Dr D S Bandarage left us forever from this world on 1 October 2009. In accordance with his wishes he was cremated within 24 hours. There was no obituary notice at all published, as he had stated to his family that his body must be cremated within 24 hours of his passing away.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Even the coffin, he had instructed the family that his coffin it must be of a cheaper type, as he wanted to set an example to his fellow Sri Lankans. His eyes had been donated to a needy person within hours of his death.

Consequently, many of his friends, colleagues and students did not know about his death until sometime into his death. Some who had heard about his demise had gone to the funeral at Borella Kanaththa at the last minute. Not a single politician had attended the funeral as the funeral had strictly been a private function.

I was told of the death on the same day by an ADBƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  colleague of mine in Bangkok, Thailand, Mr Gamini Jayasena.

It was a sad ending for a much celebrated management guru of the 60, 70s, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 80s and up to the 90s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Father of Modern Management of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

To us, his students, Dr Bandarage was seen as immortal.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The aura that spread from him was so noble and powerful, anyone who would come in contact with him, would show him automatic respect. I have seen people naturally getting up from their chairs when they see him approaching them.

It was very sad and surprising to hear that someone in the stature of Dr Bandarage had been lying helplessly in a hospital bed at Apollo Hospital withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  tubes connected to his body, unable to speak, eat or drink.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I am aware he had remained in that state for about two months, before succumbing in the wee hours of 1 July 2009.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This had reinforced to me what the Lord Buddha had taught us – that life is impermanent. Dr Bandarage led a very fine meritorious life, I have no doubt that he has reborn in a happy, peaceful environment.

Dr Bandarage had his entire education at Ananda College. At Ananda young Bandarage flourished with academic achievements plus extra curricular activities.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He excelled in studies.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Young Bandarage was instrumental in forming the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Bosath Lama SamajayaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ under the patronage of the then teachers, LH Meththananda, P.De S. Kularatne and Ven Balangoda Ananda Maithree Thero.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The members of the Bosath Lama Samajaya included some later day luminaries as Ananda Tissa De Alwis (former Minister), Ranapala Bodhinagoda (former Chairman ANCL), Duncan De Alwis (former Colombo GA), LBT Premarathna (former Solicitor General), P L Berty Silva (former Deputy Postmaster General), G B De Silva (former Colombo Fire Chief) and L D H Peiris (former Royal Principal). Dr Bandarage was the president of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Bosath Lama SamajayaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, and I have seen photos of the group hung onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the wall of his home.

Dr Bandarage was unfortunate to have lost his father, who was a school principal, at young age.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  While growing up as a teenager and until his early 20s he lived in the posh residences in Colombo 7 of his uncle, the legendary, Mr Ponnamperuma, the then Assistant Commissioner of State Languages.

After an illustrious student hood at Ananda, young Bandarage having completed his university education commenced working in the corporate sector.

A watershed in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s corporate world arose in the late 1940s when Dr Bandarage was appointed as first ever native born Personnel Manager of a multinational Company in the then Ceylon, namely, the Shell Company of Ceylon.

At Shell Dr Bandarage had an enormous task ahead.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He knew that not only he must succeed himself but also prove to his white masters that they made the right decision.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage knew that if he failed the doors in Ceylonese Corporate world will be closed for Ceylonese for many more years to come.

Fortunately Kenneth Bing (the then Chairman of Shell) liked Dr Bandarage and that relationship between the two progressed very well.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Bing gave every encouragement for Dr Bandarage to succeed as the Personnel Manager and so he did.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage showed to the British and the EuropeansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of his incredible talent and managerial skill.

Dr BandarageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s English was better than that of his white masters.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Intellectually he was far superior than of hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  European Board of Directors.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  His luck was that his superiors were not jealous of him, but encouraged him to prosper.

By judging Dr Bandarage the Europeans realised that the dark skinned Ceylonese could do the jobs as Senior ExecutivesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  better than them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The success of Dr Bandarage led many other top level companies to establish personnel departments in the then Ceylon.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Noteworthy among them were the Lever Brothers (Unilever), rated as the best multinational company to work in the then Ceylon.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Other top level companies of the era included Ceylon Tobacco Company (the writer had a short sojourn there), Walkers, Browns, Whittal Boustead, Lipton, Brooke Bond, Carson Cumberbatch, Aitkin Spence, British Ceylon Corporation (BCC), Mackwoods, Pure Beverages, John Keels, Ceylon Nutritional Foods (now Nestle), Walker and Grieg, Baurs, Hayleys, CIC, Ceylon Cold Stores Ltd (Elephant House), and United Motors.

In the early 50s the Shell Company was in some form of strife with the Government and its top managers left the company, and theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  company was wound up.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage was quickly absorbed into Lever Brothers by its legendary Chairman, J D Mould and its Scottish Managing Director, L Baberlomax.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Dr Bandarage spent nearly 18 years at Levers which time he positively revolutionized the personnel management systems not only within Levers but the entire Sri Lanka.

