Career Path His father was a poor farmer and strongly believed that only way to get over

that difficult period was to give good education to his children. Mr Wegapitiya studied upto O/Ls at the village school and later entered the Pinnawela Central College in Kegalle for his A/Ls. He obtained his first degree in Business Administration at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura and later went onto complete a MBA at the Post Graduate institute of Management. Soon after passing out from the University he started his career as a trainee shipping agent at Ceylon Shipping Corporation earning a mere Rs 20 per day. He later went onto start his own freight forwarding company by end 1987. This was during a period where there was lot of demand for freight forwarding. This was his stepping stone into the world of entrepreneurship. Fuelled by a desire to go where no Sri Lankan Entrepreneur has gone before, Mr Wegapitiya ventured into the LPG sector in a bold move that was designed to gain entrance and acceptance in an industry that had until then been monopolised by foreign owned multinationals. With an unshakable belief in the potential that a Sri Lankan company entering the market would have, Gas Auto Lanka commenced operations by pioneering the first petrol-to-auto LPG-conversion plant in Sri Lanka in 1994. That was the beginning of Mr Wegapitiyas growth journey in the energy industry and since then he dad not looked back. Currently he is the Chairman for Laugfs Holdings Ltd.

Major turning point of his life According to Mr. Wegapitiya, the major turning point in his life was graduating from the University. He points out that the only capital that he had was his degree and hence feels that his education at the University has given him the required knowledge to survive in the business world. He says that the University life molded him to face any difficult situation and helping him to be a survivor.

Major Achievements His biggest achievement is setting up a billion rupee enterprise in Laugfs Holdings Ltd from mere capitol of Rs 5000. Other key achievements in Life

Special degree in Business administration University of Sri Jayewardenepura 1984

Procurement of LPG tanker Laugfs Wega 2002 (Youngest Sri Lankan to own a ship) Gold award Entrepreneur of the year (Extra large Category) - 2005 Platinum award for National Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management - 2007

Present Position of the business Today Laugfs Holdings Ltd commands a turnover of over Rs 7 billion rupees. Laugfs today is a household name with a portfolio of nineteen companies, engaged in a wide spectrum of manufacturing and marketing activities in the local and overseas markets. Laugfs Gas (Pvt) Ltd is the Flagship company of the Laugfs Group which today is the second largest LPG player in the country, having gained almost 30% market share within seven years. Laugfs has ventured into diverse areas of Gas, Petroleum, Retailing, Property development, Leisure, restaurants, lubricants, tyres etc.

Laugfs recently ventured out into attaining multi - national status, having successfully gained entry into Australia, pioneering as an Asian Company, fully geared to convert petroleum driven vehicle to LPG Gas.

Major challenges faced by him The biggest challenge faced by Mr Wegapitiya was survival. He says that Challenges push people to think strategically. He goes onto say that as human beings the biggest challenge a person has to face is from the nature. He says that as a young boy, he didnt have enough food to eat. Often he remembers going to sleep without having a proper meal. This has pushed him to a survival mode where he proudly says that he is capable of surviving any situation with limited resources. This training he got from his childhood experience where he was trained to live with the nature and survive any difficult situation. Working in the fields of his father, gem mining experiences in the jungle has molded him to be a survivor.

Key factors of his success

Mr. Wegapitiya says that several factors stand as reasons behind his success. His child hood training has helped him to be a survivor with limited resources. This has helped him to compete with multinational giants in the local market. He also points the biggest key success factor is that he is very sensitive to the environment. He says he always keep his 5 senses open for any change in the environment, both natural and business environment. This has helped him to predict many things in his business life and pursue opportunities that which others have not even seen or thought of pursuing.

Mr Wegapitiya goes on to say that he is a dreamer. He always dreams of things that he wants to achieve in his life. However not only dream and wait, but he ensures that all his dreams are achieved. This is also another key factor in his successful life story.

