Corporate Profile

Mr. Ratnayaka currently serves on the Board of KBSL (Pvt) Ltd and Agility Innovations (Pvt) Limited, and is a Trustee of the Jayam Wijeratnam Trust and of the Dialog Foundation. 

He has previously functioned as the Chairman of the National Development Bank PLC (NDB), the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), the Chairman of The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the Chairman and Managing Director of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd (ANCL), the Group Chief Corporate Officer of Cargills Ceylon PLC, the Group Chief Corporate Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC, the Chief Executive Officer, Dialog Broadband Networks (DBN) and as IBM Sri Lanka’s Country General Manager.

He has also served as a Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), a Council Member of the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC), as President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM). 

Mr. Ratnayaka holds a Bachelor of Science (Physics) from the University of California, Riverside Campus and is an old boy of Royal College.

Mr. R M P Rathnayake was appointed to the Board of Bank of Ceylon on 28th April 2020.

He is a Special Grade Officer in the Sri Lanka Planning Services with over 25 years of experience. He has obtained an MSc degree in Agriculture from the Agriculture University of Norway and a BSc degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Peradeniya. With extensive experience in multilateral development banking, he is involved in mobilizing foreign funding for development projects, bilateral negotiations, and coordinating with development partners and lending agencies.

He is a Deputy Secretary to the Treasury. He is also Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, National Credit Guarantee Institution and Colombo Lotus Tower Management Company (Private) Limited.

He has held the post of Chairman of National Savings Bank and an Alternate Executive Director of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Beijing, PRC. He has held the responsibilities of Director of People's Bank, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, and Director of the Academy of Financial Studies (Guarantee) Limited. While having been a Member of the Governing Council of the University of Vocational Training, he also held the posts of Director of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, Member of the Board of Directors of the National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka, Member of the Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy, Director of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka (SPC), Member of the National Medicinal Drug Regulatory Authority and Director of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka. Mr. Rathnayake was also a Member of the Advisory Board of the Science and Technology Policy Research Division of the National Science Foundation, a Member of the Sri Lanka Economic Association, and a Commission Member of the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka.
 

Currently, he serves as a senior professor in the department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Peradeniya, where he has been a faculty member for over 25 years. Prior to this, he has held academic positions at the University of Tokyo, University of Washington and University of Peradeniya.

During his time as a faculty member in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Peradeniya, he has been involved in several national-level roles, including serving as the secretary to the Ministry of National Policies, Economic Affairs Child Youth and Cultural Affairs, as well as holding positions such as Chairman of PUCSL, Chairman of Engineering Service Board, and Member of the NSCC. He has also participated in numerous national committees and policy forum. Moreover, he has held visiting positions at the University of Tokyo, Japan, Oulu University, Finland, and Meijo University, Japan. Additionally, he has served as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ruhuna and the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at SLIIT. He has also held several other positions, including Director of the Information Technology Center and Director of the Computing Center of the Faculty of Engineering, as well as Head of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department at the University of Peradeniya. Furthermore, he has served as a member of the board of Directors of the MILODA Academy of Financial Studies.

He obtained his B.Sc.Eng. (Hons) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka in 1983, and his M.Eng. and Dr.Eng. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan in 1988 and 1991, respectively. He is a fellow of Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka, Senior Member of IEEE, USA, and a Chartered Engineer.

Entrepreneur, Keynote Speaker, CEO of SECQUORO, specializing Transaction Advisory, Debt and Private Equity structuring and funding with a strong presence in the GCC, Europe and Asia together with driving business and digital transformation and advisory services across multiple sectors.

Mr. Abeyesekera was a Global Chief Financial Officer for market services and technology of the London Stock Exchange Group, a USD 60 Billion market capitalised FTSE 100 listed Entity overlooking operations in 40 markets across 4 continents and a member of its global leadership team.

In his twenties he was one of the youngest CFO's of a USD 100 million+ entity and was instrumental in the Transformation and listing of one of South Asia's largest manufacturing Companies recognised by Forbes among the "200 Best in Asia".

Mr. Abeyesekera played a key role in leading the development of the "Best Annual Report in South Asia" judged by the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) and has also managed ERP implementations that won regional accolades. He was also awarded the Industry Leadership Award by SLASSCOM, the IT/BPO Industry Chamber for his contribution to the IT Industry of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Abeyesekera co-founded the Institute of Internal Auditors Chapter to strengthen the risk and governance knowledge framework in the country and has been trained in international taxation and international tax strategy in ISDB Malaysia. He has also been trained in lean thinking and practices in the Toyota Corporation in Japan.

