Brand Turnaround vs. Brand Revitalisation
22/01/2026
Brand Turnaround vs. Brand Revitalisation
22/01/2026Why Sri Lanka Must Move from Producers to Brand Owners
05/02/2026
Ravi Bamunusinghe (Ph.D.) is the Founder of SLSME, a Business Adviser/Coach, and a faculty member at the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He began lecturing after three and a half decades of industry experience in business research and management consultancy. He is credited with initiating two (Global and Local) business research agencies in Sri Lanka that cater to local, international, and multinational companies, providing strategic direction and brand/product positioning. Further, he has collaborated with corporates in repositioning modern trade, transforming fast-moving consumer products, increasing service level efficiency in the financial sector, restructuring a chamber of commerce, initiating policy alternatives in the state sector, evaluating programs of international funding agencies, providing technical insights to projects of non-governmental organizations, and assessing the feasibility of national investment programs. He is a founder member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), Sri Lanka. He has served as the past President of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (Social Sciences), Secretary of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, and founder President of the Market Research Society of Sri Lanka. He earned his doctorate from the Malaysia University of Science and Technology, focusing on enabling the growth of SMEs, business modeling, and entrepreneurship, supervised by Legendary Professor Lester Massingham. He holds master’s degrees from the University of Surrey, UK (Social Research Methods), and Kelaniya (Pali and Buddhist Studies), Sri Lanka. He has been a regular member of the panel of judges for Brand Excellence conducted by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM). Currently, he is involved in the development of SMEs in Sri Lanka, serving on the blueprint committee and the jury of SME Development Awards, and as Lead Judge for the evaluation of brand excellence conducted by IDB. He collaborates with state and private sector commercial banks and national institutions to develop the SME sector, focusing on exports and women entrepreneurship. Since 2018, as a resource person of PIM, he has been a supervisor for the final dissertation and taught multiple subjects in management, including Management Research Skills. At present, he has been appointed as an advisor to the Ministry of Industry and Innovation.
Chitrangani Herat-Gunaratne is a visionary business leader with over 40 years of experience in the Sri Lankan corporate sector. She has held senior leadership roles across diverse industries, including retail, publishing, manufacturing, and market research. Notably, she served as Senior Vice President at Quantum Consumer Solutions, Director/CEO of Alpha Industries, and Deputy General Manager at Cargills Ceylon Ltd.
Chitrangani has been recognized internationally and locally for her leadership, serving as Chairperson of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (Sri Lanka Region) and later as a Trustee of the International Board of CIM UK. Her expertise spans qualitative market research, strategic business management, marketing, category management, corporate communications, and project leadership.
She holds an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. A Chartered Marketer and Fellow of CIM, Chitrangani continues to contribute as a business consultant, judge at national brand and food industry awards, and a guest lecturer in MBA programs.
Rukman Weeraratne is a seasoned business leader with over 38 years of experience in sales, marketing, distribution, and general management across Sri Lanka and overseas. He has held senior leadership roles in both multinational and local organizations, including CEO/Principal Officer of MBSL Insurance, Director at Amana Takaful Insurance, and Chief Officer – Business Development at Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, where he was instrumental in positioning the company as Sri Lanka’s most valuable and most loved insurance brand.
He has also served in leadership capacities at Janashakthi Insurance, John Keells Hotels, Union Assurance, and Eagle Insurance (AIA), gaining deep expertise in organizational transformation, brand building, and distribution management. Internationally, he worked with Eagle Star Insurance and Allied Dunbar in the UK, enhancing his global perspective.
An Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), Mr. Weeraratne has pursued advanced executive education across Asia, Europe, and the US, including programs at the Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad), National University of Singapore, and Zurich Asia Academy. In recognition of his contributions, he was named among the Top 50 Marketing Professionals in Asia at the CMO Asia Awards in 2016.
Known for his integrity, strategic vision, and people-focused leadership, Rukman continues to contribute to Sri Lanka’s corporate and insurance landscape as a respected professional and mentor.
Senior Professor Nalin Abeysekera was the Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Professor in the Department of Marketing Management at the Open University of Sri Lanka. He holds a PhD in Leadership and Marketing and an MBA from the University of Colombo, together with a BSc in Marketing (Special) from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and is also a Chartered Marketer and member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) as well as the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing. Over the course of more than twenty years, he has built an extensive career in academia, research, and consultancy, specialising in marketing management, strategic management, research methodology, leadership, relationship marketing, and corporate social responsibility. Professor Abeysekera has taught and consulted internationally in countries such as Dubai, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, India, and Canada, while also contributing to MBA and PhD programmes as a visiting lecturer. He has published widely in journals, authored books, presented at international conferences, and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Sri Lanka Journal of Management Studies. A recipient of multiple awards and gold medals during his academic career—including recognition for excellence in strategic management, marketing management, and research—he continues to play a key role in advancing management education, research, and thought leadership in Sri Lanka and beyond.
He is a column-writer for the weekend papers on branding and marketing and also the first to write a book in Sinhalese for Marketing.
Don Gratian is a seasoned visionary leadership professional with over three decades of expertise in human capital management, entrepreneurship, and organizational transformation. Having served with Emirates Airlines, VVIP organization and later stepping into multiple entrepreneurial ventures, he has consistently driven innovation at the intersection of people, technology, and strategy.
As Chairman of North Verticál Inc., Founder of Loyauté Inc., and Royàlty International, Don has played a pivotal role in e-government initiatives with AI integration—spearheading organizational transformation, cultivating high-performing teams, and fostering a culture of innovation.
An entrepreneur at heart, Don brings a rare blend of strategic HR leadership, organizational psychology insight, and a future-focused mindset rooted in AI and digital transformation. His career spans launching startups, leading large-scale change management programs, optimizing HR functions, and reimagining learning ecosystems to meet evolving business needs.
Beyond the boardroom, Don is a passionate mentor and lifelong learner. He actively shares global best practices, nurtures emerging leaders, and champions the future of work through collaboration, agility, and human-centered leadership.
