The youngest Asian to lead an American multinational, taking the helm as Managing Director and CEO of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC and Chevron Ceylon Ltd is Dr. Kishu Gomes.
He is an award-winning corporate leader with an impressive career. Notably, he became the youngest Asian to helm a truly American multinational, serving as the Managing Director and CEO of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC and Chevron Ceylon Ltd. for over 18 years—making him the longest-serving multinational CEO in Sri Lanka. He also held the position of Chairman at Caltex Bangladesh Ltd. and was a board member of Caltex India Ltd. This achievement also makes him the longest-serving multinational CEO in Sri Lanka.
He was the youngest and only Asian and later became part of the Extended Leadership Team for their global operations in 180 countries. While leading Chevron Lubricants, he achieved several milestones, including ranking first in Return on Capital Employed, being the top dividend payer, and becoming the most profitable company on the Colombo Stock Exchange. His exceptional performance earned him many awards at both global and regional levels, making Sri Lanka proud. Locally, Chevron was recognized as one of the top listed companies, featuring in the TOP 10 Awards by Business Today magazine.
Kishu Gomes began his career at Coca-Cola, steadily working his way up to senior management in various Sales and Marketing roles. Under his leadership, Coca-Cola transformed from a market underdog to the market leader. He also introduced the Pre-selling concept in Sri Lanka, guided by American expertise. Gomes was assigned to work in Singapore and Vietnam, collaborating with top global Coca-Cola leaders.
Later, he was invited by Sri Lanka’s tourism industry leaders to serve as Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism where he played a crucial role in leading the industry’s recovery after the Easter Attack. Although he stepped down after the successful recovery, he continues to support Sri Lanka Tourism as a member of the Expert Advisory Committee.
Dr. Kishu Gomes is one of Sri Lanka’s most decorated corporate leaders, with numerous individual performance awards. His accolades include the Inaugural Best Marketer by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Inaugural Best Young Corporate Director by the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors, and the TOYP Award for Excellence in Business Leadership, among others.
He served as a member of the Presidential Expert Committee to develop Sri Lanka’s National Sustainable Development Vision & Strategy 2030 and was chosen to chair the implementation committee. A renowned speaker, Gomes has addressed many global forums, including the Global Marketing Forum and the Global Oil Exploration Technology Forum in the USA.
Throughout his career, Gomes has chaired numerous judging panels across various disciplines, such as sports, branding, marketi ng, business performance, corporate leadership, beauty pageants, TV talent shows, and academic awards. He was also the youngest President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka and has held several other honorary positions, including Senior Vice-Chairman of CIM, Patron of the Sri Lanka Automobile Engineers, and Chairman of the Private Sector Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS. He currently serves on the advisory boards of four private universities and is a sought-after resource for public universities.
A scholar with two doctorates, Gomes also holds an MBA and Marketing degrees from the UK. His weekly column in the Sunday Observer, “Biz Talk with Kishu Gomes,” is the longest-running column on business-related topics in Sri Lanka. In 2021, he was recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s Most Respected Business Leaders by LMD Magazine for inspiring the nation during challenging times. Gomes is also a popular and respected TV personality, admired for his many talents, values, and contributions to Sri Lanka’s sustainable growth across various fields.
