Nalaka Godahewa, (Sinhala: නාලක ගොඩහේවා, Tamil: நாலக கொடஹேவா, born 7 June 1965) is a Sri Lankan business executive and a former Cabinet Minister. He was appointed as the Minister of Mass Media on 18 April 2022. Prior to that he was the State Minister Urban Development since August 2020Daily FT ( Print Edition 14 August 2020).State Minister Dr Nalaka Godahewa Assumes Duties : retrieved 6 July 2023 He was a member of parliament for the Gampaha District during August 2020 - September 2024 period . He had served as the Chairman, Securities Exchange Commission (August 2012–January 2015); Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism (2010–2012); and Managing Director, Sri Lanka Insurance (2006–2009).
At the first election he faced after entering politics, Dr Nalaka Godahewa topped the preferential votes in the Gampaha District obtaining 325,479 votesDaily FT ( Print Edition 14 August 2020).State Minister Dr Nalaka Godahewa Assumes Duties : retrieved 6 July 2023 He was ranked 3rd in the entire country in terms of the number of votes received by a candidate at the 2020 general electionThe Island ( Print Edition 7 August 2020): https://island.lk/a-sizable-viyathmaga-group-enters-parliament-yuthukama-receives-two-slots/ A sizable Viyathmaga group enters parliament : retrieved 7 August 2020
Before entering politics his last state sector involvement was as the Chairman of the Securities Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka during 2012 -2015 period. Godahewa was appointed as SEC Chairman in mid 2012 after two of his predecessors, Indrani Sugathadasa and Thilak Karunaratne, had to resign within 12 months as a result of a stock market crisis during April 2011 to August 2012.Daily FT (Print edition: 29 August 2012).Let's put market back on track, Nalaka tells SEC : retrieved 3 September 2012 According to Bloomberg statistics, within the first few weeks of Godahewa's appointment as SEC head, the market bounced back from world's worst performing stock market status to the third best performing stock market status.Daily Mirror: (print edition 13 September 2012): From worst to near best what really changed:Retrieved 15 September 2012 This prompted the business newspaper Daily FT to carry a headline "From Bust to Boom".Daily FT: (Print Edition 14 September): From bust to Boom:Retrieved on 15 September 2012 In November 2012 Godahewa presented a three-year roadmap for capital market development in Sri Lanka.Daily Mirror (print edition 16 November 2012) : http://www.dailymirror.lk/business/stock/23533-sec-unveils-three-year-roadmap-.html : Retrieved 5 December 2012 which was endorsed by key industry stakeholders as a timely, positive step in the right direction.You Tube Video: SEC Media Briefing in November 2012: Retrieved on 13 June 2013 By January 2014 Godahewa was in a position to publicly claim that "Foundation laid; time for other stakeholders to deliver"Daily Mirror (print edition 13thJanuary 2014) : Foundation laid; time for other stakeholders to deliver: Godahewa; retrieved on 14 January 2014 The all share price index of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) had reached 7500 and was performing above all regional and global indices when Godahewa announced in January 2015 the vision and strategies for the market capitalization to USD 100Bn by 2020Daily Ft (print edition 6 January 2015) :Dr Godahewa Shares 2020 vision for sri lankas capital market. Retrieved 10 January 2015
Education
Educated at Ananda College, Godahewa entered the engineering faculty of University of Moratuwa in 1986. He graduated with a BSc Honours degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from University of Moratuwa. He holds a LLB(Hons) degree from Buckinghamshire New University and an MBA from the PIM of University of Sri Jayewardenepura as well. He has received a PhD in Economics from the University of South Australia in 2008Daily News (Print Edition : 18 March 2008).'Nalaka Godahewa awarded Doctorate'. Retrieved on 7 July 2022 Godahewa is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing of UK, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of UK.SLTDA Website. 'Chairman'. Retrieved on 30 May 2012 His PhD thesis was on "Market orientation and the performance of Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers in the post MFA environment".University of South Australia: Library Catalogue: ' Market orientation and the performance of Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers in the post MFA environment': Retrieved 12 November 2022 He began his career quite late, having lost two years since completing A/L due to the long backlog in entering universities and two more years due to JVP insurgency in the late 1980s.You Tube Video: Dr Nalaka Godahewa talking to MTV about University Days: Retrieved on 13 June 2013
