishment and industrialization for Europe entry. More than 300+ Sizes industrialized in Halol Ceat India and played critical role in VW, Renault, Hyundai MSIL etc. OE size process release and certification. He has experience in Green field and played a critical role in the manufacturing plant setup and Phase 2 PCR Expansion of CEAT Halol. He owned and lead the TBM upgradation project (worth of 340 million) from Finger type to Expandable drum conversion resulting in Uniformity and Machine reliability improvement and many more projects. Also, he has 2 patents Registration in Technology. His hobbies are playing cricket, Volleyball and Long-distance driving.

Mr Sushil Bahilani is the Head of Procurement and a Member of the EXCOM. He has over two and half decades of experience in the Procurement of RM, Capex, Indirect Material, Marketing Spend, Stores etc. Prior to joining RPG in 2023, Sushil was working as Dy VP at OTR Tyre Manufacturing Co. in India. He started his career with Ashok Leyland in 1995 and handled Stores, Indirect Spend and Cutting Tool Procurement. He played an instrumental role in the Green Field project of Renault Nissan in India For 2000 Cr INR Capex Investment. He was also responsible for De bottlenecking of the Tata Nano Project in India. Sushil is a Mechanical Engineer with GDMM from IIMM Bangalore. He unwinds by Walking and indulges in reading books and articles which are a blend of philosophy and management.

Chaminda Thushara is the General Manager of Quality-based Management and a member of EXCOM. Boasting over 20 years of experience in engineering, production, and plant operations with CEAT. Thushara's overarching goal is to empower the team to deliver products and services that not only meet but exceed the expectations of valued clients. By integrating Total Quality Management (TQM) principles into daily operations, he ensures that the company not only meets current market demands but also anticipates and proactively responds to future challenges. With a keen eye for detail and an unwavering dedication to efficiency, he collaborates closely with cross-functional teams to identify areas for improvement, implement best practices, and champion a customer-centric approach. Thushara is leading the company on a journey towards the establishment of Prestigious Deming Principles in operations. Educationally, Thushara is an alumnus of Asoka College Colombo. He holds NDT in engineering from the University of Moratuwa, an MBA from the University of Kelaniya, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Quality Management from the Mahindra Institute of Quality, India and he is a Lean Green Belt holder from the Institute of Lean Management in Sri Lanka.

Mr Chanaka De Silva possess over 40 years management experience of which more than 30 years has been at Director/Chairman level. He has been the Chairman of Kelani Tyres PLC since privatisation (in 1992) and the Chairman of Ceat Sri Lanka Group Companies since the formation of the Joint Venture (in 1998). He is also the Chairman of Silverstock Holdings Group of Companies -the major shareholders of KelaniTyres PLC since its inception. He has been the former Chairman of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, TransAsia Hotels Ltd, Club Robinson, and also founder Chairman of Union Export Ltd, Union Commodities (Pvt) Ltd and first Chairman of the Union Bank of Colombo Ltd. He has been a director of Sri Lankan Airlines Ltd, Sri Lankan Airline Catering Ltd, Intercontinental Hotels, The Lanka Oberoi Hotel and Lewis Brown & Co. Ltd.

Mr Rohan Fernando is one of the most experienced persons in the tyre trade in Sri Lanka having been actively involved in the tyre trade for more than 30 years. In addition to his position as Managing Director of Kelani Tyres PLC he also holds the position of Executive Director of Ceat Sri Lanka Group Companies. He is also the Managing Director of Silverstock Holdings Group of Companies - the major shareholders of Kelani Tyres PLC since its inception.

Ravi Dadlani is the Managing Director/CEO of CEAT Kelani International Tyres, A joint venture between CEAT India Ltd and Kelani Tyres PLC, Sri Lanka. His professional career encompasses more than 30 years of experience including Managerial in the manufacturing, FMCG, food & Beverages, industrial and Consumer Durable Industries in Sri Lanka as well as in international markets.

His industry experience covers from startups in Sri Lanka to established international brands re launched. His professional expertise covers general management sales management, brand management, product management, and strategic planning retail promotion in diverse sector. His active involvement with the sales and marketing fraternity in Sri Lanka has contributed to development of the profession, whiles he currently also contributes to the development of the rubber industry as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka association of manufactures and exporters of rubber products.

Mr. Dadlani has also influenced the careers of many sales and marketing professionals being a resource person for training and program on the subject. A dynamic and energetic individual he has been instrumental in strategic planning for the implementation of ground breaking initiatives in the sectors, he has been involved in, while leading dynamics teams in several market leading brands/industries both in the international and domestic markets.

