Mr. Pradip Jayewardene received his primary and secondary education in Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka. He started his career as a Trade Specialist at Mitsui & Co. (Canada) Ltd. and later founded Power & Sun (Pvt) Ltd. where he was Joint Managing Director. He held positions as the Director of Multimedia (Pvt) Ltd., Managing Director of Solar Power & Light Co. Ltd., Managing Director of Shell Solar Lanka Ltd. and Managing Director of Suryavahini (Pvt) Ltd.
As an entrepreneur Mr. Jayewardene has dedicated his life to serving the community through organizations and companies that develop sustainable market based solutions for basic energy requirements of rural communities. He has lobbied for assistance from governments and international agencies for the use of renewable energy for rural development, and has focused on innovating cost effective technology options, attracting foreign investment and creating new financing models.
Mr. Jayewardene founded the Solar Industry Association, an organisation which represents the interests of the solar industry and was its President from 1998 to 2010. With his leadership, over 120,000 home solar-systems were installed in Sri Lanka, benefitting over half a million rural people. As early as in 1987 Mr. Jayewardene pioneered taking solar PV technology to rural homes in Sri Lanka. He successfully lobbied the Sri Lanka government and worked with the World Bank to create the first World Bank programme to provide solar energy to rural homes. This model was adopted in many other countries.
In the aftermath of the Tsunami, Mr. Jayewardene initiated several support programmes for rebuilding efforts in the Northeastern and Southern coastlines of Sri Lanka. He obtained assistance from international donors to provide solar-powered emergency-lighting for 1500 displaced families on the Eastern coast. Mr. Jayewardene is a trustee of Solideal Loadstar Rehabilitation Trust which gave post-Tsunami humanitarian assistance to Unawatuna, Weligama, Mirissa and Kamburugamuwa areas by providing medical and emergency food assistance and rebuilding homes and schools. The Trust salvaged the Mirissa fisheries harbour, repaired boats, provided nets and re-established livelihood of the local fishing community. He also founded the Colliers Kirinda Trust and directed the “Kirinda Rebuilding Project” which was responsible for re-building the destroyed houses in Kirinda Town Center in Hambantota. This successful project won several international awards. Mr. Jayewardene is also a trustee of Building a Future Foundation with which set up the Mirissa Watersport Center and pioneered the new industry of whale and dolphin watching in the country.
In November 2002 Mr. Jayewardene received the National Gold Award and Provincial Gold Award as the “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka. He was recognized by H.E. The President of Sri Lanka for Excellence in Entrepreneurship in 2003.
An active athlete in several specialized sports, Mr. Jayewardene is one of the country’s foremost race car drivers winning top ranks in national and international events. He won the National Karting Championship in Canada in 1986 and placed sixth overall in the World Kart Racing Championship in the same year. He has participated in IPSC (pistol) shooting since 1978 and has taken part in events regularly.
Mr. Jayewardene was appointed as the Consul General of Sri Lanka to Germany in 2011. He is married to Shaan Jayewardene and they have three children.