Meet Dilith Jayaweera

I hail from Angulugaha, a vibrant and scenic village located in the Southern district of Galle. I am the second son of a family of four boys raised by our parents Gunapala and Dharma Jayaweera: one hardworking state employee and the other a schoolteacher who instilled in us the values of hard work and determination. My deep-rooted sense of equality, justice and fairness to everyone stems from my close relationship with my father whose socialist beliefs continue to inspire a sense of 'purpose beyond profit' in everything I do.

At Colombo University I met my wife Nelum Goonewardene, whose unwavering love and support has brought happiness and contentment into my home and who has always been the dependable wind beneath my wings.

After completing my LLB at the Law Faculty I was 'called to the Bar' as an Attorney at Law, and thereafter completed an MBA from The University of Wales. Ultimately, I took a radically different path. I was hungry to look for opportunities to transform the lives of people in a positive manner. I found two colleagues who shared the same zest for challenging conventions, and we thus started our first enterprise with zero capital and infinite energy. Today, this act of defiance has transformed into a corporate entity proudly considered to be one of the most dynamic conglomerates in Sri Lanka.

The decision to challenge the status quo in my own life, led me to eventually take the helm of 53 companies. At the moment of you reading this, I have left all of those companies, as I have embarked on my newest venture.

Collaborating with the political establishment through our advertising business has been both a privilege and a burden - and always an eye opener. My greatest concern has been that those who have governed us are disconnected from the realities of everyday life of our people, their businesses and their hardships.

Like everyone in Sri Lanka, you and I work very hard. But all of us are impacted by decisions taken by our government - decisions that we have very little control over. It is for that reason I decided to embark on a political journey of my own to represent the nationalistic political will of this nation.

I have always been sensitive to the political climate of Sri Lanka. That has led me to develop core principles of my own, which I believe will be a force for good if adopted on a national level. The concept of an entrepreneurial state and inclusive nationalism are 2 such examples.

Working with some of the most skilled and hard-working people in a variety of industries, has led me to appreciate the value of things such as the uniqueness of us being Sri Lankan. I am an ardent believer in the fact that ‘Sri Lanka Can’. The story of this country and its people will not and should not end where it is now. It is our duty to make this beautiful island a happy nation.