Colombo (LNW): Group Chief Financial Officer and Head of ESG at Hayleys Group Milinda Hewagama has recently been appointed to the Board of the United Nations Global Compact Network Sri Lanka.
Hewagama, who has over 17 years of varied experience in financial roles, started at Hayleys in 2010 and progressed to Group CFO within just 13 years.
He is responsible for steering the Hayleys Group’s ESG Roadmap, known as the Hayleys Lifecode, which integrates environmental, social, and governance best practices throughout the Group’s operations.
Hewagama pursued his education at the University of Colombo, where he completed both his Bachelor of Business Administration and an MBA.
He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka.
Hewagama emphasises the need for agility in today’s CFOs and highlights the growing importance of data-driven decision-making, digitalisation, and real-time dashboards.
He believes in strong governance for ethical business management and risk mitigation.
At Hayleys, an ESG Steering Committee has been set up to ensure ESG matters are addressed.
Hewagama stresses that while pursuing larger organisational objectives, individual values and ethics shouldn’t be compromised.
Treating all employees with respect, leading with empathy, and ensuring employee well-being are crucial.
He believes that incorporating ESG into business strategies results in more resilient business models and is optimistic about collaborating with Network Sri Lanka to achieve these goals.
