Hanif Yusuf

Hanif Yusoof
හනීෆ් යූසුෆ්
ஹனீஸ் யூசுப்
12th Governor of the Western Province
Assumed office
28 September 2024
PresidentAnura Kumara Dissanayake
Prime MinisterHarini Amarasuriya
Preceded byRoshan Goonetileke
Personal details
Born1958
Kollupitiya, Sri Lanka
Known forCo-founder of Expolanka Holdings

Hanif Yusoof is a Sri Lankan businessman, entrepreneur, and the current governor of the Western Province of Sri Lanka.[1][2] He is also the co-founder of Expolanka Holdings.[3]

Early life and education

Hanif Yusoof was born in Kollupitiya in 1958, to Gujarati parents. His family emigrated to Sri Lanka just before the partition of India, and his grandfather became a citizen at the suggestion of then-prime minister John Kotelawala, who he had met while playing cards. Yusoof was educated at Royal College, Colombo.[4]

Career

Yusoof co-founded Expolanka Holdings.[5] Under his leadership, Expolanka grew to be the largest company by market capitalisation in Sri Lanka.[6]

Governorship (2024–present)

After the election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as president in the 2024 Sri Lankan presidential elections, Yusoof was appointed as Governor of the Western Province on 28 September 2024.[7][8]

On 29 January 2025, allegations against Yusoof surfaced, accusing Yusoof of being connected to the unauthorised release of 323 containers by Sri Lanka Customs without inspection. Governor Yusoof denied all allegations and filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to request an investigation into said allegations.[9]

References

  1. ^ "New Governors appointed by the President". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  2. ^ "Sri Lanka president appoints new governors". EconomyNext. 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  3. ^ "Business leader Hanif Yusoof appointed Western Province Governor | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  4. ^ "Business tycoon Hanif Yusoof becomes Western Province Governor with a vision for change | Lankannewsweb". www.lankanewsweb.net. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  5. ^ "End of an era as veteran entrepreneur Hanif Yusoof to step down at Expolanka | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  6. ^ "Leading business figure appointed governor | Lankannewsweb". lankasara.com. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  7. ^ "Hanif Yusoof Appointed Governor of the Western Province | World Memon Organisation". wmoworld.org. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  8. ^ Today, Ceylon (2024-09-27). "Hanif Yusoof Appointed WP Governor: A New Chapter for SL". Ceylon Today. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  9. ^ "Governor Yusoof Demands CID Probe to Clear His Name Against 'Malicious' Allegations | News First SL". english.newsfirst.lk. Retrieved 2025-01-31.