In Feb 2020, he was appointed as a Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) and Chaired the SEC-CSE (Colombo Stock Exchange) joint Committee on Digitalization of the Colombo Stock Exchange and the Capital Market during COVID when the market could not operate. In 3-4 months the entire capital market was digitally transformed with electronic account openings and eKYC with Automated Identity Verification for the 1st time in Sri Lanka setting a regional benchmark. He also instrumental in conceptualising the CSE Mobile App with a mobile 1st Quadruple play digital strategy that lead to over 200% growth in the investor base and driving the fastest growing mobile app in the country with over 200,000 active users in a short 12-18 months. The mobile app won the highest national ICT award “e-Swabhimani” awarded by the Information, Communication and Technology Agency of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Abeyesekera is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, Chartered Management Accountant (UK), Chartered Global Management Accountant (UK) and holds a MBA from the Prestigious Postgraduate Institute of Management.

Mr. Jehaan Ismail was appointed to the Board of Bank of Ceylon on 7th February, 2024

He possesses over 40 years of extensive commercial and investment banking experience, mainly in Asia and also in countries in the Western Hemisphere and the Middle East. His experience ranges from managing boutique and full-service investment banks to managing corporate banking divisions, various country operations, international trade divisions, control (audit) functions, compliance and risk management units, as well as having spent over 2 years as a training executive.

He has supervised support areas like general operations, IT, property, compliance, legal, fraud prevention, operational risk, physical security, internal control, business transformation and business systems. He has also coordinated major system related projects and has been responsible for the setting up and running of all investment banking support functions.

In banking-related employment, he has held the positions of COO of both HSBC Colombia and HSBC Saudi Arabia, CEO of SABB Securities (HSBC Group, Saudi Arabia), Senior Vice President Corporate Banking, HSBC Indonesia and Global Relationship Manager, Corporate Banking, HSBC Hong Kong. Former employment also includes the posts of CEO of M Power Capital Limited and CEO of First Capital Holdings PLC.

He currently functions as Chairman M Power Capital Limited and M Power Capital Securities Limited, both comprising a niche investment bank specialising in corporate finance, investment advisory and private equity. He also functions as a Director of Common Well (Pvt) Limited and Kapitan (Pvt) Limited, both companies in the property/hospitality industry and The Little Gym Lanka (Pvt) Limited.

He holds a BSc(Chemistry) with honours from the University of Colombo and is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Banking, UK. He has attended several training and development programmes conducted by HSBC with special emphasis on management training, corporate banking, asset management, stockbroking, corporate finance, risk management, compliance and operations. He has also attended external management and leadership development programmes at INSEAD and Cranfield. He has been a visiting lecturer (Institute of Bankers) teaching Practice of Banking and Trade Finance and has delivered several banking related presentations to various external parties.

Mr. Ismail’s other interests are Music, Golf, Chess and Rotary. He is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan and a Past Captain of the Royal Colombo Golf Club.

Mr. Jayamin Pelpola has over 15 years of international experience in investment banking, asset management and digital finance.

Mr. Pelpola is the only Sri Lankan to have worked at Goldman Sachs Principal Strategies (GSPS) group, a firm recognised for its creative and high-yield investment strategies on Wall Street. In his career, Mr. Pelpola has structured and managed international investments worth over US$ 20 billion in various sectors and countries.

As a senior consultant, Mr. Pelpola has also advised U.S. banks and Central Banks in several countries on banking sector reforms. Specifically, he was an advisor to the regulators and the boards of the Bank of America, DBS, Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank on capital adequacy decisions, recapitalisations and the application of digital innovations in banking.

In 2015, building on his finance sector experience, Mr. Pelpola entered the financial technology (FinTech) space as an investor and entrepreneur. He started his entrepreneurial journey by developing a proprietary market pricing model to value non-traditional assets and sold it to a Wall Street bank. Mr. Pelpola leveraged on this success and shifted his focus to the digital finance space and invested in six tech companies based in the USA, Hong Kong and India. While managing a portfolio of investments, he worked closely with these companies to strategise and implement ideas for customer adoption, technology integration, and monetisation of digital assets and products.

Currently he serves as a Director of Onterra Group, a company he co-founded, which provides IT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) services to a global clientele. He is also a Director of Jayaru TP, a company he co-founded, which provides infrastructure, financing, processing and technology services to Asian soft commodity markets. As of now, the company is a leading exporter of durable agricultural commodities serving more than 10 international markets.

