The CEPA Board of Directors consists of members who represent the public sector, international development agencies, and independent expertise. Directors are initially elected for 2 years with the possibility of re-election, for a maximum period of six years. The Board of Directors meets quarterly to oversee, steer and review the performance of the Centre. According to the Articles of Association the Chairperson is selected from the group of independent experts.

Prof. Hiran Dias
Chairperson
Prof. Hiran D. Dias obtained his MA and PhD in Geography from the University of Cambridge. He was the Professor of Geography and President at the University of Sri Lanka, Colombo Campus before joining the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok where he was a Professor of Rural Development Planning and Head of the Human Settlements Division. He has been a trainer in participatory rural development, a development consultant for Governmental and Non-Governmental rural poverty alleviation projects and has undertaken numerous consultancies for international agencies. He initiated the NGDO Management Development Training Programme of the Asian Institute of Technology and the CHAKRA consortium that designs and conducts training programmes for NGDO Managers in Asia. He served on the Board of Directors of Sarvodaya Economic Enterprises Development Services (Gte) Ltd and Gemidiriya Foundation.

Prof. Savitri Goonesekere
Deputy Chairperson
Savitri Goonesekere is emeritus Professor of Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She was formerly Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and a member of the Expert Committee (Treaty body) monitoring the UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women from 1999 to 2002. A member of several regional, national and international bodies on women's issues, she has held fellowships in universities in the US and the UK. She served from 2005 to 2011 as a member of the UN Trust Fund for Victims of Torture. Professor Goonesekere has contributed to advocacy and law reform initiatives in Sri Lanka and has also acted as a consultant for several international agencies working on law and human rights projects in the Asian region. She was also a Member of the Editorial Advisory Committee, UN Secretary General's Study on Violence Against Children (2005 to 2006). She has published widely on family law, women and children's rights, human rights, law and development issues. She was a winner of the Fukuoka Asian Culture International Award (Academic), 2008.

Dr. Dushni Weerakoon, PhD
Director
Dr. Dushni Weerakoon is currently the Deputy Director and Head of Macroeconomic Policy Research at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS). Her research and publications are in the area of regional trade integration, international economics and macroeconomic policy. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Manchester, UK.

Prof. Amala De Silva
Director
Prof. Amala De Silva is a Professor in the Department of Economics, University of Colombo. She graduated from the University of Colombo and has a DPhil from the University of Sussex. Her research is mainly in the area of Health Economics.

Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy
Director
Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy was an official in the Central Bank of Sri Lanka from 1974-1989. He worked in the Economic Research, Statistics and Bank Supervision Divisions. During this time he was seconded to the Ministry of Finance and Planning (1981-89). He was employed by the Commonwealth Secretariat from 1990-2008. During that time he held the positions, inter alia, of Director, Economic Affairs Division and Deputy-Director, Secretary-General's Office. He was subsequently Interim Director, Social Transformation Programme Division, Commonwealth Secretariat (Jan-July 2010). Dr. Coomaraswamy completed his undergraduate degree at Cambridge University and obtained his Doctorate at the University of Sussex.

Mr. Asoka S Gunawardena
Director
Former Chairman of the Finance Commission of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, Mr. Gunawardena is a governance specialist with particular interest in decentralisation and sub-national government. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), from the University of Ceylon, a Post-graduate Diploma in Development Administration from the University of Leeds, UK, and a Master in Social Science from the University of New England, Armidale, Australia.

Deshamanya Deva Rodrigo
Director
Mr. Deva Rodrigo was former Territory Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Past Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the boards of several not-for-profit organisations and as non-executive director of three public listed companies since his retirement in 2006. He has held many public appointments including that of member of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Telecom Regulatory Authority and the councils of the University of Moratuwa and the University of Colombo.

Mr. Hilmy Ahamed
Director
Mr. Hilmy Ahamed is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Young Asia Television, (YA*TV) Colombo, Sri Lanka which works in close co-operation with a number of television networks, United Nations Organisations, International Agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations and Governments in Asia, Africa and Latin America on issues related to peace, the environment, culture and other social and sustainable development issues. He began his career in media thirty two years ago as one of the pioneers of the television medium in Sri Lanka. His professional expertise is extensive, and ranges from photography and direction to media administration and training. Hilmy is currently a board member of YAMEDIA PVT Ltd, UK, an executive committee member of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka and a board member of the Secretariat for Muslims (Formerly the Peace Secretariat for Muslims). He has also served as an EX-COM member of the Global Knowledge Partnership based in Malaysia.

Mr. Johann Rebert
Director
Johann Rebert has an MA in Conflict Resolution from the School of Social and International Studies at the University of Bradford, and is currently the Country Representative for International Alert in Sri Lanka. He has primarily worked in the peace building and development sector, and has more recent oversight of donor policy and practice in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Markus Mayer
Director
Dr. Mayer holds a Ph.D. in Development Geography from the University of Heidelberg, Germany and worked for International Alert - UK as the Regional Programme Manager for South Asia. Dr. Mayer resigned from the Board of Directors in March 2012.