Chalani Ranwala

Chalani Ranwala is the Communications Coordinator at the Global South Policy Hub.  

With over a decade of experience, she is a communications specialist in research communication, public relations, and project management. Her work is dedicated to translating complex research and ideas into clear, accessible narratives that inform public debate, influence policy, and strengthen institutional credibility. Over the years, she has designed and led communications campaigns in areas such as public finance, parliamentary elections, and international trade.  

Chalani has held several leadership roles across the policy and development sectors, including serving as Head of Communications at Verité Research, an interdisciplinary think tank in Sri Lanka, and as Strategic Communications Lead at Adfactors PR Lanka, a subsidiary of one of India’s largest public relations consultancies. She also served as the Sri Lanka Team Lead for Pomilio Blumm, a European communications agency, through which she supported the European Union Delegation to Sri Lanka in strengthening program visibility and outreach across the country.

As an independent consultant, Chalani has offered advice and input on communication strategy and content development to multiple think tanks and non-profit organizations. Alongside her advisory work, she is recognized as a communications trainer in Sri Lanka and has been invited by multiple think tanks and NGOs to design and deliver capacity-building programs that strengthen the communications skills of their teams. Her writing on research communications has been published on platforms such as On Think Tanks, Cast From Clay, and the LSE Impact Blog. 

Chalani holds a B.A. in International Communication Studies from the University of Nottingham and an MSc. in Media, Communication and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She was a 2022 Fellow with On Think Tanks and a 2025 Professional Fellow with the U.S. State Department’s Governance and Society Program. 

She lives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and speaks English and Sinhala.