In 2020, Mr. Pelpola was appointed as a Board Member of the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka, a position he held for three years. As a Board Member at the BOI, he oversaw the formation and implementation of national investment and FDI policies and was also the Chairman of the BOI Audit Committee.

He received his MBA from Harvard University (USA). He also obtained his charter from the CFA Institute (USA) and CIMA (UK). Mr. Pelpola became the youngest CIMA Management Accountant in the world at the age of 20. He was also the youngest CIMA prize-winner at the time. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from CIM (UK). Jayamin is a past pupil of Nalanda College and Gateway International School.

Ms. Janaki Senanayake Siriwardane, Secretary, Bank of Ceylon/Secretary to the Board was appointed to the team of Corporate Management in October 2010.

An Attorney-at-Law by profession she holds an LL.B degree. She counts over 25 years of experience in the Bank of Ceylon in the position of Company Secretary being responsible for Corporate Governance. She also holds an MBA (Merit) from the University of Colombo.

Prior to joining the Bank, Ms. Siriwardane worked in the private sector as a Company Secretary. She also worked as a visiting Lecturer, Examiner, and Moderator on Commercial and Industrial Law at the Industrial Management Department of the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.

Mr. Russel Fonseka joined the Bank of Ceylon in January 1990. In his tenure of over 34 years in the Bank, he has gained a wealth of experience serving in various capacities within the Bank in local and international settings. Mr. Fonseka was serving as a member of the Corporate Management of the Bank since 2012 and he held the position of Additional General Manager and Chief Financial Officer of the Bank prior to appointing as the General Manager/ Chief Executive Officer in January 2023.

Commencing his career in the Bank as a retail banker, Mr. Fonseka is specialised in financial management and strategic planning in the field of banking and finance. He acquired a wide array of expertise in all aspects of commercial banking which came in handy in his tenure in the Bank. His stint with BOC London Branch groomed him into a professional banker with comprehensive experience in treasury and international affairs.

Mr. Fonseka has played a pivotal role by deploying his expertise in many and varied roles in the Bank as a senior member in the Corporate Management. He held the positions of Senior Deputy General Manager (Corporate & Offshore Banking), Deputy General Manager (International, Treasury, and Investment), Deputy General Manager (Retail Banking), and Deputy General Manager (Finance & Planning) of the Bank.

Mr. Fonseka graduated with a BSc. Degree in Business Administration from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, and also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) Sri Lanka. He has also obtained a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia.

As one of the senior-most eminent bankers in Sri Lanka Mr. Fonseka is a Senior Fellow Member of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, and an Alumnus of the Harvard Business School of USA.

Mr. Fonseka holds responsibilities as the Chairman of Ceybank Holiday Homes (Pvt) Ltd, BoC Property Development & Management (Pvt) Ltd, BoC Management & Support Service (Pvt) Ltd and also the Audit Committees of Property Development Ltd and Lankapay (Pvt) Ltd.

He also serves as a Director of the Boards of Property Development Ltd, BoC Travels (Private) Ltd, Hotels Colombo (1963) Ltd, Bank of Ceylon (UK) Ltd, Lanka Financial Services (Bureau) Ltd, Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, Credit Information Bureau of Sri Lanka and Lankapay (Pvt) Ltd. 

Ms. Janaki Senanayake Siriwardane, Secretary, Bank of Ceylon/Secretary to the Board was appointed to the team of Corporate Management in October 2010.

An Attorney-at-Law by profession she holds an LL.B degree. She counts over 25 years of experience in the Bank of Ceylon in the position of Company Secretary being responsible for Corporate Governance. She also holds an MBA (Merit) from the University of Colombo.

Prior to joining the Bank, Ms. Siriwardane worked in the private sector as a Company Secretary. She also worked as a visiting Lecturer, Examiner, and Moderator on Commercial and Industrial Law at the Industrial Management Department of the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.

Mr. Maduwantha Liyanage is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka with 20 years of post-qualified experience. He holds a BSc Accountancy and Financial Management (Special) degree from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura. He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA - USA).

Prior to joining Bank of Ceylon as the Chief Internal Auditor, he has served at Commercial Credit & Finance (PLC) Ltd., and Pan Asia Bank in the same capacity. Mr. Liyanage has served Bank of Ceylon as an Assistant General Manager from 2006 – 2008, in the role of Internal Auditor.

Mr. Liyanage’s exposure also includes Lanka Clear (Pvt) Ltd. in the capacity of Finance & Administration Manager and at Ernst and Young as a Qualified Assistant.

