Rayo Withanage

Mr. Withanage rose to prominence early in his career as a financier with the founding of BMB Group in 2008. Under his leadership, BMB evolved into a highly selective multi-family office and investment platform, serving sovereign families and ultra-high-net-worth investors across Asia and the Middle East. The platform was described by Euromoney as “one of the world’s most exclusive private investment institutions,” with assets under management exceeding $15 billion. Through BMB, Mr. Withanage also established BMB Islamic, advising governments and institutions on Sharia-compliant finance and large-scale capital deployment.

He later acquired and led EMP Global, one of the pioneering private equity firms in emerging markets. Originally founded by Moeen Qureshi, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and former head of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), EMP Global became one of the earliest and largest platforms dedicated to infrastructure and private equity investment across emerging economies. The firm deployed more than $7 billion across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, positioning itself at the forefront of sovereign-backed investment strategies during a formative period for global capital flows. Under Mr. Withanage’s leadership, the platform operated at the intersection of governments, institutions, and long-duration capital.

Building on this foundation, Mr. Withanage co-founded Scepter Partners in collaboration with Blackstone Asia Advisory Partners, focusing on large-scale strategic investments in global energy and infrastructure. These initiatives further cemented his reputation for operating at sovereign scale, structuring complex transactions aligned with national and institutional priorities.

Following a period of active investment leadership, Mr. Withanage undertook a strategic sabbatical, focusing on philanthropy and research through the Withanage Family Foundation. During this time, he shifted from capital allocation to system creation, developing a deep R&D portfolio of technologies aimed at addressing structural global challenges. This work laid the foundation for what he describes as “systems-level investing,” combining artificial intelligence, financial infrastructure, and sustainable industry into scalable platforms designed for long-term impact.

In 2025, this technology portfolio were integrated into broader institutional structures, including The British International Group, where Mr. Withanage now serves as a venture partner focused on the development and scaling of new platforms. His role centers on originating and building disruptive, institutionally aligned ventures capable of deploying capital at scale while addressing systemic challenges across energy, governance, and economic development.

Across his career, Mr. Withanage has consistently operated at the intersection of entrepreneurship, sovereign capital, and global systems. His work today reflects a transition from financier to system builder, focused on designing platforms that align economic value creation with long-term societal outcomes.

Mr. Withanage was trained in finance, government, and law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and an LLB in Law from the University of Auckland, completed postgraduate studies in finance at the University of Chicago, and earned an MSc from the London School of Economics.