Lalith Kotelawala

Deshmanya Deshabandu Jeewaka Lalith Bhupendra Kotelawala is a Sri Lankan businessman, who was the chairman of Ceylinco Consolidated and also was the founding chairman of Seylan Bank. He was listed in 2007 Sri Lanka Richest List. He was remanded for the misappropriation of 26 billion rupees of investments from the failed Golden Key Credit Company.

Born to Millicent Kotelawala and Senator Justin Kotalawela a Ceylonese politician and businessman, he was educated at Royal College, Colombo and studied chartered accountancy in the UK. He is the nephew of Sir John Kotelawala, the third Prime Minister of Ceylon.

Taking over Ceylinco Consolidated from his father in the 1960s, Kotelawala expanded the group into new fields including banking, non-banking finance, investment banking, housing and property development, travel and leisure, communication & information technology, education and healthcare and, more recently, microfinance. He also founded a peace initiative in Sri Lanka, three years after being wounded in an LTTE attack in 1996.

• Kotelawala was awarded an Honorary Degree as Doctor of Philosophy by the University of Sri Jayewardenepura
• He had been awarded the title Deshmanya by the Government of Sri Lanka.
• Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute
• Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Bankers

Lalith is married to Sicille Kotelawala (née Fernando) a daughter of Sam Peter Christopher Fernando