28 Facts About Thilan Wijesinghe

Thilan Manjith Wijesinghe is a Sri Lankan financier, entrepreneur, former cricketer and musician.

Thilan Wijesinghe is currently the chairman of TWCorp Ltd.

Thilan Wijesinghe is well known as a former chairman of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka.

Thilan Wijesinghe had his secondary education at Ananda College, Colombo and then pursued his university studies in the United States, obtaining three bachelor's degrees in 1984 in Business Administration from State University of New York at Fredonia, Industrial Engineering and Economics both from Cornell University.

Thilan Wijesinghe then joined as Head of Corporate Planning at Sampath Bank in 1989.

Thilan Wijesinghe was Sri Lanka's top stock broker in terms of market share in 1993 and 1994 and responsible for several landmark corporate finance transactions.

Thilan Wijesinghe was a key initiator in successfully launching the Regent Sri Lanka Fund in 1993, the first ever country fund dedicated to Sri Lankan equities.

Thilan Wijesinghe served on the Board of this Dublin-listed company for 3 years.

Thilan Wijesinghe sold his entire equity holding in Asia Capital in 1996 in view of the poor capital market outlook in the country at the time.

Thilan Wijesinghe became the youngest ever, longest serving and the first private sector full-time head of this prestigious public institution.

In 2002 Thilan Wijesinghe decided on a change of career focus from investment banking to property and leisure development to pursue his passion for design and architecture.

Thilan Wijesinghe directed the master planning of AHC's property in Colombo 3 and the landmark merger between AHC and its subsidiary Crescat Development Ltd.

Thilan Wijesinghe then founded Sri Lanka's first hotel management company specialising in managing small luxury resorts and spas and co-founded Ceylon Tea Trails, now widely regarded as Sri Lanka's most successful boutique hotel, having won Tripadvisor awards for "Best All-inclusive Hotel " category for 2009,2010 and 2011.

Thilan Wijesinghe was instrumental in identifying and procuring a 500-acre land bank for future resort and holiday villa developments and played an active role in creation of The Fortress, currently among the top small luxury hotels in Sri Lanka's south coast.

Thilan Wijesinghe relinquished his position at ORC in August 2010 to pursue entrepreneurial interests.

Thilan Wijesinghe has incubated and co-invested in several pioneering start-up ventures: namely, Sapphirus Lanka, a company that is adding value to Sri Lankan sapphire and marketing them to premium jewellers such as Tiffany and Cartier; Anything.

Thilan Wijesinghe is the chairman of these companies and serves as director of several other private and public companies in a non-executive capacity.

Thilan Wijesinghe was the youngest and the second Anandian since 1932 ever to score a century at the Battle of the Maroons.

Thilan Wijesinghe started playing cricket when he was 9 for the under 12 team.

One of his earliest cricketing memories was his father Thilak Thilan Wijesinghe, who was an Anandian and an avid cricketer enthusiast himself, bowling tennis balls at him.

Thilan Wijesinghe subsequently captained the Under 13 age group and all age groups thereafter.

Thilan Wijesinghe holds the distinction of playing for the 1st XI Ananda Team at the age of 13 years.

Thilan Wijesinghe got his first 50 in a Big Match in 1975.

Thilan Wijesinghe was selected Best Schoolboy Batsman and toured Pakistan with the Sri Lanka Under 19 team in 1976.

Thilan Wijesinghe captained Ananda in the 50th Battle of the Maroons.

Thilan Wijesinghe debuted at the P Saravanamuttu Trophy Division 1 Tournament for the Tamil Union Cricket Club at the age of 15 and scored his maiden century the same year, in 1975.

Thilan Wijesinghe was given the captaincy of the Sri Lanka "A" Team.

Since they all played by ear, never having had formal music lessons in their lives, young Thilan Wijesinghe too watched their performance and learned the art of how to create a fine rhythm by piano and later by guitar and harmonica.