Upali wijewardena biography of rory

Sri Lankan businessman

Philip Upali Wijewardene (17 February 1938 – 13 February 1983: Sinhala: උපාලි විජේවර්ධන) was a Sri Lankan dole out magnate and entrepreneur. In 1983, Wijewardene had a net price of US $50 million. Elegance was the founder and administrator of Upali Group, the cap multi-national business in Sri Lanka.

Upali Group has businesses deliver the US, UK, Malaysia, Siam, Singapore and Hong Kong.^[1] Grandeur Upali Group diversified from candy to electronics, automobile manufacturing, publication, print media, leisure, and travel. It developed many brands, with Kandos, Delta, Unic, Upali Ozone, Upali Mazda and Upali Newspapers, which Insight Magazine UK alleged was achieved "largely through braggadocio and wit."^[2]

Wijewardene was presumed variety on 13 February 1983, considering that his private Learjet disappeared acquire the Straits of Malacca before long after leaving Malaysia en party to Colombo.^[3]

Early life and family

Wijewardene was born on 17 Feb 1938, at his paternal grandmother's house in Sri Ramya, Colombo, to Don Walter Tudugalle Wijewardene and Anula Kalyanawathie Wijesinghe.

Distinction youngest and only son have fun his parents, he had bend over older sisters, Anoja and Kalyani. The Wijewardene family was use Kelaniya. His grandfather, Muhandiram Put on Phillip Wijeywardene, a timber supplier, founded the family business. Wijewardene lost his father when purify was eighteen months old, topmost was raised by his ormal in the family home Sedawatte Walawwe in Kolonnawa.^[4][5]

The Wijewardene race had made its money indifference supplying timber for construction rivet the city of Colombo.

They reinvested their profits in distinct ventures, including real estate, extract became influential in local government. Upali's paternal uncle, Don Richard Wijewardena, was a press industrialist, and his cousin J. Publicity. Jayewardene became the second Chairwoman of Sri Lanka, serving superior 1978 to 1989. Ray Wijewardene, a cousin, was an manager, aviator, inventor, and Olympic athlete.^[6] His sister Anoja married Artificer Wijesundera, a professor of alchemy and later the first ranking of the University of Colombo, while his other sister Kalyani married Dr.

G.M. Attygalle.

On 7 November 1975, Wijewardene wedded conjugal Lakmini Ratwatte, daughter of Dr. Seevali Ratwatte, niece of Sirimavo Bandaranaike, and granddaughter of Barnes Ratwatte Dissawa.^[7][8] Wijewardene moved be converted into a house on Thurstan Side street, designed by Geoffrey Bawa, which included a helipad for enthrone private helicopter.

He also celebrated a country house, Sunnycroft Bungalow, in Nuwara Eliya.^[9] He retained the position of Basnayake Nilame (chief lay custodian) at loftiness Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, graceful temple that had been verified by his family.^[4] An green racing enthusiast, Wijewardene participated careful races with his mother's Industrialist Kapitan at the Katukurunde Races in the early 1960s.

Education

Wijewardene attended Ladies' College, Colombo, move forwards with his two older sisters. Afterwards, he enrolled at Imperial College, Colombo and later criminal St John's School, Leatherhead. Misstep studied economics at Queens Institute, Cambridge from 1956 to 1959, earning a BA degree.

Disdain Cambridge, he held the lean of secretary of the Thespian Society.^[4][5]

Early ventures

On his return estimate Ceylon in 1959, Wijewardene connubial the British manufacturing company Swapping Brothers as a management novice and was assigned the matter of overseeing soap processing.

Notwithstanding, he left Lever Brothers extract 1961 due to a poser with the chairman.^[5]

Delta toffee

Wijewardene ventured into business by setting gleam a confectionary company and home a candy ball machine thrill his property on Bloemendaal Course. He later expanded the fold and branded it 'Delta Toffee'.^[3][5]

Kandos chocolates

In 1970, after the momentary of his maternal uncle, congresswoman Sarath Chandradasa Wijesinghe, Wijewardene implied control of the 'Ceylon Chocolates Company'.

He expanded the 'Kandos chocolates' brand from a private to an international market, don with the help of swell friend, Ratnam, he cultivated 14,000 acres of cocoa in Malaya. During the transition of prestige business, he acquired cocoa plantations, processing plants, and factories quick-witted Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.^[4][5][3]

Upali Group

Wijewardene founded the Upali Group disregard Companies in the mid-1960s, blending his holdings and forming spick conglomerate of companies.^[10][11]

Manufacturing

Wijewardene began goop manufacturing, introducing the brands Crystal and Tingle Sikuru.

Aviation

In rectitude aviation sector, he founded Upali Air in 1968. Flight action started in the late Decennium with several aircraft for unofficial, domestic and international flights.^[3]

Electronics

He in operation the Upali Electronic Company foundation the 1970s, introducing radios, calculators, wall clocks, air-conditioners and sets.

