About Us

Mr. Jayantha Karunaratne is the founder, chairman, and managing director of the Imperial Teas Group, which he established in 1994. With over four decades of extensive experience in the global tea industry, his professional journey began in 1977 as a tea taster at a leading tea exporting company in Sri Lanka. Over the years, his deep understanding of tea tasting, trading, and marketing, combined with extensive international exposure, has provided him with a profound insight into global markets, trading methodologies, and consumer trends.

As one of the past chairmen of the Colombo Tea Traders’ Association (CTTA), Mr. Karunaratne played a pivotal leadership role during one of the industry’s most challenging periods. It was under his guidance that the Colombo Tea Auction successfully transitioned from the traditional outcry auction system to a fully digital e-Auction platform, which was a transformative shift that ensured the continuity of the Sri Lankan tea industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. In recognition of his exemplary service and enduring contributions, the CTTA conferred upon him an Honorary Membership in 2023.

Mr. Karunaratne is also a former president of the Tea Exporters’ Association of Sri Lanka and also served as the president of the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka, to which he was appointed on 14 March 2023. In addition, he has served as a board member of the Sri Lanka Tea Board and was an active member of its Promotion and Marketing Committee.

Further extending his influence beyond the tea sector, Mr. Karunaratne is the former president of the Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council (SLRBC) and currently serves as chairman of the Advisory Committee for Tea, Value-Added Tea, Beverages, and Related Industries under the Ministry of Industries.

With visionary leadership, sharp business acumen, and an unwavering commitment to industry growth, Mr. Jayantha Karunaratne continues to shape the future of Sri Lanka’s tea export sector while promoting innovation, sustainability, and global excellence.

Starting her career as a management trainee at a leading export company, Mrs. Karunaratne gained wide experience in Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Auditing, Taxation, Budgetary Control and Financial Management. She joined the company as a founding director in 1994. In recognition of her contribution towards empowering women in the export sector, she was named Runner Up at the Women Entrepreneurs Awards 2002 organized by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

With her vision, drive, and unwavering dedication, she has helped transform Imperial Teas group into one of the leading tea companies in the world. She has gained extensive international business experience over the years, contributing to the establishment of overseas operations in countries such as Kenya, Poland and Australia. Her strong commitment and passion for the business are reflected in her leadership and unwavering drive toward the company’s expansion.

Mrs. Karunaratne continues to inspire countless women to reach their goals and make an impact in both the company and beyond.

With a background in engineering, Mr. Gurusinghe rose to the position of technical manager at a public sector organization and subsequently worked overseas at a leading company in the same field. Mr. Gurusinghe joined the Imperial Teas Group as Director of Production in 1994. He holds a diploma in civil engineering from the University of Moratuwa and a diploma in business management from the National Institute of Business Management of Sri Lanka. He holds a key position responsible for managing production, supply chain management, and the IT division of the company.

Mr. Jeewaka Karunaratne graduated from Monash University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting and minoring in Statistics and Risk Management, and has completed an Executive MSc in Finance. He began his career at a tea broker company as a management trainee, where he further developed his skills in tea tasting. He joined the family business in January 2009, and after gaining extensive knowledge in all areas of the business, he was appointed to lead various projects within the company.He’s also a member of the company’s main board and serves on the boards of Imperial Beverages (Pvt) Ltd, Imperial Spices (Pvt) Ltd and Premier Packaging (Pvt) Ltd.

Mr. Jeewaka’s current role in the company is involved with strategic planning. Some projects initiated by him are the introduction of an ERP solution for order processing, launching the company’s flagship brand IMPRA in Australia and New Zealand, conducting internal audits for systems and processes, iced tea manufacturing, and the implementation of an HR manual.

Mr. Jalinda Karunaratne is a past pupil of Ananda College. During his time in school, he was appointed as a senior prefect and also served as the president of the Ananda College Music Circle in 2008. In addition to possessing musical talents, he also holds a Bachelor of Business and Commerce degree majoring in marketing and management from Monash University, Australia. He has over 10 years of tea tasting experience, whilst also having successfully completed an executive tea training program at the Mel’s Tea Academy.

Mr. Jalinda Karunaratne currently serves as the Managing Director of Impra Teas Ceylon (Pvt) Ltd. He is also a member of the company’s main board and serves on the boards of Imperial Spices (Pvt) Ltd, Imperial Beverages (Pvt) Ltd, and Premier Packaging (Pvt) Ltd. Balancing his deep passion for music as a talented musician, he also plays a key role in tea and marketing within the company.

As a respected industry professional, he is a member of the National Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the tea tasting panel of the Sri Lanka Tea Board. Mr. Jalinda Karunaratne is an active industry contributor and served as a judge for the annual Best Producer Award organized by the Tea Exporters Association (TEA).