Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka, November 2025 – ESU Sri Lanka, a leading degree-awarding higher education institution, has announced the appointment of Suren Perera as its Chief People Officer. With over two decades of leadership experience across retail, fashion, and education sectors, Suren brings deep expertise in strategic HR transformation, organizational culture, and leadership development.
In his new role, Suren will oversee the university’s people strategy, driving initiatives that enhance faculty and staff engagement, strengthen talent development, and align people capabilities with ESU’s academic and institutional vision. His appointment comes as the university continues to expand its global partnerships and strengthen its reputation as one of Sri Lanka’s most innovative higher education providers.
Before joining ESU Sri Lanka, Suren Perera served as Head of Strategy – People and Culture at GFLOCK Whiteglow Retail Limited, where he led HR strategy, cultural transformation, and talent optimization across the company’s fashion retail operations. His focus on empowering teams and enhancing employee experience contributed significantly to the brand’s growth and operational excellence.
Prior to that, Suren was Chief Executive Officer at Prasad Fashion Square, where he provided strategic leadership to drive organizational efficiency and business performance during a transformative phase. His cross-functional leadership combined business insight with people-centric management, enabling sustainable growth in a dynamic retail environment.
Earlier, Suren spent over seven years with Softlogic Holdings PLC as Head of Human Resources – Retail Sector, overseeing HR operations for ODEL, Softlogic Retail, and Burger King Sri Lanka. His contributions included designing scalable HR systems, establishing leadership pipelines, and fostering a high-performance culture across multiple retail brands.
Suren’s earlier roles include serving as Head of Human Resources at Richard Pieris Distributors Limited, where he led HR transformation and performance management initiatives, and Manager – HRD at John Keells Holdings PLC, one of Sri Lanka’s largest conglomerates. During his 11-year tenure at John Keells, he played a pivotal role in learning and development, succession planning, and organizational capability building across multiple business divisions.
About ESU Sri Lanka
ESU Sri Lanka, established in 2000, has grown from a computing-focused institute into a comprehensive, degree-awarding university offering globally recognized qualifications. With a student community of over 15,000 learners annually, ESU continues to strengthen its position as a leading provider of world-class education in Computing, Engineering, Business, Law, Art & Design, Education, and Life Sciences.
Each of ESU’s faculties is led by distinguished academics and supported by curricula benchmarked to international standards, integrating academic excellence, industry relevance, and interdisciplinary research. The institution’s commitment to global pathways and employability ensures that students graduate with both academic depth and practical readiness.
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