Harry J turns 80

Business tycoon Harry Jayawardena celebrated his 80th birthday on Thursday.

Jayawardena, a former employee of Consolexpo, the State Trading Corporation handling exports, together with some colleagues, including former Civil Servant, the late VP Vittachi who was chairman of Consolexpo, set up Stassen Exports (Stassen is his second name) after the change of government in 1977.

Stassen acquired privatized state owned entities including Lanka Milk Foods and the Distilleries

Company of Ceylon Ltd. The group now controls many companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange including old established Aitken Spence PLC, plantation companies and hold significant stakes in the listed banking sector.