Citrus Leisure PLC has announced the appointment of Suresh de Mel as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Suresh De Mel will serve as Chairman of the Citrus Leisure Group of Companies which includes Waskaduwa Beach Resorts PLC and Hikkaduwa Beach Resorts PLC. The appointment comes following the sudden demise of the Group’s much loved Chairman Mr Prema Cooray.

Citrus also announced the appointment of Mr Lalith Withana as an Independent Non-Executive Director to the boards of the Group companies.

Mr. Suresh De Mel, who has been an independent non-executive director of Citrus Leisure PLC since 2011, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role. He has an extensive background in entrepreneurship, investment, exporting, and tourism services. Suresh de Mel is the co-founder and Managing Director of Lanka Fishing Flies (Pvt) Ltd, a market leader in handcrafted artificial sportfishing bait, producing the world’s highest quality fishing flies. He is the former Chairman of Sri Lanka Export Development Board and currently serves as Senior Advisor to the State Ministry for Investment Promotion. In addition, Suresh sits on the Boards of several companies and organizations representing responsible tourism, sustainable agriculture, and regional SMEs.

Mr. Lalith Withana adds a depth of expertise in Finance, Audit and Assurance to the Board and has been appointed to chair the audit committees of the respective companies. During a career spanning over three decades across various sectors, Lalith Withana has held leadership roles in banking, manufacturing, and trading. He is the founder and the Managing Director of Agility Consulting Services (Pvt) Ltd. and sits on the Boards of Softlogic Life Insurance PLC, HNB Finance, Serendipity Leisure (Pvt) Ltd. and Commercial Development Company PLC. He has previously served as an Independent Director of Bank of Ceylon, Seylan Bank PLC, and Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka, and as a Commissioner of the Telecom Regulatory Commission among others.

The Citrus Leisure PLC Boards thus comprises Suresh De Mel (Chairman), Rajinda Seneviratne, Manoj Pilimatalawwe, Vasula Premawardhana, Lalith Withana, Varuni Amunugama Fernando, Sarva Ameresekere, Chandana Talwatte, and Mani Sugathapala, representing a wealth of expertise and domain knowledge of areas critical to the tourism and hospitality industry.