Future Destination Mr Wegapitiyas biggest vision is to make Laugfs a global brand within the next five years. The selection of the name Laugfs also had been with this intention in mind. He has already established Laugfs in Australia. Apart from that he is looking at countries like New Zealand, US, Maldives, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh to venture into.

Business Values Mr Wegapitiya strongly believes in doing business in an ethical manner. Honesty is one of his biggest values and expects the same from his employees. He does not believe in getting things done by offering unethical Gifts to people despite difficult situations or delays. He clearly indicates there is no place for corruption in his organization

Advice for future Leaders

Mr Wegapitiya says that new generation does not have enough leaders who have the determination and guts to meet their visions. Once they achieve something they just sit and wait for things to happen. However if you want to be successful you need to always have an unending determination to keep going despite the tough challenges that the environment throws at you. By Bathiya Dayaratne [2007-09 MBA/G1] =====================

Born in 1962 in Balangoda, Mr. Wegapitiya Kattiyage Hemachandra Wegapitiya, studied at the village school and did his Advanced levels at Pinnawela Central College at Kegalle. He graduated from the University of Sri Jayawardena Pura where he obtained his bachelors degree in business management. Later he obtained his masters degree from Post graduate institute of management. He is the founder of Laugfs Holdings Ltd and currently holds the position of Chairman

Name Date of Birth School Attended Present position Strongest Belief Vision Hobbies Achievement in Life Leader he admires most

Mr. Wegapitiya Kattiyage Hemachandra Wegapitiya 1962 Wegapitiya Village School & Pinnawela Central College Kegalle Chairman Laugfs Holdings Ltd I believe in taking up challenges, going out on limb to achieve the almost impossible. The key is not to minimize risk but to measure it and manage it. To make Laugfs a Global Brand within 5 years Painting and Spending time with family Founder of Laugfs Holdings Ltd and making it a billion rupee enterprise. He is also the youngest Sri Lankan to own a ship. Sri Lanka Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2006 Late president Ranasinghe Premadasa and Odiris Perera - for having the determination and courage to be successful amidst difficult times, and for having a never say die attitude.

First Employment Shipping Trainee at Ceylon Shipping Corporation

Fact File

His family and their ancestors probably owned a village off the town of Balangoda but Wegapitiya Kattiyage Hemachandra Wegapitiya had tough times during university life and probably his most embarrassing moments. The young man, studying Business Administration at the Sri Jayawardanapura University, was short of cash and like any other

student from rural Sri Lanka ate on credit from the nearby Matara Bath Kade. The university had closed for the vacation and he had just 25 cents in his pocket in around 1985. With a laugh and also a slight shrug of the shoulders recalling that moment of truth 20 years back Wegapitiya said that he found many people in the kade and embarrassed to ask the shopkeeper for food on credit in front of a crowd, so he waited. After the last man had left, he made the request only to find that there was nothing left. I was helpless and embarrassed. Since I didnt have any money, to eat elsewhere, I drank glasses of water and went to sleep, the 44-year old entrepreneur, who now commands a billion-rupee empire and has set his eyes on creating a multinational brand across the world, said at his relatively small office at Lucky Plaza in Colombo. He doesnt need to eat on credit anymore running a soon-to-be restaurant chain like the Laugfs supermarkets chain and fuel stations. But the man hasnt forgotten his humble beginnings and yearns to return to the wattle and daub days.
W.K.H. Wegapitiya

Farming His name starts and ends with Wegapitiya based on the name of the ancestral village where he was born and grew up. The rich trappings of life going to the gym daily, socialising with the rich and famous and access to the best cars hasnt changed him one bit from the days of growing up in an off-the-beaten-track village. I want to be a farmer. Thats my dream and Ill do it one day. I want to grow fruits and vegetables and live on a farm. I want to live in a wattle and daub hut with a straw roof which I enjoyed growing up in, he said. Asked if his wife, whom he met at university while she was doing an economics degree and who now has her own career as a deputy director at the Export Development Board, was supportive of this decision, he said (laughing): Yes, she says shell come as long as there is a modern toilet! Apart from a hard life in the vill age, Wegapitiya says the university environment helps one to survive any difficult environment. He said: If somebody asked me how I raised by capital, my response would be that basically (hard university life) is my capital. Growing up was tough. There were nine children in the family three boys and six girls. Everyone at Wegapitiya village had large families. His father had some tea land and was essentially a tea smallholder but life was tough with many mouths to feed. Wegapitiya went to the village school until the O levels and soon after his father died. A married sister took him under her wing and he lived with their family in Kegalle where he took the A levels at Pinnawela Central College. The turning point was his university career and the special 4-year degree in Business Administration where he learnt the ABC of business, management, human resources and marketing.

