WTeaO Board Advisor James Suranga Perera

James Suranga Perera is the Executive Director of the International Tea Committee (ITC), where he provides strategic leadership across global tea data, research, policy dialogue, and industry collaboration. Based in the United Kingdom, he works closely with producers, traders, brands, institutions, and policymakers to strengthen transparency, resilience, and long-term sustainability across the global tea value chain.

Alongside his role at ITC, James is a tutor at the UK Tea Academy, a judge at The Leafies World Tea Awards, and a judge at the Great Taste Awards, all of which contribute to the promotion of quality, integrity, and excellence within the tea sector.

Originally from Sri Lanka, James brings close to three decades of international experience spanning tea tasting, manufacturing, grading, trading, brokerage, auction systems, market data, and education. His previous leadership roles include senior positions at Forbes & Walker Tea Brokers, Vice President at Asia Siyaka Commodities PLC, and Chief Executive Officer of Ceylon Tea Brokers PLC.

Since relocating to the UK in 2018, James has been actively engaged in connecting traditional tea heritage with evolving global markets, consumer trends, and sustainability expectations across HORECA, B2B, and B2C sectors. He is a strong advocate for equitable value distribution, data-driven decision-making, and collaborative approaches that support both producer and consumer communities and the future vitality of the tea industry.