Appointed to the Corporate Management of the Bank in February 2020, Mr. Jayathilaka has held positions in different areas including, Deputy General Manager (Support Services), Deputy General Manager (Recovery - Provinces), Deputy General Manager (Products and Banking Development), Deputy General Manager (Development Banking and Branch Credit Operations), and currently serves as the Deputy General Manager (Products and Banking Development).

Prior to his appointment to the Corporate Management, he served as a member of the Executive Management since April 2015, in varying positions that included Assistant General Manager (Product Development and Business Process Re-Engineering), Assistant General Manager (Central Province), and Assistant General Manager (Province Sales Management).

Having joined the Bank in 1997 as a Management Trainee, Mr. Jayathilaka has gathered vast experience in Retail Banking, Treasury and Overseas operations, Project Management, Products and Process Development, and Province Operations. He has involved in the implementation of Core Banking system and Trade Finance system at BOC (UK) Ltd., upgrading the Core Banking System and Teller System, and implementation of DMS & Workflow Automation System of BOC Colombo. Further, Mr. Jayathilaka has over 10 years of experience in the Treasury Dealing Room and the Treasury Back Office operations of both at BOC Head Office and BOC (UK) Ltd.

Being an innovative thinker, his major contributions include introducing Mobile Branches (Branch on Wheels), Digital Branches (BOC DIGI), Smart Passbook, Smart FD, BOC e-learning, self-banking kiosks, information kiosks, cheque deposit kiosks, online application via website, TV BOC, and Agent Banking (BOC Connect).

Mr. Jayathilaka holds a B.Sc. (Special) in Business Administration from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a Master of Business (Finance) from the University of Kelaniya, a Diploma in Banking & Finance, Associate of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, and has also completed Advanced Course in Strategic Management at the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Mr. Jayathilaka serves as a Director of the Boards of Property Development PLC, Hotels Colombo (1963) Limited, Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka, Property Development Management Limited, and Ceybank Holiday Homes (pvt) Limited. 

Mr. Silva joined the Bank in 1997 as a Management Trainee and has served in the capacities of Credit Officer, Audit Officer, and Branch Manager within the branch network during his career at the Bank. He has gained vast experience in retail banking, prior to various positions both locally and in internationally at the Dealing Room and the London branch.

He has held key positions as Senior Manager of the Trade Promotion Unit and Chief Manager of the International Division for over five years, and also contributed significantly to the activities of the Marketing Division as the Assistant General Manager(Marketing). He was a member of many executive management committees of the bank, including the Reward and Recognition Committee and Disciplinary Authority Committee.

Mr. Silva graduated from the University of Ruhuna with BBA (Special) in Marketing, obtained an MBA in Accountancy from the University of Kelaniya and also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing(UK) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL) and Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM).

Prior to receiving his appointment as Deputy General Manager (Branch Operations) Mr. Silva held the positions of the Deputy General Manager (Corporate & Offshore Banking), Deputy General Manager (Sales and Channel Management), Deputy General Manager (Finance & Planning) and Chief Marketing Officer in the Corporate Management. He has also held the positions of Assistant General Manager (North Western Province), Assistant General Manager (Marketing) and Assistant General Manager (Western Province-North) of the Executive Management.

Mr. Sameera Liyanage was appointed as the Bank’s Chief Marketing Officer on 4th August 2020. He counts over 25 years of banking and professional marketing experience across both public and private sector institutions. He was awarded Chartered Marketer status in 2015 by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK).

Prior to joining Bank of Ceylon, he completed a six-year stint with SDB bank in the capacity of Head of Marketing & Retail Banking. Previously, he held the position of Manager - Marketing at Pan Asia Bank (6 years), National Savings Bank (5 years) and Seylan Merchant Bank (2 years).

Considered a thought-leader in banking and marketing, he gained industry acclaim through his pioneering role in the market launch of numerous loan and savings products. Among them are the retired government pensioner loan scheme, as well as initiating special banking products for war heroes and their immediate dependents, which have gone on to become staple offerings at most banks.

He possesses a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) and is a Member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Bankers, Sri Lanka.

A distinguished alumni of Nalanda College, Colombo, he previously functioned as the General Manager of the Future Minds higher education and career guidance exhibition organised annually by his alma mater, and presently serves in an advisory role. He also served as the President of Nalanda College Junior Old Boys’ Association for the year 2019/2021.

