H E Tennekoon (1971 – 1979)

Mr. Herbert Ernest Tennekoon was the sixth Governor, assuming duties in July 1971. He died in service on 22 January 1979 while in Singapore attending a SEACEN Governors’ Conference. 

Mr. H E Tennekoon studied at St. Anthony’s College, Kandy and completed his University education with an Honours Degree in History from the Ceylon University College. He thereafter joined the Ceylon Civil Service. 

He joined the General Treasury and functioned as Secretary to the Treasury and Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and External Affairs. Eventually, he was offered the position of Special Advisor on Trade and Development for the Executive Secretary of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariff (GATT) in Geneva and left his post at the Treasury to take up this offer in 1964. Prior to this appointment, he also functioned as Country Representative of the GATT in 1959. He represented Sri Lanka at many international conferences in Geneva, Manila and Tokyo which included conferences organised by the GATT and European Economic Community (EEC). 

After functioning as the country’s Ambassador in Tokyo, he returned to Sri Lanka and assumed duties as the Governor of Central Bank in 1971.