At Levers Dr Bandarage was determined to unlock the doors of executive and senior executive positions to Sri Lankan born lads, especially those from rural backgrounds, if they were clever and intelligent. He was looking for young talent who had brilliant academic records and those who could handle English well.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was not bothered whether the candidates came from poor backgrounds or villagesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  (such as the writer and many others from rural backgrounds), his motto was to give the job to the best qualified person, disregarding the colour, creed, caste and race of the individual.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Thus only the most qualified and skilledƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  people were able to secure employment at Levers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage had stated to the white masters ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-if the candidate was the best suited I will give them the job, no matter what their background wasƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

This policy of his at Levers (which heƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  later continued on at other places) effectively unlocked managerial positions to many rural youth who would never have had the opportunity to get in to the Ceylonese corporate sector otherwise.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Previously y persons who studied in such schools as Royal, St ThomasƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, St PetersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and St Josephs, Trinity, St AnthonyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s and the elite schools in Jaffna were only able to get jobs in the top level private sector firms.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage changed this culture at Levers, and his white masters approved of this policy. Especially, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ J D Mould, the then Levers Chairman, who was a kind and very fine corporate boss of the time proactively supported him.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

This revolution that he introduced at Levers did spread to other mercantile establishments who followed the suit.

During his entire sojourn at Levers Dr Bandarage published the very popular magazine ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Lever PavulaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in English and Sinhalese, which was a fantastic read of the time.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It basically brought together all of the staff, no matter who they were. Lever Pavula showed to the world that at Levers everyone was equal. It was such a ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ popular magazine people even beyond the Lever Family eagerly waited to read it. Only a genius person could do such work, and that was Dr Bandarage.

Dr Bandarage went and recruited a number of managers for Levers some of them became luminaries in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s corporate world.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Some of Dr BandarageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s recruits include such management luminaries of contemporary Sri Lanka (considered as Sri Lankan management legends) as Stanley Jayawardana (later became the Chairman of Levers), Gilbert Jayasuriya (later Director of Levers),ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sam Jayasuriya, Dr Seevali Ratwatte, Ariyapala Pathirana (now Management Consultant), Upali Wijewardene (late billionaire tycoon), Upali Wickramasekera,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  S De La Mott, A Weerarathne (now in Australia) and J Ariyanathan, etc. (I recently read in an article that it was Dr Bandarage who dissuaded the film legend Gamini Fonseka from joining Levers saying to Gamini that his future had lied with acting and not as a Marketing Representative at Levers, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ one day Gamini had gone and put a garland around Dr Bandarage).

In his career as a Personnel Management Professional/Company Director, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dr Bandarage had providedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  traineeships and employment to Sri Lankans (thousands of them I would say), solely on merit. The earlier white employers (at Shell and Levers) were amazed in the skillful way that Dr Bandarage identified the talents and abilitiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of his interviewees, the way he picked them upƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and then recruited into the organization, after providing the best possible package deals of the then era. The salary cum other incentive packages afforded by Levers at that time was far better than for someone going overseas to work.

As stated before Dr BandarageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s main ambition was to screen and employ the cream of Sri Lankan talent into the top positions of the Sri Lankan private companies, and he did this so well.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  When doing this not only did he have the best interests of his employer at heart always but also that of his country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

He had realised that Sri Lanka as a young nation, which had obtained independence sometime ago, vehemently required teams of talented mangers for its emerging mercantile sector, and that doors must be opened up for the best and the brightest irrespective of their race, creed, class or caste.

Those who tried to canvass him to obtain jobs by various ways and means wereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  immediately disqualified from the selection process. It is stated that Dr Bandarage had stated ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”noƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to very influential politicians and other top business persons who had wanted to put their stooges into the companies that Dr Bandarage was involved in.

It is stated that at Levers he ran ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”on the job trainingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for the staff so well that the parent company in the UK started sending their staff to Sri Lanka, so did the Hindustan Levers in India (previously Sri Lankans were sent to these institutions for training).

In the fifties and sixties Dr Bandarage had emerged as a giant in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Management field.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Along with Sir Cyril De Zoysa (then Chairman of Associated Motorways group), he established the Institute of Personnel Management (Inc).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This was way back in 1960 (precisely, on 22 April 1960).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In the formative years of the institute, Sir Cyril was the President and Dr Bandarage was the secretary of the institute. Later, Dr Bandarage became the President of the Institute and held this position for a very long time.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was the President in the 60s and then again for a long spell of time in the 80s. He is the first Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Management in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  At one stage when the Institute of Personnel ManagementƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was so down and was without a shelter he brought it to his home and ran it with rest of the Council members from his home.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Today the IPM boasts of having being firmly established in Sri Lanka. It is housed in a multi storey set up in Colombo 5 with hundreds of staff working.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The IPM must profoundly thank Dr Bandarage for his untiring efforts to bring it into todayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s position. It was Dr Bandarage who got the IPM accredited with all other leading Management institutions in the western world, especially with the bodies in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

With such management luminaries as Mallory Wijesinghe, Ananda Tissa De Alwis, Brigadier Cecil Caldera, Lalith Godamune, Sena Mahawatthe, Mansour Ghouse, Ranjith Cabraal, S Mathupala, K Deraniyagela etc., Dr Bandarage was involved in the establishment of several Management Development Institutes in Sri Lanka. The Institute of Management of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) is one of them, where he was a founder member with Mallory Wijesinghe being the first President. In 1976 Dr Bandarage became the President of that Institute.

