Financial Times

CIMA’s Upali Ratnayake to retire

Upali Ratnayake, a livewire at the CIMA’s Sri Lanka office for many years, is retiring next December after working for the organization for the past 20 years.

Upali Ratnayake

Ratnayake has been a key figure in the Institute’s rise to prominence in Sri Lanka. Having joined CIMA Sri Lanka Division in 1985, he has overseen its exponential growth and rise in stature that has seen CIMA members running some of Sri Lanka’s most successful and influential businesses and organizations and student numbers increase beyond 11,000.

He has played a pivotal role in many of CIMA’s historic moments in Sri Lanka. During his early years with CIMA he was involved in the change of name of the institute from the Ceylon Institute of Cost and Works Accountants in 1986, and was also involved in the purchase of the land where the new and enhanced CIMA building now stands.

His influence has also been a great benefit to the CIMA Sri Lanka National Conference, and helped it evolve from being primarily a domestic event to an international summit drawing internationally renowned foreign speakers.

Kathy Grimshaw, Director of International Development, CIMA, said: “Mr Ratnayake has been a tremendous ambassador for CIMA in Sri Lanka and the South Asia region for the last 20 years.”

His contribution to CIMA’s success in Sri Lanka can not be overstated, and it is a testament to his work that CIMA will not be recruiting a new Executive Director to replace him, but is seeking a Divisional Chief Executive to oversee operations in Sri Lanka.

I am also pleased to announce that although Mr Ratnayake is stepping down from CIMA in Sri Lanka, he will continue to work on international development projects for CIMA’s head office in London.”

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