Dr. Kiriwandeniya is an innovative thinker and an institutional builder in the co-operative Movement of Sri Lanka. He was instrumental in forming the Sanasa Movement.

He graduated from the University of Sri Jayawardanapura in 1965 and he was awarded a Doctorate from the University of Ruhuna for the yeomen service rendered to uplift the cooperative Movement in Sri Lanka.

He has functioned as the President of the National Cooperative Council, The Asian Confederation of Credit Unions and The International Cooperative Banking Association (Asia & Pacific Region). He has also served as the Chairman of People’s Bank and Sanasa Development Bank and has been a long term consultant (International Affairs) of the Canadian Cooperative Association. He currently serves as a Director of Sanasa Security Service (Pvt) Ltd, Sanasa Media Networks (Pvt) Ltd and as the Chairman of Sanasa Federation of Sri Lanka, Sanasa Campus, Small & Medium Wealth Management  Ltd, SDBL North East Contractions (Pvt) Ltd , Sanasa Corporate Secretarial (Pvt) Ltd,  Sanasa International (Pvt) Ltd and Sanasa Travels (Pvt) Ltd. He is the founder chairman of the Sanasa Life Insurance Company Limited.

Dr. Kiriwandeniya is a recipient of the Vishwaprasadani Presidential Award in 1996, one of Sri Lanka’s highest and most prestigious national honors. Also he is a recipient of Sri Jayewardenepura Pradeepa Pranama Award in 2017 by University of Sri Jayewardenepura.