Lakshman Niyangoda was appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman of Baurs in October 2018, having served as its first Sri Lankan Managing Director/CEO since 2014. He served the Board of Baurs since 1990 and counts over 35 years of experience with the company. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) Degree from the University of Peradeniya and has served as a Member of numerous professional bodies including the Council for Agricultural Research Policy of Sri Lanka, Standing Committee of Agriculture and Veterinary Studies, University Grants Commission and the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. He also serves as a Non-Executive Director of the Board of Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC since 2016
A Baur and Co. (Pvt) Ltd., is one of the oldest companies in the country which was established by Swiss National, Alfred Baur, who came to Sri Lanka, (then Ceylon) to invest and work in the flourishing plantation industry. His success in managing coconut and tea plantations encouraged him to move into the plantation fertiliser sector and establish A. Baur and Co. Ltd.
BMD spoke with the current chairman, Lakshman Niyangoda, about the history and the current status of the 122-year-old company – the legacy of Alfred Baur.
Excerpts from the interview:
Read BMD August 2019 for more details…