Mr. Ruwan Manjula Samarakkody
Actg. Chief Risk Officer
Mr. Ruwan Manjula Samarakkody is a senior banking professional with over three decades of distinguished service at the Bank of Ceylon, possessing extensive experience in branch banking, risk management, governance, investigations, and regulatory compliance. He commenced his career at the Bank in 1996 and has since progressed through a wide spectrum of operational, technical, and leadership roles, earning a strong reputation for integrity, analytical rigor, and institutional leadership.
With over ten years of specialized experience in the Risk Management function, Mr. Samarakkody has been instrumental in establishing and strengthening the Bank’s enterprise-wide risk management framework. He played a pivotal role in designing the Bank’s comprehensive risk governance structure, including the development of key risk policies, manuals, and frameworks aligned with regulatory requirements and international best practices. Notably, he led the preparation of the Bank’s ICAAP and stress testing processes since 2013, significantly enhancing capital adequacy assessment, supervisory engagement, and overall risk governance.
As a project leader, he successfully implemented the Integrated Risk Management System (IRMS) and also contributed as a key team member of the Core Banking System implementation project. His expertise further extends to the development of overseas and subsidiary risk management frameworks, risk aggregation methodologies, business continuity planning, and process automation initiatives.
Mr. Samarakkody has also served with distinction in investigative and assurance roles, having led the Bank’s Investigation Unit. In his capacity as Secretary to several key executive committees including the Fraud Risk Management Executive Committee, Corporate Information Security Committee, and Operational Risk Management Executive Committee, he has introduced and overseen critical controls to mitigate financial, operational, and cyber risks. Additionally, he functioned as the Bank’s first Personal Data Protection Officer, spearheading initiatives to align the Bank with statutory personal data protection requirements.
Academically and professionally, Mr. Samarakkody possesses a strong multidisciplinary foundation. He holds an LLB from the University of Colombo, a Master of Arts in Financial Economics from the University of Colombo, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wayamba. He is an Attorney-at-Law and holds several professional qualifications in banking, finance, and risk management, including credentials from the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL), CA Sri Lanka, and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), UK.
