Kumudika Fernando new Chairperson Maliban
The Maliban Group with a 70-year heritage in quality and has announced a significant leadership transition, with A.G. Kumudika Fernando being appointed as Chairperson of the Group, with effect from August 15, 2024.
This appointment follows the recent passing of A.G. Ratnapala Samaraweera, the previously-serving Chairman of the Maliban Group, who is also Fernando’s father. Samaraweera was the son of the late AG Hinni Appuhamy, the legendary Founder of Maliban, and upheld the long-standing Maliban Family tradition of quality, excellence, and innovation.
Kumudika Fernando, who has served as the Managing Director for over a decade, is eminently qualified to lead Maliban into the future, and continue the legacy of the Maliban Family. Trained under her father’s guidance, she has been instrumental in overseeing the management and operations of the company, driving significant growth through product diversification, expanding exports, and entering new markets.
Fernando is an alumna of Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya– where she spent her schooling years, and the Singapore American School – where she read for a Bachelor’s Degree in Pre Med Biology, and Notre Dame de Namur University, San Francisco – where she read for a Master’s Degree in Psychology.
Having originally joined the Maliban Group through its subsidiary, Little Lion, in 1993, she subsequently took a break from professional life to start a family. In 2009, she rejoined the Maliban Group, and in 2013, she was appointed Group Managing Director. Fernando said, “My ambition is to take the Maliban name to the world and establish it as a trusted, iconic global brand. We are passionate about driving innovation and introducing new products that cater to evolving consumer tastes while ensuring that the cherished flavours of our favourites remain unchanged across generations. Sustainability will also be a key focus as we move forward, furthering Maliban’s reputation as a responsible corporate citizen.”
During her tenure as Managing Director, Fernando was also instrumental in entering Maliban into a landmark partnership with Reliance Consumer Products Limited, the FMCG subsidiary of Reliance Retail ventures. This move unlocked wide access to the Indian market for Maliban, through Reliance’s extensive retail network. Maliban is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of biscuits, confectionaries, and other ready-to-eat food products in Sri Lanka.
The company’s commitment to excellence is further underscored by its being the first food company in Sri Lanka to obtain ISO Certification and achieve Super Brand status.
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