Deshamanya Sunil Mendis (2004 – 2006)

Deshamanya Sunil Mendis was the eleventh Governor, assuming duties in July 2004 and vacating his position in  June 2006.
Deshamanya Sunil Mendis studied at Royal College, Colombo and completed Professional Examination Sections 1-3 of the Association of Certified and Corporate Accountants (UK).  He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Hayley’s Group of Companies in which company he had served for 42 years, before assuming duties as Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The Hayley’s Group is one of Sri Lanka’s largest and oldest conglomerates involved in value-added exports, imports, shipping, plantation, agriculture and leisure.

Deshamanya Sunil Mendis  has served on the board of more than 100 state and private sector institutions in Sri Lanka as well as 7 companies internationally. From 1994 – 2004 he was a Director of the Bank of Ceylon. He also functioned as Director, in the Private Sector Infrastructure Development Company Ltd. (PSIDC) from 1997- 2000 and 2002 -2004, in the Export Development Board from 1995-2001 , in the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka in 1994 and in the United States – Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission (US – SLFC)from 1998-2004. During the period 2004 -2005 he served as Director, at the  National Council for Economic Development, at the Finance Commission, at the  Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and served as the Chairman of the Sovereign Rating Committee to obtain a sovereign rating for the Government of Sri Lanka.

He was awarded the title of Deshamanya in 2005 by the Sri Lankan Government.