(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Prominent corporate leader in Sri Lanka, Kandiah ‘Ken’ Balendra passed away yesterday. He was 85.
Balendra was the first Sri Lankan Chairman of John Keells Holdings Ltd and several large companies including Brandix, Ceylon Tobacco and Union Assurance.
Born in 1940, Balendra played a key role in shaping the country’s business landscape, holding leadership positions in major corporations.
He was a former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
He also headed the South Asia Regional Fund of the Commonwealth Development Corporation making significant contributions to the corporate and financial sectors.
He was one-time chairman of the Bank of Ceylon, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, and the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka.
In 1998, he was recognised with the ‘Deshamanya’ title for his services to Sri Lanka.
He was also the former Honorary Consulate General of Poland in Colombo.