Biggest challenge English was my biggest challenge. When I came to Colombo I couldnt speak or write English, he said, eventually deciding to work in the private sector, bucking a trend among other local university students who all wanted to join the public service. The priority of most students then was to join the Central Bank, administrative service, Inland Revenue or teach in a university, he said. There was little exposure then to the private sector unlike the situation today. Wegapitiya said he felt differently as he had, since childhood, relished a challenge. Childhood was not a pleasant one, he said recalling the bread and food queues during the 1970s. Large families would probably starve because of these food With his family. Painting as a hobby. shortages, he said adding that he learnt to survive with limited resources and even today, I can go into the village and survive without any modern tools. Having pioneered the auto gas industry, set up a chain of Laugfs fuel stations and supermarkets along with a string of new businesses, money is the least of his worries now. But most of his joyful moments are going on a local family vacation (I enjoyed the family trip to Anuradhapura recently) and sitting at the dinner table with his wife and three sons every night. They wait for me for dinner. The older Wegapitiya clan six sisters and three brothers meet at least once a year in the village for the New Year. Selling dreams Dreams maketh a man, they say, and Wegapitiya is living his dream. I dream all the time about new things. Some may work, some may not. Nevertheless I am always dreaming things, new schemes. Little wonder then that he has branched out into all kinds of business. It was a dream of having his own business that ended a short 2-year career as a shipping trainee and led the move to set up a freight forwarding company by end 1987 at a time when the garment industry had reached its peak and there was demand for clearing and finding limited space on cargo ships. Most successful entrepreneurs in the world first find an entry point this entry point has to be an easy stepping stone, less risk, less resources required and opportunity for future growth, he said explaining his life story.

MBA and late nights Wegapitiya is acquiring knowledge as he grows as an entrepreneur and spends late nights now studying for his MBA. Along with a group of 40 other students, he must probably the most famous student taking tests and making routine mistakes at the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) at Borella. Every morning he gets up at 5 am, goes to the gym for a one hour workout and then drives to office. You need the exercise with all the kinds of food we eat and socialising, he said adding that his favourite food is rice and curry. The last 18 months has been tough with his MBA studies which has to some extent reduced his social life too because of the home work load. His biggest fear? Being ruined by Sri Lankans themselves. Yesterday (Monday) I was with my lawyers till 10 pm preparing papers to file in court. The biggest challenge is not turning dreams into a reality or finding a business proposition but unnecessary problems. Three days ago the government allowed Shell to increase gas prices by Rs 210 but till today they have not give any increase to Laugfs, the only Sri Lankan company. This is happening all the time. I dont know why, he said. The company filed action in Supreme Court on Thursday and won approval to raise prices. Wegapitiya, who was invited by the Australian government to take citizenship after he pioneered the auto gas concept there with the first LPG conversion centre to convert petrol cars into LPG a few weeks back, says Sri Lanka is full of entrepreneurs but many dont get a chance. There are a few who can sustain their business in the midst of all these problems but hundreds of others are unable to move forward because there is no local support, he says. Australia? Not for me Wegapitiya who doesnt have any intention of becoming an Australian citizen (why should I when Sri Lanka is a paradise) believes the western mentality among Sri Lankans is the biggest problem. During nearly 400 years of colonial domination, we were inculcated with a certain thinking pattern. For example during independence Malaysia looked East at Japan or Korea for progress while we looked west. We have a western mentality we prefer imported things. There is nothing patriotic api de, ape kama naha, he added. A little known fact except among his staff is that Wegapitiya can predict the future particularly the weather. For example I can tell you whether it will rain or not. This is something I learnt from my father. Our ancestors didnt have weather centres they had a natural instinct in gauging the weather. Wegapitiya listens to the environment and bird calls which he says giving hints on what the weather is going to be. If the skies are red, then its not going to rain in the next few days, he says. Australia, Fiji, Jamaica, the Maldives, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand is where Laugfs is or plans to set up businesses. We will soon be a multinational. Our people are there. We want to be in different areas like consumer retailing, food retailing, energy retailing, he said adding that the Laugfs is setting up Sri Lankas first supermarket in the Maldives soon.Wegapitiya has learnt many things on the way to the top. He grew up acquiring the technique of chena (slash-and-burn) cultivation which not

