Gayan Wellala, recipient of the prestigious Global CEO Award, has been appointed as the Chairman of National Salt Limited, operating under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development.

With over 20 years of experience spanning manufacturing, auditing, finance, hospitality, agriculture, and export, Wellala has served as CEO for several leading private companies in the United Arab Emirates, Maldives, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka.

An alumnus of Gankanda Central College and Colombo’s D.S. Senanayake College, Wellala holds a special degree in Financial Management from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He also earned a postgraduate qualification in Business Management from Cardiff University, England, and is a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA) in both the UK and Sri Lanka.

During his tenure, Wellala spearheaded the revival of salt factories in the northern region that had been abandoned due to the war, significantly boosting the nation’s salt production capacity.

As Chairman of National Salt Limited, Wellala revealed his strategic priorities: ensuring the domestic market’s salt needs are fully met, reviving production capacity, and focusing on expanding export opportunities to establish Sri Lanka as a leading player in the global salt industry.