A past pupil of Royal College Colombo, Ravi Dadlani entered the field of Sales and Marketing in 1989, after completing his preliminary marketing studies with the Charted Institute of marketing (CIM), UK. His exposure to several international study programs at NUS, ISB, JUSE and IIMA are key leanings that he brings to the industry.

Mr. Anant Goenka is a Member of the Management Board at RPG Enterprises. He is also the former Chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA).

Mr. Goenka has over 18 years of experience during which he has worked in CEAT Limited, KEC International Limited and Hindustan Unilever Limited. He started his career with Hindustan Unilever Limited in 2003 after which he joined CEAT Limited as Regional Manager - Sales. He went on to lead the Off Highway tyres Business in 2005. He then joined KEC International Limited (KEC) as Vice President (Corporate) in 2007 and was in charge of the Telecom business, Business development in North America and Integrated Planning and Monitoring of Transmission and Distribution Business. In recognition of his contribution in the said business vertical, KEC elevated him to the position of Executive Director – Supply Chain responsible for manufacturing, procurement, planning, logistics and quality functions. In 2010 he moved back to CEAT as Deputy Managing Director and was then appointed as Managing Director in April, 2012.

Mr. Goenka has been recognised by Forbes as the “Next Generation Business Leader of the Year” in 2017 and as “India’s 40 under 40 Business Leaders” by Economic Times-Spencer Stuart. He also led CEAT to win the Deming Prize in 2017, one of the most prestigious global quality awards in the world. Mr. Goenka is an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a BS (Economics) from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Eraj T. Fernando has more than 30 years of experience in the Rubber and Commodity Trade. He was the former Chairman of the Corporative Wholesale establishment (C.W.E). Mr. Eraj T. Fernando is also a Director of CEAT Sri Lanka Group Companies,Hangover Hotels (Pvt) Ltd and Revognah Leisure (Pvt) Ltd.

Mr. Arnab Banerjee is the Chief Operating Officer at CEAT Limited. He has total experience of over 30 years during which he has worked in CEAT, Marico and Berger Paints. Arnab is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, IIM Kolkata and IIT Kharagpur. He joined CEAT in the year 2005 as Vice President, Sales and Marketing. Under his leadership, CEAT has seen innovations in the Marketing initiatives, Sales and Distribution strategy, manufacturing flexibility and seamless Supply Chain processes over the last 15 years. Everything about customers is his passion. He also takes interest in numismatics, photography, high altitude trekking and long-distance running.

Mr. Kamantha Amarasekera is an eminent tax consultant and the Senior Tax and Legal Partner of Amarasekera & Company - a leading tax consultancy firm in the country. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and is an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. He graduated in Business Administration from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura. Mr. Kamantha Amarasekera is also a Director of Associated Ceat (Pvt) Ltd., Lanka Milk Food PLC, Madulsima Plantation PLC, Balangoda Plantation PLC, Eden Hotels PLC, Confifi Hotels Holdings PLC, Browns Investment PLC, Palm Garden Hotels PLC and Ceylon Hotel Holdings PLC.

Mr. R. P. Werrasooria functions as the Managing Director of Uga Escapes (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of the Finco Group and encompasses over 22 years of experience specializing in the areas of production, marketing, merchandizing and finance. Mr. Weerasoria's efforts as Managing Director have been instrumental in overseen the evaluation of the Uga Escapes brand to one of the premier boutique leisure destinations in Sri Lanka. In addition to the top position at Uga Escapes (Pvt) Ltd., Mr. Weerasoria is Vice President of the Finco Group and holds several directorships in a number of subsidiaries of the Finco Group, which includes operating as Managing Director of Alpha Industries (Pvt) Lad Prior to holding this position, Mr. Weerasoona worked as Commercial Manager at Orient Garments Limited (OGL), before assuming duties as Managing Director/ Cheif Executive in 1996. He was a key factor in OGL's expansion drive which included the growth of its product portfolio, value addition through designs to consummers, and the establishment of new manufacturing plants to increase production.

Mrs. Sarojajayatilaka is a fellow member of the institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Colombo. She has well over 25 years of experience in key managerial positions in the fields of Accounting and Finance out of which 16 years have been in the Tyre Industry. Currently she holds the position of Director Finance at Union Commodities (Pvt) Ltd.

Mr. Paras K. Chowdhary has over 35 years’ experience in senior management positions in tyre industry, including as the Managing Director of the Company for more than 11 years. Earlier he was employed with Apollo Tyres Limited where he started his career from a junior management position and reached the position of President and Whole-time Director within a reasonable time and he was also instrumental in turning around that company. Mr. Chowdhary is recognized as one of the foremost experts in the tyre industry in India.