many people can do. He also loves to paint which he does in his spare time.Any regrets? Just one -- I dont have a daughter. I tried to adopt a daughter but my wife was not in favour, he said. Travel He loves to travel, see the world and acquire knowledge. He is travelling to Russia and Ukraine this week to find out prospects for business and trade and also to learn. Wegapitiya loves this country and wants to be part of the drive towards building a proud and powerful local industry. I am not a grumbler nor do I accuse anyone. But the problem with ruling parties is that they dont recognize local capabilities. They look at local companies from a political perspective side which side are you on, he lamented.

Colombo, 10 December, (Asiantribune.com): The highest national level recognition for the local entrepreneurship talent, The Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of the year Awards, organized by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka was concluded at the BMICH last week with W K H Wegapitiya, Chairman Laughfs Holdings Ltd Clinching the Sri Lankan National Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 Platinum Award. The National Gold award for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 was won by Samantha Kumarasinghe, Chairman, Multichemi Group of Companies.

Jubillant W K H Wegapitiya, Chairman, Laughfs Holdings Ltd holds the trohpy high after he was adjudged the Sri Lanka National Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 - Platinum Award by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka., while Dr Ravi Liyanage, Chairman, Kingdom of Raigam (previous Platinum winner) who presented the award, Tore Hattrem, Norwegian Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Chief Guest and Nawaz Rajabdeen, President, FCCISL look on.Chief Guest at the occasion, Tore Hattrem, Ambassador of Norway in Sri Lanka speaking said that Entrepreneurs have a crucial role to play in Sri Lanka as economic growth is decisive for the countrys development. He said that they provide larger tax revenues and in turn the tax monies were spent on essential and valuable national efforts such as health and education. He said that an entrepreneur was someone who saw opportunities that others might not see and who mobilized resources to create something new. He said that entrepreneurs were often at the heart of historys great advances and were one of the worlds most important catalysts for economic growth. He said that entrepreneurs help reduce poverty by creating jobs and raising incomes. He said the entrepreneurs additionally were the cornerstones in helping the country to move away from aid dependence and to avoid getting entangled in debt burdens with a heavy toll on the national economy.

Hattrem also took the opportunity to thank the entrepreneurs in Norway for their foresightedness in the hydropower and off-shore technology who laid the foundation to their current economy. Nawaz Rajabdeen, President, FCCISL said that while it was satisfying for individuals and organizations to be recognized in any sphere of life, in this case of recognizing the entrepreneurs was a reflection of the genuine appreciation of their contribution towards socio-economic advancement of the country of the country. He said that this genuine appreciation would be a significant morale booster to all those connected to industry and commerce. He said that they have been hosting the Entrepreneur Award Scheme for the last 12 consecutive years, and they took pride for pioneering the event, while others subsequently followed them. He said that their Entrepreneurship Award Scheme has several unique characteristics such as wide coverage nationwide and the days national awards were preceded by the provincial awards. Through these island-wide Entrepreneur Competitions, FCCISL aimed to promote industrial and entrepreneurial growth in the whole country. He said that they also honoured the Women Entrepreneurs and also who have built up their enterprise over the ruins of Tsunami