Dr Bandarage served as a visiting lecturer of Management Studies at the Universities of Colombo and Sri Jayawardanapura.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In fact it was only few years ago prior to his death that he finished his sojourn with these universities.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage was a long standing panel member in the recruitment to the Ceylon Civil Service (now Sri Lanka Administrative Services).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Thanks to Dr BandarageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s teaching hundreds of educated youth from rural Sri Lankan villages ended becoming senior public servants, including Government Agents and Departmental Permanent Secretaries.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

During the Prime Mastership of Dudley Seneanyake Dr Bandarage was assigned to study and report to the government re. the formulation of the Five (5) Day week.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage did substantive studies both locally and overseas and recommended to the then government (the Ministry was held by J R Jayawardana) that Sri Lanka should implement a 5 day working week (until then Sri Lanka had a 5 ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚½ day week, where people worked ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚½ day on Saturday).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The present day workforce must be thankful to the late Dr Bandarage for fighting for them to get the 5 day working week, which is still in existence.

In 1966 or so Dr Bandarage compiled the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Handbook of Personnel Management for CeylonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ which book is even today regarded by the Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s management fraternity as the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”BibleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of Sri Lankan Management.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is somewhat impossible for any Personnel Management professional to operate without this Handbook.

Dr Bandarage has written several books in Management first in English, then later in the 90s in Sinhalese.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Noteworthy among them are the books ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Case Methods in ManagementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-AdministrativeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ManagementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Comprehensive ManagementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These are considered land mark text book in the Management Studies of Sri Lanka.

Dr Bandarage had written innumerable number of articles on Modern Management which had been published in the Sri Lankan and Asian newspapers and journals.

After an exceptional career Dr Bandarage left Levers at its General Manager in the late 1960s and set himself up as a Management Consultant.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage is unarguably Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s first ever Management Consultant.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  His company,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sudharshan Ltd was a top level company that provided Management Consultancy to so many companies in Sri Lanka (medium and large scale companies).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The help he had rendered to Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s private sector is unprecedented.

In 1970 Dr Bandarage was appointed as Chairman of the National Textile Corporation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The National Textile Corporation ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ had 2 big textile factories ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Thulhiriya, Veyangoda.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was instrumental in establishing the new factories – Pugoda and Minneriya.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

This appointment of him as Chairman of National Textile Corporation was a non-political appointment where the then Government was sticking to theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  principle of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”giving best positions of the government to the best qualified people, solely on meritƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage ran the National Textile Corporation like a private sector company, where strict discipline and able administration was the hallmark. Corruption was unheard under his leadership. To everyoneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s surprise he showed profits shortly after taking over the reins of the National Textile Corporation (today the National Textile Corporation is permanently dead).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

In late 1970s and early 1980 Dr Bandarage served as a UN adviser in Africa.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Kenyan Government, including the then Prime Minister of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi, felicitated Dr BandarageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s efforts to rehabilitate and streamline KenyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ailing management and administrative system. A special trophy was presented to him by the Kenya Institute of Administration for the service he rendered to that country. The function was presided over by Mr Moi.

Dr Bandarage associated with the late Upali Wijewardane and helped him to become one of the most successful business entrepreneurs in Asia (it was Dr Bandarage who recruited Upali to LeversƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  as a Management Trainee).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Mr Upali Wijewardane, unarguably the richest man of Sri Lanka ever, considered Dr Bandarage as his right and left hand man (personal friend and top most adviser).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage was very saddened by the untimely loss of life of the Great Sri Lankan son, Upali Wijewardane, which occurred in the early 1980s.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr Bandarage served as a Consultant/Director of Upali Group. When Mr Upali Wijewardane started his newspaper company, he especially requested Dr Bandarage to pick up the best journalistic talent available in the country at that time.

Why Dr Bandarage should be considered as Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s foremost Management Guru is because of the enormous amount of good work he had done for the Management profession in Sri Lanka. He was instrumental in the involvement of establishing almost every Management Development orgnaistions in Sri Lanka. He had been a mentor to many thousands of aspiring management professionals, like the writer.

Dr Bandarage had close association with the NIBM, Lanka Foundation Institute, CISIRO and SLIDA and the Sri Lanka Society for the Advancement of Science.

Thanks to Dr BandarageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s contributory efforts Sri Lanka today is well abundant with a huge reservoir management talent.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The management fraternity of Sri Lanka today must thank Dr Bandarage for working tirelessly in the 1950s until 90s to unlock doors for them to enter into the private sector with opportunities and traineeship, at that time dominated by the British or English only speaking Sri Lankans.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