Mr. Jayashantha, was appointed to the Corporate Management of the Bank in August 2020, marking the commencement of a distinguished career within the institution. Over the years, he has demonstrated exemplary service and expertise in various pivotal positions, showcasing his unwavering commitment to the organization. He served as the Deputy General Manager (Retail Banking Range 2), Chief Risk Officer and the Deputy General Manager (Corporate and Offshore Banking) prior to his appointment as the Deputy General Manager (International, Treasury and Investment).

His academic journey commenced at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, where he graduated in 1994 with a remarkable achievement of a First Class B.Sc. in Business Administration (Special). He pursued further academic excellence by earning a Master of Arts in Financial Economics from the University of Colombo and he holds a Diploma in Credit Management. Mr. Jayashantha is an esteemed Associate Member of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka.

His affiliation with the bank began in 1997 as a Management Trainee, embarking on a journey that has seen him specialize in retail and SME credit, as well as branch operations. During his tenure in the Treasury Division, spanning over a decade, Mr. Jayashantha held various key positions, including roles in Dealing, PDU, and ALM. His contributions in orchestrating the Bank's inaugural international bond issue, dollar-denominated debenture issue, and fundraising efforts in the international market through diverse financial instruments stand as remarkable milestones in his career.

His ascent within the Executive Management was marked by roles as Assistant General Manager in Recovery Corporate, Risk Management, Western Province South, and Offshore Banking, ultimately culminating in his well-deserved promotion to the grade of Deputy General Manager. Notably, during his tenure as Assistant General Manager, he served as both a Member and Chairman of the Bank's Disciplinary Authority Panel, exemplifying his commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards.

In addition to his responsibilities within the bank, Mr. Jayashantha extends his expertise to the broader business landscape as a Director of Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka & Finance (PLC), Ceybank Asset Management Limited and Property Development Management Company Limited including Board Subcommittees such as risk, audit etc., throughout the period. Further he has extended his expertise as a Director of Pradeshiya Sanwardhana Bank for two year period. His multi-faceted contributions reflect a distinguished career marked by unwavering dedication and exceptional achievements in the banking and financial sector.

Mrs. Prasanthi Rathnayake was appointed a Deputy General Manager of the Bank in August 2020 and assumed duties as Chief Risk Officer and currently serves as Deputy General Manager (Compliance). She has gained experience in all aspects of commercial banking with both local and international exposure during her career spanning over 25 years.

Prior to her appointment as a Deputy General Manager, after being promoted as an Assistant General Manager in April 2015, she held key positions within the Bank as AGM (Corporate Credit) and AGM (Western Province North). During her tenure as AGM (Corporate Credit) she served as the Secretary to the Bank’s Credit Committee for over three years.

She began her career as a management trainee in 1997. During this period, she gained experience in branch banking and in handling both retail and corporate credit portfolios. She gained international exposure during her service at Chennai Branch.

Mrs. Rathnayake was one of the founder staff members of the Risk Management Division, established in 2009. She was instrumental in developing risk management policies as well as risk management tools for the bank as per regulatory guidelines, in her over five years of service to the Risk Division.

She is a graduate of the University of Ruhuna with a Bachelor of Sciences (Special) degree in Agriculture and also holds a MBA from the Open University of Sri Lanka. She is an Associate Member of Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka and holds a Postgraduate Executive Diploma in Bank Management from the same institution and International Diploma in Governance, Risk and Compliance from the International Compliance Association (ICAUK).

Mr. Jeewantha was appointed to the Corporate Management of the Bank in August 2020 and assumed duties as Deputy General Manager (International, Treasury & Investment) and currently serving as the Deputy General Manager (Development Banking and Branch Credit Operations - Range 2).

Mr. Jeewantha is a graduate from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and holds a BSc in Accountancy (Special) and a MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM). He is also a Senior Fellowship Member of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka.

He joined Bank of Ceylon in 2002 as a Management Trainee and possesses a wealth of experience in retail banking, credit management and financial management. However, his forte lies in Treasury Management and Investment Banking and he commenced his treasury career at the Dealing Room in 2008 as a Trainee Dealer and successfully rose to the position of CEO of Bank of Ceylon’s Primary Dealer Unit. He was later appointed to the Executive Management of the Bank as Assistant General Manager (Treasury). In addition to functions of the Treasury Division, he has served as the Head of the Committee for the Investment in Government Securities (CIGS), Member of the Investment Committee and Secretary of Asset & Liability Management Committee (ALCO) of Bank of Ceylon and has gained international banking exposure at Bank of Ceylon, London.

