SriLankan Airlines is edging closer to appointing its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO), with four candidates, three foreign nationals and one Sri Lankan now shortlisted for final interviews in the coming days. The selection process has been conducted by a five-member evaluation panel.
According to a report by ‘The Leader’ website the sole Sri Lankan candidate in the final lineup is Chamindra Lenawa, an information technology professional who currently heads a private IT firm based in Kazakhstan. He previously served at Air Astana, where he held the position of VP – IT & eBusiness from January 2011 to September 2023, after earlier roles as Director – IT & eCommerce and Manager – IT Business Systems.
The strong presence of foreign candidates on the shortlist has raised eyebrows, particularly given the NPP government’s earlier public stance on prioritising local talent for senior leadership roles. Should a foreign national ultimately be selected, the decision may invite questions regarding policy consistency.
The process has also reignited discussion surrounding the 2025 removal of former CEO Richard Nuttall, who was widely regarded as having delivered strong operational performance during his tenure.
Notably, if Lenawa is selected, it would mark a rare departure from traditional airline leadership trends. Historically, airline CEOs have predominantly emerged from operational (pilot) or financial (CFO) backgrounds, with appointments from IT and digital leadership domains remaining uncommon.
Final interviews are expected to be held shortly in Colombo, with a decision anticipated soon thereafter.
