Suresh Dayanath de Mel

Suresh is GEN's Ambassador for Sri Lanka. He had his primary education at St. Thomas’ Prep School, Kollupitiya, Sri Lanka, and his secondary education at St. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, Sri Lanka. Before his tertiary education in the USA, he worked as a student in “Appropriate Technology” with the Appropriate Technology Group of Sri Lanka, the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement in Sri Lanka, and the Intermediate Technology Development Group in London, under the guidance of his father Mr. J. Nihal de Mel, Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, Dr. Anton de Wilde, and Dr. E.F. Schumacher. He holds an Associate of Science Degree in Automotive Engineering Technology from Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, Oregon, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Engineering from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA. During his tertiary education, Suresh worked as a work-study Student Engineer and then as an Agricultural and Environmental Engineer for CH2M Hill Inc., USA, for 10 years. 

Suresh currently practices and preaches Socially and Environmentally Responsible Entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka thru active involvement in the following endeavors, as: Managing Director of Lanka Fishing Flies (Pvt) Ltd., a pioneering US-Sri Lanka Joint Venture since 1981, hand crafting and exporting Umpqua brand fishing flies worldwide. The Company currently employs 200 workers (mostly marginalized women) in factories in Colombo, Tangalla and Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. He is the Proprietor of Sports Fishing Lanka, a pioneering enterprise promoting “Catch and Release” sport fishing, promoting fishery habitat conservation in Sri Lanka, Chairman/Managing Director of Lanka Eco Adventure Frontiers (Pvt) Ltd., a “start-up” company to promote conservation of rainforests and wetlands through "sustainable" agriculture and “responsible” tourism, Chairman of Doonvale (Pvt) Ltd., a Boutique Guest House (Colonial Bungalow) in Bandarawela, Chairman of Lanka Aqua Villas (Pvt) Ltd., a Boutique Lake Villa/Guest House in Bolgoda. 

Suresh is also the Chairman of the Board of Navajeevana Rehabilitation Tangalla, a center of excellence “bringing new life to people with special needs”. Suresh was also the Past Chairman of the Board and a founder member of the Business for Peace Alliance (BPA) – Sri Lanka’s Regional Chambers initiative for conflict transformation, the Past Chairman & Chief Executive of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board and a Senior Advisor to the State Ministry of Investment Promotion. Suresh is a Serial Social Entrepreneur and a longstanding Advocate for Entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka.