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Dhananath Fernando appointed CEO of Advocata Institute

28 Sep 2022

Dhananath Fernando has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Advocata Institute, a public policy think tank based in Colombo. Fernando, who is a founding member of the institute has worked as Advocata’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) since its inception.    “Dhananath (Fernando) has been instrumental to the growth of Advocata as a significant voice in the policy debate in Sri Lanka,” said Murtaza Jafferjee, who serves as the Chairman of the board of directors at Advocata Institute. “The board has no doubt that he will lead Advocata into even greater heights.”   In 2022, Fernando was chosen from Sri Lanka for the Eisenhower Fellowship. He is also recognised as a “Asia 21 Young Leader” for 2022 by the Asia Society for his impact with the Advocata Institute.     “I thank the Advocata board of directors for trusting me and supporting me,” Fernando said, adding: “I feel we have all contributed to a greater cause bigger than ourselves to make Sri Lanka prosperous and competitive where hard work and free exchange is valued. A big thank you to our founding members and our board of advisors and our team for their continued dedication and support. It’s always a team effort.”   As the COO of Advocata, Fernando has managed to play a pivotal role in the organisation with key responsibilities in fundraising and communication. He is a frequent writer and commentator on economic policy in national media. Prior to joining Advocata, Fernando worked in market research and administration. He is a graduate from the University of Colombo and studied at St. Sebastian’s College in his hometown of Moratuwa. Fernando volunteers his time for CandleAid, a charity based in Sri Lanka, and a number of other initiatives including the AK Lit Fest, a trilingual literary festival and Lakmahal, a community library.    Advocata Institute was started in 2016 by a group of professionals aiming to provide market-oriented policy alternatives to existing public discourse in Sri Lanka. The founding group was advised by leading academics and business leaders.    The Advocata Institute is a non-profit company limited by guarantee.  More about the Institute’s work can be found on it’s website www.advocata.org   


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