Chamindra Gamage has been promoted to the position of Managing Director at Varna Limited with effect from 1st November 2023. He was the company’s Chief Growth Officer/Executive Director from January 2020 and was appointed to the Board in 2012.

Chamindra Gamage counts over 12 years of experience in multiple industries and is a founding member and Past President of Entrepreneurs Organisation, Sri Lanka. He is the Honorary Consul to Colombia in Sri Lanka and a member of both the Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs Organisation – APAC. Chamindra graduated with a Bachelor of Economics and Master of Science in Accounting and Finance from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and is a participant of the Stanford Seed Transformation Program 2024.

In a related move, after steering the company for over 3 decades, Channa Wickremesinghe now takes on the role of Chairman, having exhibited exceptional dedication and contribution towards Varna’s growth and success in the industry.

Under the visionary leadership of Channa Wickremesinghe and Chamindra Gamage, Varna has experienced remarkable growth, setting new standards in the industry. Through significant investments in training and development, changes in culture management, a new ERP, Industry 4.0 and Lean Six Sigma and state of the art machinery, the company has significantly enhanced its operational capabilities amidst the challenges faced in Sri Lanka and the global recession. Through all of these initiatives, Varna continues to drive a deeply deep-rooted commitment towards fostering authentic connections with all of the company’s stakeholders from customers to employees.

Some of the company’s significant milestones in the recent past include:

–   Varna was awarded the prestigious Golden Cylinder Award at the Gravure Technical Forum 2022 held in the US.

–   Installation of the BOBST NOVA D 800 Laminator at a project investment of Rs. 250 million during one of Sri Lanka’s most uncertain socio-economic periods which expanded the company’s capabilities to offer state-of-the-art solventless lamination.

–   Having exhibited at ‘Fine Food Australia’, the leading trade event for the Australian food industry, in both 2022 and 2023, has enabled the company to increase its export market share in Australia alongside expansion into the Maldives.

–   With a core focus towards sustainability, the company has set up 550 kw roof-top solar installation across its entire factory.

–   Varna achieved BRCGS certification in 2023 alongside its existing FSSC 22000 certification enabling the company to be one of the very few flexible packaging solution providers in Sri Lanka with international compliance standards.

With this transition in leadership, Varna looks ahead with the same commitment to excellence that has defined its legacy with the aim of listing the company in the coming years. The company is poised to build on its storied history and continue shaping the future of sustainable flexible packaging in Sri Lanka and beyond. With a renewed focus on trust, support and innovation, Varna Packaging is set to embark on another chapter of sustained growth and success as the company gears for an Initial Public Offering.