Chris Abayasinghe was appointed Associate Vice President for Business Services in June 2021. In this capacity, he has oversight of the planning and execution of a diverse range of University business functions that support the academic enterprise. He provides strategic leadership to Northeastern Dining, the Bookstore, Mail Services, Parking Services, and Auxiliary Enterprises. Additionally as a value creator, Abayasinghe helps cultivate strategic business partnerships aimed at enhancing the student/guest experience via leveraging the University’s unique brand assets.
Abayasinghe most recently served as Senior Director of Campus Dining and Auxiliary Programs at the University of Notre Dame, where he led the largest staff organization at the university with a budget responsibility in excess of $70 million annually, supported by a team of senior leaders and over 800 staff. In that role, he was challenged to redevelop the auxiliary services business model, which involved building a new brand, new facilities, improving financial performance and positioning the program for service excellence. As a thought partner with Athletics, Abayasinghe led a series of commercialization activities that built key strategic industry partnerships. Previously, he held a similar position at Williams College and worked in consulting with Sodexo Services.
He is a Northeastern alum (MBA’13) and along with his wife, Tiranthi, are proud parents of three children