SLT now operates under an executive committee
The Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) management has temporarily being brought under an executive committee following the resignation of Group CEO Dileepa Wijesundera last week amidst trade union allegations of corruption and mismanagement against him. Mr. Wijesundera has vigorously denied these claims.
The SLT board of directors has appointed an Executive Committee headed by Chairman P.G. Kumarasinghe and comprising three directors of Maxis – Chan Chee Beng, Lawrence Paratz, Lai Choon Foong and SLT board director A.R. Desapriya to ensure smooth continuity of operations and effective decision making in the SLT Group during the transition period. The three directors from Kuala Lumpur-based Maxis are currently on the SLT board. Maxis has a 49 per cent stake in the company.
These decisions were taken at the SLT board meeting held on Thursday, authoritative sources said. On the same day, the board announced to the Colombo Stock Exchange that Group CEO Mr. Wijesundera has resigned on December 12 but that the resignation is effective on March 11, 2018. It was also announced that Rohan de Silva, SLT independent director has resigned with effect from December 19.
The functions earlier delegated to the Group CEO by the board of directors have been structured into three groups headed by three Chief Officers; these SLT sources said adding that these officers will be reporting to the Chairman.
Kiththi Perera has been appointed as the Acting Chief Commercial Officer who will also be the Chief Enterprise and Wholesale Officer.
P. Fernandez has been made the Acting Chief Technology officer who will also work as Chief Network Officer. Lalith Fernando has been appointed as the Group Chief Financial Officer who will oversee financial management of SLT and subsidiaries except Mobitel.
These three officers have been vested with the responsibility of heading customer and market, infrastructure and projects and support services. Chairman P.G. Kumarasinghe is the head of CEO’s subsidiary companies.
Issuing a statement, the Telecommunication Engineers Union (TEU) says that they launched trade union action against the outgoing Group Chief Executive Officer, not to win anything for its members but to safeguard the SLT and employment security of all SLT staff members.
Under the present set up the TEU has decided to suspend the trade union action with immediate effect.
However, the TEU still believes that to re-establish SLT as a successful corporate entity, it needs more robust and speedy strategic measures including the removal of other remaining disruptive elements from SLT.
Therefore, TEU said it will continue to assist the ongoing investigation, which was initiated on their request and it will closely monitor its outcome.