Asia Honorary Advisers
Senaka Silva
Asia Honorary Adviser, Sri Lanka
Senaka Silva is a long-standing advocate of Sri Lanka-NZ relations, having served as New Zealand’s Honorary Consul in Sri Lanka from 2009-2021, as Chair of the Australia New Zealand Business Council and through business and other connections.
As New Zealand's Honorary Consul in Sri Lanka, Senaka established a NZ High Commission in Sri Lanka adn welcomed a number of state visits including two official prime ministerial visits and three trade delegations.
Senaka was a member of trade delegation to the EU and Norway. Served as President of the Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand Business Council of the Ceylan Chamber of Commerce for two years, when the first-ever trade delegation to New Zealand from Sri Lanka was organised.
Senaka was a member of the National Council for Economic Development of Ministry of Finance, in the export sector and advisory committees in to footwear and leather goods, and a director of Industrial Development Board. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Ceylinco General Insurance Company.
Born 4th June 1952, Educated at Trinity College, Kandy, and Aquinas College, Colombo 8, began his career 50 years ago at Ceylon Tobacco Company Ltd. He selected by the Government of Sri Lanka to study in Japan for four months as the leader of the Youth delegation.
With the open economy in Sri Lanka, opportunities expanded, the Mahaweli Development scheme, the war on terrorism created opportunities for those who focused on Sri Lanka. The military, telecommunication and other industries had to be modernized, with value addition to exports became the theme of the government.
Focusing on seizing these opportunities and driven by a profound affection for Sri Lanka, commenced companies to facilitate the modernization of the military and telecommunication industry, representing over 40 international foreign companies as agent for services to Sri Lanka including blue-chip companies, i.e., Fujitsu and Toyocom of Japan, Samsung of South Korea, Tait of New Zealand, GEC and Plessy from the UK, many others from South Africa and the UK, providing services to more than 400 Sri Lankan companies.
Prior to this, Senaka commenced the In-town Duty-Free Industry as a pioneering venture under the guidance and leadership of late Hon. Mr. Lalith Athulathmudali, Minister of Trade.