Dhananath Fernando
Dhananath Fernando is the Chief Executive Officer and a founding member of the Advocata Institute. Having served as the Institute’s Chief Operating Officer from its inception in 2016, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2022. He brings extensive experience in economic policy, research, institutional leadership, public-policy advocacy, strategic communications, and organisational development.
Dhananath Fernando is the Chief Executive Officer and a founding member of the Advocata Institute. Having served as the Institute’s Chief Operating Officer from its inception in 2016, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2022. He brings extensive experience in economic policy, research, institutional leadership, public-policy advocacy, strategic communications, and organisational development.
At Advocata, he leads the Institute’s institutional strategy, organisational development, fundraising, communications, and public engagement, while guiding its research and advocacy agenda on evidence-based, market-oriented policy reform in Sri Lanka. He represents Advocata at public forums, conferences, and media engagements locally and internationally, with contributions to BBC News, Bloomberg, and Al Jazeera on Sri Lanka’s economic challenges and reform agenda.
Under his leadership, Advocata has contributed to national policy discussions and reform initiatives addressing tariff reform, state-owned enterprises, price controls, micro and small enterprises, debt restructuring, taxation, trade, and other barriers to economic freedom and sustainable growth.
Prior to founding Advocata, Dhananath served as Associate Research Director at Breakthrough Business Intelligence, where he led national surveys, strategic research, market intelligence, and public opinion studies, and previously worked at MAS Holdings. His professional background spans research, policy advocacy, institutional management, strategic communications, and public engagement. He is an alumnus of Atlas Network’s Think Tank MBA and leadership-development programmes and the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
Dhananath holds a bachelor’s degree in Bio Sciences and Biochemistry from the University of Colombo. He was selected as an Eisenhower Global Fellow and recognised by the Asia Society as an Asia 21 Young Leader for his contribution through the Advocata Institute. He has also represented Advocata in receiving the Asia Liberty Award and the Templeton Freedom Award for the Institute’s contribution to advancing free-market reforms in Sri Lanka. Through his leadership and public-policy advocacy, he continues to advance Advocata’s mission of economic freedom, sound public policy, and greater prosperity for Sri Lanka.