Early career He started his career at Unilever Ceylon as a management trainee, and within less than 10 years, Godahewa became the youngest CEO Offshore Operations of MAS Holdings, an exporter of apparel products to international brands such as Victoria's Secret Stores, Nike, Gap and Marks & Spencer.Daily News (Print Edition : 18 March 2008).'Nalaka Godahewa awarded Doctorate'. Retrieved on 2 June 2012 He managed several overseas operations for MAS Holdings in countries such as Vietnam, Madagascar Indonesia and India gaining experience in setting up international joint venture partnerships.Sunday Island (Print Edition :3 June 2012).'Dr. Godahewa speaks of his experiences in public, private sectors'. Retrieved on 27 May 2012 He has served both in private sector and public sector.Daily FT (Print Edition:29 August 2012)KYC! Know Your Chairman : Retrieved 8 September 2012
Public enterprise Sri Lanka Insurance
The year 2009 was a critical year for the insurance company Sri Lanka Insurance corporation.You Tube Video: Nalaka Godahewa explaining past present and future of SLIC at the life congress 2009:Retrieved on 13th on 2013 As a result of a Supreme court order the largest insurance company in the country was handed over from private sector to the Government. Customer confidence was falling rapidly and unions were gaining upper hand. This was the time financial institutions across borders were collapsing due to world financial crisis. A crisis at the Sri Lanka Insurance Cooperation would was triggered a chain reaction in Sri Lanka too. Godahewa was appointed as competent authority of Sri Lanka Insurance in June 2009 with the task of handling the company affairs.WebSite.Colombo Page Sri Lankas internet NewsPaper. (10 June 2009). ''. Retrieved 30 May 2012 Subsequently, appointed as the managing Director of Sri Lanka Insurance,Daily News: (Print edition:27 June 2009:' New Directors Appointed' : Retrieved 10 June 2012 Godahewa, restructured the company within a very short period of time and posted some of the best financial results with the revenue growth of over 30%.The Island Online. 'Dr. Nalaka Godahewa takes over as SLIC Competent Authority'. Retrieved 1 June 2012 He was instrumental in launching the new advertising campaign of Sri Lanka Insurance 'Like Father Like Mother ( Piyekumen, Mawakemen)’ in 2009You Tube Video: Dr Nalaka Godahewa's impressive presentation introducing new SLIC Life Insurance Advertising campaign:Retrieved on 13 June 2013 highlighting the two core strengths of Sri Lanka insurance of having the government protection and private sector type service standards.Daily News.(Print Edition 26 October 2009).‘Players should focus on innovation, product quality’. Retrieved 4 June 2012 He also rebranded life and motor insurance products of SLIC making both categories the fastest growing insurance brands in the market.Sunday Observer (print edition: 21 February 2010).'SLI posts remarkable growth in Life Insurance'. Retrieved 5 June 2012 During his tenure as Managing Director, Sri Lanka Insurance made several strategic investments which were also resulted in substantial unrealized capital gains to the company. These investments included buying controlling stakes of NDB Bank, Seylan Bank and Hatton National Bank. Under his leadership Sri Lanka Insurance made history in 2010 by declaring the highest ever bonus of Rs 3 Bn to the life insurance policy holders of SLIC.Daily News. (print edition: 4 December 2009).'SLIC bonus Rs 3 b' Retrieved on 22 May 2012 This helped increasing the brand credibility significantly.You Tube Video : Introducing Life Insurance Bonus: Retrieved on 13 June 2013
Apollo was a private hospital originally set up by an Indian company and subsequently sold to Sri Lanka Insurance. By 2009 the hospital was not doing well. When Sri Lanka Insurance ownership reverted to government then Defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was appointed Chairman of the struggling hospital. The original idea was to convert the hospital to a military hospital as it was not financially viable to maintain. Hand in hand with Gotabaya Rajapksa, the Chairman of the SLIC-controlled Apollo hospitals, Godahewa, who was the Managing Director of Sri Lanka Insurance took a series of measures to turn around the company which was rebranded as Lanka Hospitals and became an industry bench mark for service excellence in the health care industry.Sunday Island. (6 December 2009).'Lanka Hospitals committed to peerless health care'. Retrieved 23 May 2012 Considering his contribution towards turning around Lanka Hospitals from loss making company to a highly profitable and one of the most sought after private health care services of the country, the Chairman Gotabaya Rajapaksa invited him to remain on the Board even after he left SLIC to become the Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism. When Fortis health care of Singapore bought a substantial shareholding of Lanka HospitalsTimes of India:(online: 5 March 2011): 'Fortis buys 29% in Lanka hospital corp' Retrieved 10 June 2012 in 2011 LHP board made full use of the expertise of Forties to strengthen the medical standards of the hospital The Sunday Leader.Sunday Leader:( Print edition):'Godahewa Merry go round' : retrieved 9 June 2012 The joint collaboration between the Super Religare Laboratories of Fortis Health Care and Lanka Hospitals in setting up an international standard laboratory network in the country was also a strategic decision that helped the hospitals increasing overall profitability.Website : sriLankaNews :India's Fortis Healthcare sets up lab network with Sri Lanka's Lanka Hospitals' : Retrieved 10 June 2012
Sri Lanka Tourism