Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala is a Special Grade Officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) with over 24 years of experience. Appointed as Acting Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy since November 2024. He earlier served as the Additional Secretary (Regional Administration Reforms) at the Ministry in charge of Home Affairs (Sep 2020 – Nov 2024) and Acting Director General of the Data Protection Authority (Nov 2023 – Nov 2024).

His previous positions include Additional Secretary/Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Infrastructure (2016 – 2020), the Presidential Secretariat (2001 – 2005 and 2007 – 2011) and the Ministry of Environment (2015).

As the Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York (2012 – 2014) Mr. Dhanapala contributed to the formation of SDGs. In 2013, the UN General Assembly unanimously elected him as Vice Chair of the Economic & Finance Committee and was in charge of several key Resolutions on technology and global issues.
 
He holds a Master’s Degree in International Development Studies from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (Japan), a Master’s in Public Administration from PIM (University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a BSc (Special Degree) in Geology & Computer Science from the University of Peradeniya.

Mr. Dhanapala is a Professional Member of the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) and the General Secretary of the Japanese Graduates’ Association of Sri Lanka (JaGAAS).