Board changes at SLT amidst management issues
View(s):The boards of directors of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC and Mobitel have been changed on the directions of the President this week in a letter sent by the presidential secretariat to the Secretary to the Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure According to the Presidential secretariat letter with ref: No: PCMD/SD/SP/General dated November 17, G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena will continue as the Chairman of both SLT and Mobitel. G.D.C. Ekanayake, W.K.H.Wegapitiya, N.S.A. Peiris, J.R.U. de Silva, Chan Chee Beng, Jeffrey J.Blatt, Lai Choon Foong and Lawrence Paratz have been appointed to the SLT Director Board. The Board of Directors of Mobitel apart from Mr. Kumarasinghe Sirisena comprises R.E.U. de Silva, K.D. Geeganage, Lai Choon Foong, Lawrence Paratz, Chan Chee Beng and Kanishka Senanayake.
These changes were made amidst management issues cropped up at the SLT following the recent re-organisation process, a SLT senior official said. Under the organizational re-arrangement, Ms. Hissela who was the head of the call centre has been appointed as the acting Chief HR officer amidst protests of senior officials and trade unions, he revealed. Krishantha Cooray and M.F. Farook with close relationship with Minister Mangala Samarweera have been removed from the SLT Board and replaced by Mr. Wegapitiya and J.R.U. de Silva.Kanishka Senanayake, a new director of Mobitel, is the son of former UNP parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake.On the eve of these board changes, Tharanath Basnayake Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure held a special meeting with SLT Chairman P.G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena and Chief Officers on Thursday (yesterday).However CEO Dileepa Wijesundera was a notable absentee, SLT officials said.