Jeevanthie Senanayake is a Grade I officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, professionally trained in public administration and public policy. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (Hons.) from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She holds Masters Degrees in Chemistry (USA), International Relations (Colombo, Sri Lanka), International Public Policy Analysis (Bath, UK), Defence and Strategic Studies (KDU, Sri Lanka). She is a recipient of the William Fulbright scholarship from the Department of States, USA (2003/05) and the Chevening scholarship from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK (2011/12).

She currently serves as the Director (Investor Relations) of the recently established Public Debt Management Office of the Ministry of Finance. Prior to assuming duties there, she served as the Director General/CEO of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (SLITHM). During her tenure, SLITHM, which was traditionally a Diploma awarding institute gained the Degree-awarding status.

She has also served as the Senior Assistant Secretary to the President on Foreign Relations as well as Research & Special Assignments, Director (Budget) of the General Treasury, Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Defence on Defence, Police and Development matters. She also served the policy cell of the Ministry of Defence and was a member of the drafting committee of the National Defence Policy in 2016.

She also graduated with ‘psc’ from the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Sapugaskanda, becoming the first Sri Lankan lady civilian officer to have earned this military qualification in Sri Lanka. Her research for this programme was selected the best research of the year 2014 in Defence and Strategic Studies and was awarded the prestigious ‘Golden Pen’ award, making her the first Sri Lankan civilian officer to have secured this award.