Presently, Mr. Jeewantha holds Directorships at Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka & Finance PLC, Lanka Securities (Pvt) Ltd and Ceybank Asset Management Ltd. He is also a Member of the Governing Board of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka. He also functions as a Member of the Central Bank’s Domestic Financial Market Infrastructure Development project.

He was also a Member of the Public Enterprises Project Evaluation Committee of Prospective Investors and a Committee Member of the specific selling committee for the sale of mineral products of Lanka Mineral Sands Limited appointed by the Ministry of Industries. Additionally, he serves as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL). 

Mr. Sivanjan was appointed to the Bank’s Corporate Management as the Deputy General Manager (Support Services) from September 2020 and currently serves as the Deputy General Manager (Business Revival & Rehabilitation). Prior to this appointment, he has held the positions of the Deputy General Manager (Branch Credit Operations – Range I) covering the credit operations of six provinces and the Assistant General Manager (International) since 2018. He joined the bank as a Management Trainee in 2002.

He holds a BSc degree from the University of Jaffna with a First Class Honours and a MBA from University of Colombo in 2010 specialising in Marketing.

Mr. Sivanjan commenced his banking journey in retail branch operations and has also served at the Bank’s Chennai branch and gained vast knowledge in overseas branch operations. He possesses extensive experience in credit, recovery, branch transformation, development banking and microfinance serving in various grades and divisions. He is also a visiting faculty member of the Bank’s Central Training Institute since 2010.

Mr. M. P. Ruwan Kumara was appointed to the Bank’s Corporate Management in 2020 as the Deputy General Manager (Finance & Planning) and currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Bank.

Mr. Ruwan Kumara possesses over 20 years of hands-on experience in banking operations specialising in Financial Management, Strategic Planning, Investment Banking and Commercial Banking. He also has gained extensive experience at Bank of Ceylon (UK) Limited as Chief Operating Officer. He was later appointed to the Executive Management of the Bank as the Assistant General Manager (Investment) and Assistant General Manager (Budget, Strategic Planning & MIS).

He is a graduate of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura with a Bachelor of Science (Special) Degree in Accountancy and holds a MBA from the Open University of Sri Lanka. He is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, an Associate Member of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka, an Associate Member of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka and is also a Member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID).

Mr. Badra Kalyanapriya Gurusinghe was appointed to the role of Deputy General Manager (Retail Banking Range II) in September 2020, and became a member of the Bank’s Corporate Management, where he currently serves as the Chief Legal Officer. Commencing his career at BOC in 1997 as a Management Trainee, he’s been recognized over the years for his contributions to the Bank’s strategic growth and transformation efforts.

Counting over 25 years as a banker, his core areas of expertise are Corporate and Retail Banking, as well as organisational transformation. Prior to his appointment as DGM - Compliance, Mr. Gurusinghe served as the Country Manager, Maldives from 2017 to 2020. He also counts an earlier three-year stint in the capacity of Operations Officer at the Bank of Ceylon, Maldives, amongst his foreign operations experience.

Mr. Gurusinghe performed an active role in a number of the Bank’s restructuring and transformation initiatives, including being a core team member of both the Wenesa Project and the ICBS Project.

He holds an impressive list of academic qualifications to his credit, including a BSc. Business Administration (Special) from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a Commonwealth Executive MBA (CEMBA) from the Open University of Sri Lanka, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business and Financial Administration (PgDBM) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. He also holds a Diploma in Credit Management from the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka.

A professionally qualified Attorney-at-Law from the Sri Lanka Law College, Mr. Gurusinghe holds membership in numerous prestigious organisations such as the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, as well as the Sri Lanka Bar Association.

Mr. Rohana Kumara appointed to the Corporate Management in January 2021 as the Deputy General Manager (Recovery Provinces, Business Revival & Rehabilitation) and then as the Deputy General Manager (Business Revival & Rehabilitation). He is currently serving as the Deputy General Manager (Corporate and Offshore Banking). Prior to this appointment, he held the positions of Assistant General Manager (Branch Credit) Assistant General Manager (Project Finance) and Assistant General Manager (Recovery Provinces), on being appointed as an AGM in 2018.

He joined the Bank in 2002 as a Management Trainee and commenced his career as a credit officer in Branch banking. He has served as a Branch Manager and as a Personal Assistant to General Manager. Among his other duties are Secretary to the Corporate Management Committee Compliance Officer CRIB, Complaint Resolution Officer, and Information Officer Bank of Ceylon. He is also associated with the Central Training Institute of the Bank.

He is a life member of the Association of Professional Bankers (APB), Sri Lanka and presently serves as the Secretary General of the APB.

