.Chief of Defence Staff, Tri Forces Commanders, IGP, senior Ministry officials, heads of institutions under the purview of the Ministry and members of the staff were also present at the ceremony.Mr. Fernando is also the Chief of Staff of the President.

Mr. Fernando has held many important positions including, the Secretary to the Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd, People's Bank and the Airport and Aviation Authority, and Secretary to the Ministry of Posts. He was also the Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka for two decades.

He is an old student of Nalanda College, Colombo. He entered the University of Ceylon in 1971 and obtained a Honours Degree in Economics.After graduation he joined the Sri Lanka Navy and served the nation for about fifteen years. He retired from naval service in the rank of Commander.

A fine sportsman, Mr. Fernando had also captained the University cricket team. As a national shooting champion, he represented the country at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.

Mr. Fernando is known as a prominent civil administrator and a good decision maker. He was instrumental in bringing unprecedented growth in institutions that he had headed with his groundbreaking and far sighted changes.