Yasas Hewage officially took over as the Chairman of the Industrial Development Board (IDB) on Monday, an organization with a 60-year history in Sri Lanka. Hewage brings nearly twenty years of diverse experience in banking, finance, business strategy, sales, marketing, entrepreneurship development, and sports tourism. Previously, he served as the Private Secretary to the Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and remains involved in several key initiatives, including the SME Nexus Initiative and the development of the National SME Strategy Framework. His banking career included leadership positions at HSBC and NDB Bank, where he contributed to significant institutional transformation and growth. Hewage is also recognized for his extensive work in executive coaching and entrepreneurship development, having mentored numerous professionals. He emphasized the need to blend Sri Lanka's historical engineering achievements with modern technology and creativity to foster a new era of industrial excellence.