Category: Daily Financial Times

KBSL Information Technologies, a member of the Agility Innovation Group and a leading systems integrator in Sri Lanka with a legacy of over 35 years, has announced the appointment of Aruna Dissanayake as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Aruna will also serve as Acting CEO until a new leader is onboarded, underscoring the company’s commitment to strengthening its leadership team and delivering greater value to customers.

An accomplished leader with nearly three decades of experience in the global IT industry, Aruna brings a wealth of expertise in enterprise technology, operations, and business transformation. His career spans both local and international leadership roles, with more than five years in the USA and Europe, where he gained significant exposure to diverse technology markets.

Aruna began his career at Virtusa and later contributed to building engineering excellence at Millennium IT (now part of the London Stock Exchange Group). He went on to scale Valista from a team of just 15 to over 150 professionals, guiding the company through its acquisitions by Aepona, Intel, and Persistent Systems.

During this journey, he led the Professional Services Engineering Team at Aepona, working with Tier-1 Global teleco operators, including Verizon, France Telecom (Orange), Telia, TDC, and VimpelCom (VEON). His exposure to global telecom ecosystems gave him deep insight into payment systems, API management, and large-scale go-to-market strategies for next-generation digital services.

‘KBSL has a strong foundation in IT infrastructure services and an unmatched partner ecosystem. As we strategically expand into areas such as enterprise applications, cloud platforms, and AI-driven digital transformation, Aruna’s leadership will enable us to deliver greater value to our customers. His appointment marks not just a change in leadership, but a pivotal step in our journey toward shaping the future of Sri Lanka’s digital economy.’

At Intel Corporation, Aruna served as Senior Director of Engineering, where he spearheaded several digital transformation initiatives. He led the migration of large enterprise monolithic applications from physical data centres to public cloud platforms, refactoring them into cloud-native microservices architectures. These initiatives significantly improved cost efficiency, enhanced high availability, and optimised both CapEx and OpEx models for global clients. During his tenure at Intel, Aruna also cofounded and spearheaded the Colombo IoT Meetup Group, engaging local developer communities in Internet of Things (IoT) projects, fostering collaboration and innovation in emerging technologies.

Aruna later joined Persistent Systems as Vice President of Engineering and Country Head of the Sri Lanka Delivery Center, overseeing the growth and strategic direction of the centre. Concurrently, he served as Head of Innovation at Accelerite, Persistent’s product arm, where he led research and development initiatives to drive innovation in enterprise solutions. In his dual roles, Aruna played a pivotal part in the launch of Persistent’s advanced GenAI platform, which revolutionised software engineering by integrating generative and deterministic AI. This platform enhanced productivity and efficiency across the software development lifecycle, from ideation to post-deployment operations, empowering businesses to drive innovation and enhance customer experiences.

KBSL Chairman Vasee said: ‘Aruna’s extensive experience and proven track record in technology leadership align perfectly with our vision for KBSL’s future. His expertise in working with global technology leaders and Tier-1 enterprises will be instrumental as we continue to evolve and expand our service offerings.

‘KBSL has a strong foundation in IT infrastructure services and an unmatched partner ecosystem. As we strategically expand into areas such as enterprise applications, cloud platforms, and AI-driven digital transformation, Aruna’s leadership will enable us to deliver greater value to our customers. His appointment marks not just a change in leadership, but a pivotal step in our journey toward shaping the future of Sri Lanka’s digital economy.’

Aruna holds an M.Sc. in Computer Science and a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering with First-Class Honours from the University of Moratuwa. He is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council, has served on the Advisory Board of the Capacity Forum of SLASSCOM, and contributed to the Industry Consultative Boards of the University of Moratuwa and SLIIT, helping to shape the next generation of IT talent in Sri Lanka.

Reflecting on his new role, Aruna said: ‘KBSL has been a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s IT industry for decades. I see this as an opportunity to build on that foundation and help businesses prepare for a new digital era – one where data, applications, and teams work seamlessly together.

‘Our focus will be on guiding clients to create intelligent, secure, and scalable environments that adapt to their needs. By leveraging the power of global cloud platforms, modern automation, and forward-looking security practices such as Zero Trust, we aim to deliver infrastructure and applications that are not only cutting-edge but also cost-effective and sustainable.

Reflecting on his new role, Aruna said: ‘KBSL has been a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s IT industry for decades. I see this as an opportunity to build on that foundation and help businesses prepare for a new digital era – one where data, applications, and teams work seamlessly together

‘Looking ahead, I believe the future of enterprise technology lies in combining scalable infrastructure with innovation at the application layer – from AI-powered IT service management to no-code platforms and enterprise marketplaces. Equally important is embedding robust cybersecurity from the start, ensuring resilience through advanced managed security services. At KBSL, we intend to bring these capabilities together to help our clients thrive, innovate, and stay secure in a rapidly changing digital landscape.’

About KBSL

KBSL Information Technologies: Driving Sri Lanka’s Digital Future

KBSL Information Technologies Limited is a leading force in Sri Lanka’s ICT landscape, delivering transformative solutions that power enterprise resilience and national infrastructure advancement. With over three decades of experience, KBSL specializes in integrated technology services spanning cloud architecture, data center modernization, smart building systems, and managed IT operations.

The company’s multidisciplinary expertise supports mission-critical environments across both public and private sectors. Recognized for its strategic approach to digital enablement, institutional alignment, and operational excellence, KBSL continues to strengthen its partner ecosystem with global technology leaders to deliver best-in-class solutions locally.

As Sri Lanka accelerates its digital journey, KBSL remains a trusted partner in shaping a secure, scalable, and future-ready ecosystem that enables organizations to innovate with confidence.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya yesterday called on newly appointed Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) officers to contribute to building a dedicated and efficient public service free from political interference and malpractice.

Addressing 1,890 newly appointed Grade III SLAS officers, she said the Government’s goal is to establish an independent public service that properly serves the people.

‘You are not joining a traditional public service. You are not entering the inefficient, politically-influenced public service that has prevailed for years, but rather an independent service that stands on behalf of the people,’ she said at the ceremony held to award appointments to those officers who were selected from the open competitive examination and subsequent interviews for recruitment to Grade III of the SLAS.

Dr. Amarasuriya noted that the examination, originally scheduled for November 2020, had been delayed for four years due to restrictions on open recruitment and with around 5,000 vacancies in the Administrative Service, the Cabinet has approved the filling of 2,223 posts, of which nearly 1,890 officers are now being appointed.

‘Recruitment was conducted strictly according to district quotas based on the 2020 population ratio, and candidates were selected purely on merit and were interviewed by the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government with complete transparency,’ she explained.

Dr. Amarasuriya also stressed the Government’s commitment to digitising public services to deliver them more swiftly and ensure a people-centred administration while public officers now have greater independence.

But the Prime Minister warned that fraud, corruption and irregularities would not be tolerated saying that if such incidents were reported, the Government would take the maximum possible action.

‘As honest officials and citizens, you have the right to stand against such fraud, corruption, and irregularities,’ she said, inviting the newly appointed officers to commit themselves fully to the country and people.

Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Chandana Abeyratne, also addressing the event, said the recruitment had been entirely free of political influence or personal connections. ‘After four years, you represent the largest intake of public service. When you retire, may you have the satisfaction that you helped elevate the public service to a higher standard,’ he said.

‘We are striving for an independent and efficient public service and your contribution is highly appreciated. You might have negative experiences from the public service. Ensure that such bitter experiences are not repeated through your service. Instead, work responsibly to deliver services to the public efficiently,’ he noted.