Dhananath Fernando appointed CEO of Advocata Institute

Originally appeared in the Daily FT

Advocata Institute, a public policy think tank based in Colombo has appointed Dhananath Fernando, as its Chief Executive Officer. Dhananath, who is a founding member of the Institute has worked as Advocata’s Chief Operating Officer since its inception. 

Advocata Institute was started in 2016 by a group of professionals aiming to provide market-oriented policy alternatives to existing public discourse in Sri Lanka. The founding group was advised by leading academics and business leaders. 

“Dhananath has been instrumental to the growth of Advocata as a significant voice in the policy debate in Sri Lanka,” said Advocata Institute Board of Directors Chairman Murtaza Jafferjee. “The Board has no doubt that he will lead Advocata into even greater heights”. As the COO of Advocata, Dhananath has managed to play a pivotal role in the organisation with key responsibilities in fundraising and communication. He is a frequent writer and commentator on economic policy in national media. 

Prior to joining Advocata, Dhananath worked in market research and administration. He is a graduate from the University of Colombo and studied at St. Sebastian’s College in his hometown of Moratuwa. Dhananath volunteers his time for CandleAid, a charity based in Sri Lanka, and a number of other initiatives including the AK Lit Fest, a trilingual literary festival and Lakmahal, a community library. 

In 2022, Dhananath was chosen from Sri Lanka for the prestigious Eisenhower fellowship. He is also recognised as a “Asia 21 Young Leader” for 2022 by the Asia Society for his impact with the Advocata Institute.   

“I thank the Advocata board of directors for trusting me and supporting me,” said Dhananath Fernando. “I feel we have all contributed to a greater cause bigger than ourselves to make Sri Lanka prosperous and competitive where hard work and free exchange is valued. A big thank you to our founding members and our Board of Advisors and our team for their continued dedication and support. It’s always a team effort.”

For more on Advocata’s scholars, members and associates see www.advocata.org/about