He is a graduate of the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka and holds a BSc (Mathematics) 1st Class Degree and has a Diploma in Banking and Finance from IBSL and an Executive Diploma in Leadership from Northern Illinois University, USA.

Mr. A. R. F. John Pulle was appointed to the Corporate Management in July 2021 and currently he holds the position of Deputy General Manager (Finance and Planning).  

He holds over 30 years of experience in all aspects of commercial banking; specialising in Treasury Management, Retail Banking, Risk Management and Overseas Banking operations. He functioned as Deputy General Manager (Branch Credit Operations - Range I), Deputy General Manager (Support Services), the Head of Treasury of Bank of Ceylon, Chennai and as the Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Ceylon (UK) Ltd., London.  

Mr. John Pulle holds a BPh (1st class) degree in Philosophy from Universita’ Pontificia Salesiana, Italy and is an Associate Member of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka.  

Mr. Nilantha Meneripitiyage is a career banker with over 30 years of experience covering both local and overseas operations, including the Maldives and the UK in the areas of corporate banking, retail banking, risk management, credit card operations, treasury operations and information technology. 

Prior to his appointment as the Chief Risk Officer, he served as the Deputy General Manager (Corporate & Offshore Banking), Deputy General Manager (Sales and Channel Management), Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director of Bank of Ceylon (UK) Ltd. Prior to his posting to the UK, he held the post of Assistant General Manager (Risk Management). His tenure at Corporate Relations saw him handling large-scale businesses and government sector infrastructure projects, including renewable energy, thus contributing to mitigating finance-related climate risk. 

He holds a Bachelor of Science (Management) Hons. (Special) degree and a Master of Science (Management) degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a Diploma in Banking and Finance and is an Associate of the Institute of Bankers Sri Lanka. He has also completed examinations of the Australian Computer Society and has undergone extensive training in Banking and Management in India, Malaysia, the UK, Singapore and Japan. He was a visiting lecturer affiliated to the Post Graduate Studies Department of the University of Moratuwa. The Institute of Bankers Sri Lanka, Export Development Board and the Central Training Institute of Bank of Ceylon. 

Mr. Wijayawardhane joined the Bank as a Management Trainee in March 2002 and in September 2021, after almost 20 years of invaluable experience and exposure, was appointed to the Corporate Management cadre as DGM (Human Resources).

During his 20 years of service, Mr. Wijayawardhane gained three-years of experience as Assistant General Manager (HR Operations), and 15-years at branch level specialising in Credit and Retail Banking.

His impressive credentials to include a Bachelor of Science (General) Degree (Second Class Upper) (Honours) from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management from the Wayamba University, Sri Lanka.

He has an AIB Sri Lanka from the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka adding to his proficiency in the banking sphere. He is also a life member of the Association of Professional Bankers (APB), Sri Lanka.

He currently heads the Human Resource Division of the country’s largest bank.

Mr. Ajith Karunarathne was appointed to the Corporate Management cadre in December 2021 and assumed his duties as the Deputy General Manager (Product & Banking Development) and then as the Deputy General Manager (Recovery Provinces). Currently, he serves as the Deputy General Manager (Branch Credit Operations – Range I). Joining the Bank of Ceylon as a management trainee in 2002, he has served over 21 years at the Bank of Ceylon in areas of Retail Banking, Trade Finance, Corporate and Premier Banking.

As head of the Premier Banking Branch and the Personal Branch, maintained relationships with large-scale businesses, major corporates and entities in the country.

Mr. Ajith Karunarathne took over the Southern Province as the Assistant General Manager to enrich the performance of the province.

Mr. Ajith Karunarathne holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration (Special) from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. He is an Associate Member of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (AIB) and also a Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).

Mrs. Priyanthi Wijesekara was appointed to the Bank’s Corporate Management as the Deputy General Manager (Support Services) in February 2023.

Having promoted as an Assistant General Manager in July 2016, she held the positions of Assistant General Manager (Administrative Services), Assistant General Manager (Marketing), Assistant General Manager (Overseas Branches), and Assistant General Manager (Credit Audit). While serving as Assistant General Manger (Marketing) she simultaneously served as the secretary to the Marketing Committee.

She is an experienced banking professional with over 32 years of experience in various areas of banking. She has been associated with the Bank of Ceylon since 1991 and has served the bank in different capacities, including retail banking, corporate credit, recoveries, offshore banking, administrative services, marketing, overseas branches, and credit audit divisions. During her tenure at the bank, Mrs. Wijesekara has gained exposure to foreign banking while working at the London Branch of Bank of Ceylon in 2002/2003.