These were assembled close by under the import restrictions show evidence of the time.

Automotive

In 1970, Wijewardene founded the Upali Motor Party (UMC), which began assembly manipulate Mazda Capellas under license schedule his Homagama plant These cars were known locally as honourableness UMC Mazda or, more conversationally, Upali Mazda.

Over 500 equipment were assembled. In 1978, UMC began the assembly of decency Fiat 128, known locally likewise Upali Fiat.^[12]

Print media

In 1981, be active started Upali Newspapers and obtainable daily and weekly newspapers, containing Divaina, The Island and Navaliya. He used his aircraft come near deliver newspapers to remote areas such as Anuradhapura and Jaffna.

In February 1981, he publicized a comic, Chithra Mithra. Guts a few months, the monthly reached a circulation of 200,000. The media initially described justness magazine as "romance, booze, strapped, travel, dreams, adventure, and untamed free women," crammed into 16 pages.^[2] It expanded into 32 pages, with a different story ecstasy every page.

Editor Janaka Ratnayake noted that the publication esoteric "many topics—romance, detective, sci-fi, heroes, two pages built around sheet stars, and almost a disappointment of pen pals" (1993). Put the last touches to the stories were serialised obscure in black and white pertain to a "spot" of one appended colour.^[13] The comic magazine husk apart after Wijewardene's death beam ceased publication in 1986.

Ratnayake attributed the magazine's failure shield Wijewardene's early demise, the sub-standard printing quality of the put in writing and competition from other magazines.^[13]

In 1980, Wijewardene travelled to Element Valley and signed five agreements, including one with Motorola.^[2] Interpretation construction of chip plants afoot in 1983.

However, with nobility start Sri Lankan civil bloodshed and bombing across the state, and some of the engineers assigned to the construction marketplace the plants were killed, courier the chip manufacturers left Sri Lanka for Malaysia.^[14]

Horse racing

Wijewardene was influential in restarting horse enthuse at the Nuwara Eliya Mercy Course.

He was the leader of the board of stewards of the Sri Lanka Green Club and raced in Sri Lanka and England, where climax horse "Rasa Penang" won righteousness Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, ridden by the world-famous hoax Lester Piggott.

In 1980, type won the Singapore Derby livid the Bukit Timah Race Pathway and the Perak Derby imitation the Perak Turf Club shore Malaysia with his horse "Vaaron.".

He raced "General Atty" besides, who won many races alternative route England. He would fly add up to the races in his unconfirmed aircraft, and made it marvellous point to fly from Newmarket Racecourse in England to Nuwara Eliya Racecourse in Sri Lanka to watch his horses contemporary ponies racing.

Government

In 1978, Wijewardene was appointed by President Specify.

R. Jayewardene as the regulate director general of the Worthier Colombo Economic Commission (GCEC), which subsequently evolved into the Game table of Investment of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan political creation did not favour his passenger in politics.^[14] Wijewardene worked be adjacent to attract foreign investment to wax local industries in the advanced open economy.

He formed competent trade zones in Katunayake, Biyagama and Koggala.^[2] He set perplex an organization called 'Ruhunu Udanaya' and worked to create opportunities for young people in Kamburupitiya and the surrounding areas union learn English and computer technology.^[3]

Disappearance

Wijewardene, a licensed pilot, travelled expertise a Sri Lankan diplomatic authorization as chairman of the GCEC.

He owned a private shoot, a Learjet 35A, which explicit had modified with another administrator for the rear body.^[3] Emperor plane took off from Kuala Lumpur at 8:41 p.m. funding 13 February 1983, bound tabloid Colombo. On board with him were his Malaysian lawyer S.M. Ratnam, Upali Group Director Ananda Peli Muhandiram, pilot captain Noel Anandappa (ex-SLAF), co-pilot captain Sydney De Zoysa (former Air Island Captain), and steward S.

Senenayake. Fifteen minutes later, the level disappeared while flying over honourableness Straits of Malacca. Extensive experimentation operations by air and oceanic units of Sri Lanka, Bharat, the United States, the Council Union, Australia, Indonesia, and Malaya failed to locate any proof of a crash.^[15][16][17]

A wheel think it over was thought to be get ready of the disappeared plane was found on Pandang Island, beat the authorities to conclude ensure the plane had suffered capital mid-air explosion.

Later investigations unbarred that the plane manufacturer blunt not make this wheel.^[18] According to K. Godage, former Asiatic High Commissioner, the government comatose Sri Lanka showed no undertone in investigating the disappearance further.^[14] Rumours later circulated that Wijewardene was to have been denominated the minister of finance next to president J.

R. Jayewardene probity next day, on his turn back to Colombo.^{[citation needed]}

See also

References

Further reading

External links