Board of Directors

Anushka Wijesinha is an economist with experience in Government, private sector and think tanks. He is the Co-founder/Director of the interdisciplinary public policy think, Centre for a Smart Future, where ‘Nature, Climate, and the Economy’ is one of the main thematic pillars. Anushka is currently, or has been, an international consultant for advisory projects in Mongolia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Maldives, Kenya, Rwanda, and Iran, with a focus on trade, investment and economic competitiveness. He is an Appointed Member of the Governing Board and the Monetary Policy Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He also serves in various policy advisory capacities at the Presidential Secretariat, including the National Green Finance Committee. In previous roles, he served as Advisor to the Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade; as Chief Economist of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; and as Research Economist at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka. In the private sector, Anushka has experience on several corporate boards in the financial services industry. Anushka was a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Innovation Ecosystems and was an Asia Foundation Development Fellow at the Korea Development Institute in Seoul. Anushka holds a Masters in Economics from University of Leeds, BSc in Economics from University College London, and is an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School’s ‘Leading Economic Growth’ executive programme.

Sanjiv Fernando is a wildlife scientist and conservationist with expertise in human-wildlife coexistence, protecting critical habitats for threatened species, and conservation technology. Sanjiv is a Senior Associate on RESOLVE's Conservation Solutions team and lives in Washington, DC. He manages the Quick Response Fund for Nature, oversees community-based coexistence projects, and conducts data and spatial analysis to biodiversity issues. Sanjiv has contributed to scientific publications that have helped shape the global conservation agenda, including The Global Safety Net for Biodiversity and Climate and A Global Deal for Nature. He also has experience in developing and implementing technological solutions to protect wildlife. Sanjiv holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy, both from Clark University. During his studies, he conducted pioneering research on human-leopard conflict and community coexistence strategies around Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. Sanjiv has been a Director of EFL since 2023.

Manori Gunawardane is a wildlife scientist who started off as a researcher at Centre for Conservation Research, studying elephant ranging patterns and land use based on radio telemetry in Southern Sri Lanka in 1996. She has experience in mitigating human wildlife interactions and advocates for science-based approaches to development planning. Manori is an Eisenhower Fellow in leadership which was awarded in 2010. and Associate Scientist to Wildlife Protection Society India on human elephant conflict mitigation within the period of 2007 – 2010. She is also the Country Representative for Born Free Foundation UK since 2015 and is the Technical Advisor to the Sri Lanka Delegation to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species since 2016. Manori has been serving as a Member of the EFL Board since 2012.

Mr. Nigel Bartholomeusz was appointed to the Board of EFL in December 2015.  Mr. Bartholomeusz is an Attorney at Law of the Supreme Court of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.  He practised in the Chambers of K. Kanag-Isvaran President's Counsel for a period of 14 years, prior to which he simultaneously completed a year of apprenticeship under Mr. Kanag-Isvaran P.C. and the with the Attorney General's Department.

Deshini is a chartered and management accountant with varied experience in private and public sector. Her roles in Private sector included heading the Sri Lankan office of Quintiles Transnational, a clinical research company listed on the NYSE, Director Business Development of Hemas Holdings PLC, managing public relations for Sri Lankan Airlines, and Manager HSBC Premier at HSBC.  She has during her tenure as Director Public Enterprises Reform Commission of the Government of Sri Lanka, managed a number of successful sector reform initiatives and privatisations, and served on the Board of a number of Government companies. She has consulted to Micro Cars and SLINTEC. She presently manages a family owned business and is a non executive director of a listed company.