Mrs. Wijesekara holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Merit Pass from London Metropolitan University. She also possesses a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a National Diploma in Technology from the University of Moratuwa. In addition, she is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka.

Mrs. Wijesekara serves as a Director of Ceybank Holiday Homes (Pvt) Limited and Hotels Colombo (1963) Limited.

Mrs. Rochelle Fernando was appointed to the Bank’s Corporate Management in March 2023 as the Deputy General Manager (Development Banking and Branch Credit Operations - Range 2). Prior to this appointment, she held the position of Assistant General Manager (Trade Services).

Rochelle Fernando has a banking career spanning over a period of 27 years with vast array of experience in Retail Banking, Corporate Banking and Trade Finance at Bank of Ceylon.

Predominantly, she has served in the Trade Finance division with complete and overall exposure in both Exports and Imports Segments, especially the functions related to the Import Segment of the Offshore Banking Division.

Apart from her ordinary course of duties, she has rendered her expertise and knowledge to Exports Development Board from 2018 up to 2022 as a Resource Person for the Certificate Course/ Advance Certificate Courses on Banking Procedures Related to International Trade.

Further, she was engaged as the Programme Manager to the new Trade Finance Software solution at Bank of Ceylon which has expanded its scope to four implementation Zones namely Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles and Chennai branch locations representing the Business Units.

Mrs. Fernando held the position of Senior Vice President of Trade Finance Association of Bankers (TFAB) for the year 2021/22 and was the president of TFAB for the year 2023/24. Moreover, she holds a life membership of the Association of Professional Bankers of Sri Lanka.

Mrs. Rochelle Fernando has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration specialised in Financial Management from the University of Colombo and she is an Associate member of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka. Further, she has successfully completed the Management Development Programme for the Key Management Personnel conducted by the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Mr. Buddhikka Seelanatha was appointed as the Bank’s Chief Information Officer on 4th September 2023. He counts over 25 years of banking and IT experience across both public and private sector institutions. Demonstrated success in spearheading and implementing digital transformation strategies within organizations, aimed at enhancing overall value by boosting revenue and elevating the customer experience. Proficiency in key domains including application development, data warehousing, and data analytics.

He holds a BSc (Management Information Systems) degree from the National University of Ireland, Dublin. 

Prior to joining Bank of Ceylon as the Chief Information Officer, he has served at Nations Trust Bank in the same capacity. Previously, he held the position of Head of Application Systems at People’s Bank (3.6 years) and as the Senior Manager Application Development & MIS at Nations Trust Bank (15 years)

Mr. Sampath Perera was appointed Deputy General Manager in February 2024, marking a significant milestone in his career at Bank of Ceylon. With over two decades of experience, Mr. Perera has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership skill and strategic acumen across various areas within the bank. 

Having joined the Bank in 2002 as a Management Trainee, Mr. Perera quickly rose through the ranks, showcasing his proficiency in diverse banking functions. His tenure as Assistant General Manager, spanning more than six years, saw him successfully manage key strategic business units, including Western Province North, Western Province South, Offshore Banking Division, and Corporate Relations Division. Under his leadership, these units thrived even in challenging business environments; a testament to his strategic foresight and managerial skill. Notably, Mr. Perera's visionary approach was pivotal in introducing process improvements and strategic procurement initiatives within the Accounting and Tax Division, enhancing operational efficiency and effectiveness. 

Mr. Perera's international exposure includes a 6-month stint as a Trainee Dealer at Bank of Ceylon London in 2007. His contributions were instrumental in establishing the commercial lending operations at Bank of Ceylon (UK) Ltd., where he served as the first Credit Manager (2010-2013) after the branch's conversion into an independent subsidiary. 

Throughout his career, Mr. Perera has been a driving force behind innovation and change management within the Bank. He has spearheaded numerous impactful initiatives and committees aimed at driving strategic transformation and fostering an innovative culture within the organisation. His role as the Chair of several committees appointed by the Corporate Management has provided valuable insights and recommendations to address critical challenges and capitalise on emerging opportunities. 

In addition, to his professional commitments, Mr. Perera serves as a Director of the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA), reflecting his commitment to community development and education.

Mr. Perera holds a B.Sc. (Special) in Business Management from Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, a Master of Business Administration from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), University of Sri Jayawardenepura, and a Diploma in Banking & Finance. He is also an Associate of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka and has completed the Advanced Course in Strategic Management at the PIM.