Major General Shavendra Silva has been appointed the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. 

Silva led the 58th Division during the final phase of the war and was one of the youngest officers to become the General Commanding Officer of a Division. 

on 22 June 1964 and had his education at St. Joseph's College, Anuradhapura, Vijaya College, Matale and St. Thomas' College, Matale. 

Silva joined Sri Lanka Army in 1984 and received his officer training at Sri Lanka Military Acadamy (SLMA) in Diyatalawa. He was thereafter commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Gajaba Regiment. He was later transferred to the Commando Regiment following commando training and served as an officer instructor at the SLMA. He trained the first foreign cadets to attend SLMA and went on to become its commanding officer.

During 2002–2004 peace talks he took part in negotiations to open the A-9 Main Supply Route (MSR).

After the end of Eelam War, Silva took up a position as Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations as the only serving army officer to hold such a post at the time of appointment,