Lalith Seneviratne

He pursued a career in telecommunications starting in 1982 at the then Sri Lanka Telecommunications Department (present day SLT). In 1988, he became the head of engineering of Celltel, setting up South Asia’s first mobile telephone network.

In 1990 Mr Seneviratne accepted a position with Motorola Corporation and moved to Singapore on a regional role. During this period he developed Motorola’s relationship with SLT that enabled SLT to provide telephone service to remote areas including restoring telephone service to Jaffna in 1996.

Since leaving Motorola Mr Seneviratne has carried out several professional consulting assignments in telecommunications and renewable energy, while engaging in rural electrification activities during his spare time. He was part of a team that set up four grid connected mini hydropower systems. He implemented Sri Lanka’s first off-grid village solar electrification system in 2001 and Sri Lanka’s first off-grid village biomass electrification system in 2004.

In the period 2006 to 2009, Mr Seneviratne was a member of the board of directors of Lanka Transformers Ltd and its Chairman during the latter part. He was a member of the inaugural governing board of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority.

Currently Mr Seneviratne is a member of the board of directors of four mini hydropower companies – M/s Escas Owala Pvt Ltd, Escas Ankanda Pvt Ltd, Escas Diggala Pvt Ltd, and Escas Kiula Pvt Ltd.

Mr Seneviratne is the recipient of the Year 1999 Motorola CEO Award for Volunteerism. For his voluntary services to the Department of Wildlife Conservation he was made an Honorary Director in the Department. For his innovation he was elected a Lemelson Fellow and for his sustainable development activities he was elected an Ashoka Fellow. On the 20th Anniversary of the Internet Society of Sri Lanka, he was recognised as one of twenty-five people having contributed to the early development of the Internet in Sri Lanka.

Mr Seneviratne is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institution of Engineering & Technology, UK.