A non-profit aimed at tackling biodiversity loss, ocean pollution and lack of access to clean water
MAS Holdings, the Sri Lankan based design-to-delivery solutions provider, announced
the launch of the ‘MAS Foundation for Change’, an independent non-profit organization aimed at tackling
the social and environmental challenges faced due to biodiversity loss, ocean pollution, and lack of access
to clean water.
The creation of the MAS Foundation for Change is an extension of the actions implemented by the
company-wide sustainability strategy, Plan for Change. Introduced in 2021, the Plan for Change
encompasses 12 commitments under the focus areas of Products, Lives and Planet.
MAS Group Chief Executive Officer, Suren Fernando stated, “The Plan for Change itself is an
ambitious plan, and yet the world today is rife with challenges that require solutions of a scale that
cannot be achieved by one organization alone. While we at MAS will keep working to achieve our Plan
for Change commitments, we also know that the challenges our world faces require solutions developed
through collaboration, innovation, and scale. That is why we have established the MAS Foundation for
Change, to expand and accelerate our efforts by building partnerships with program implementers,
innovators, and donors.”
In its inaugural year, the Foundation will focus on the expansion of the ‘Ocean Strainer’ pilot floating
trash trap project introduced by MAS in 2020, in collaboration with customers and other like-minded
partners, as well as scaling up biodiversity restoration initiatives through reforestation, invasive species
removal and enrichment.
The MAS Foundation for Change establishes a unique operational mechanism in which 100% of donor
funding is directed towards projects in the field, with MAS absorbing all overhead costs. The distinctive
model has already attracted global and local partners, including the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Parley for the Oceans, the Laudato Si Challenge Foundation, Solar
Impulse (part of Sail Lanka Yachting Group), Clean Ocean Force Lanka, and the Galle Conservation
Society.
Director of the MAS Foundation for Change, Sharika Senanayake commented, “Our aim
through the Foundation is to explore new ways of addressing some of the most significant
environmental issues that we currently face in the world. We are strong believers in collaborative
innovation, and we are currently working with a number of partners to find solutions to some of the
most pressing challenges we see today. We are humbled to have the opportunity to kick off these
efforts in Sri Lanka and look forward to expanding across borders as we find the right solutions and
partners along the way.”
The MAS Foundation for Change will be led by a Board of Directors, including Rajitha Jayasuriya, Group
Director – Corporate Affairs at MAS Holdings and Sid Amalean, Head of Sustainable Business at MAS
Holdings. Interested parties are invited to get in touch with the MAS Foundation for Change at
Foundation@masholdings.com.
ABOUT MAS HOLDINGS PVT LTD:
MAS Holdings, the largest apparel tech company in South Asia, is among the most recognized design-to-
delivery solution providers in apparel and textile manufacturing. Home to a community of over 110,000
people, today, MAS spans across manufacturing plants in 15 countries, with established design locations
placed in key style centers across the world. Catering to the demands of a dynamic and ever-changing
industry, the MAS portfolio has expanded exponentially; into brands, wearable technology, FemTech,
start-ups and fabric parks worldwide.
Over 35 years of operations, MAS has gained global recognition for its ethical and sustainable working
environment and for the organization’s tireless efforts in social development and women’s
empowerment. Product excellence and craftsmanship have placed MAS on the world map as an industry
leader, showcasing unfailing delivery in innovative manufacturing and design. Today, the company’s
efforts to drive positive impact are outlined in the MAS Plan for Change, a commitment to creating
sustainable change under three areas of focus: products, lives, and the planet. Through these initiatives,
MAS aims to inspire all employees to be changemakers, enabling dreams and enriching the fabric of life
on our planet.
