Appointments & Executive Moves
View all(13)📈 Ajith Medis Appointed CEO of SMB Finance PLC
• Appointment Details: Lansage Ajith Prasanna Medis has assumed duties as the Chief Executive Officer of SMB Finance PLC, effective October 16, 2026. According to market filings, he currently holds no shares in the company. • Leadership & Background: Professor Medis brings extensive cross-sector experience spanning academia, financial services, and corporate strategy, having previously held senior leadership roles including CEO of PMF Finance PLC and Director of Alliance Finance PLC. • Expertise: His professional background includes executing turnaround strategies for financial institutions, optimizing corporate financial performance, and providing consultancy services to over 30 local and international finance companies. • Academic Qualifications: He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Special Honors) from the University of Kelaniya, an MBA from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a PhD in Strategy from Management and Science University (Malaysia), alongside professional qualifications from the UK and Australia.
Andre Fernando Appointed to EDB Trade Logistics Advisory Committee 📦
• Key Appointment: Andre Fernando, Group Chairman of MAC Holdings and Chairman of SLFFA, has been appointed to the EDB Trade Logistics and Hub Operations Advisory Committee, effective 2 August 2026. • Strategic Role: The committee will drive export growth by supporting activities under the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) and advising the EDB on policy formulation and EDB Act implementation. • National Impact: The move leverages private-sector expertise to enhance Sri Lanka's export competitiveness, trade facilitation, and overall capacity in logistics & hub operations.
📈 SDB Bank Appoints Banking Veteran Manoj Akmeemana as New CEO
SDB bank has announced the appointment of Manoj Akmeemana as its Chief Executive Officer to drive strategic business expansion, digital transformation, and growth in the micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sector across Sri Lanka. • Leadership & Background: • Over 35 years of financial sector experience spanning corporate, SME, and retail banking, strategy, and risk management. • Former Senior Deputy General Manager at Sampath Bank PLC, with experience in credit control, corporate finance, recoveries, and branch operations. • International experience as Head of Authorisation at the Commercial Bank of Qatar. • Strategic Focus: • Expertise in corporate lending, renewable energy financing, and financial inclusion at the bottom of the economic pyramid. • Positioned to support SDB bank's commitment to sustainable development, customer-focused innovation, and nationwide economic progress.
📈 Wealth Trust Securities Appoints Vindhya Jayasekera as Deputy CEO
Wealth Trust Securities PLC has appointed seasoned capital markets leader Vindhya Jayasekera as its new Deputy Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 October 2026. • Executive Profile & Experience: - Over 20 years of experience across investment banking, asset management, and financial market development in Sri Lanka. - Former CEO-Designate of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), contributing to debt market enhancements and new product initiatives across CSE, CDS, and CSE Clear. - Served nearly 15 years at NDB Wealth Management as Chief Investment Officer, directing strategy for over Rs. 380 Bn in assets under management (AUM). - Early career experience at NDB Investment Bank, key involvement in major CSE IPOs, and a stint at Lehman Brothers in New York. • Advisory & Qualifications: - Former consultant to the World Bank Group and Wealth Trust Securities PLC has appointed Vindhya Jayasekera as its Deputy Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 October 2026. • Executive Background: Jayasekera brings over two decades of expertise in capital markets, investment banking, and asset management. • Key Prior Roles: • Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE): Served as CEO-Designate across CSE, Central Depository Systems, and CSE Clear, focusing on debt market enhancements and new product development. • NDB Wealth Management: Spent nearly 15 years as Chief Investment Officer, overseeing fixed-income and equity portfolios exceeding Rs. 380 Bn in assets under management. • NDB Investment Bank: Advised on major IPOs, securitisations, and private placements. • International & Advisory: Experience includes Lehman Brothers (New York), World Bank Group consultancy, and member of the 2022 Presidential Taskforce for Protecting Minority Investors. • Qualifications: CFA Charterholder, Financial Risk Manager (FRM), ACMA/CGMA, Fulbright Scholar (MSc in Finance, Univ. of Illinois), and First-Class Civil Engineering graduate (Univ. of Moratuwa). The leadership addition strengthens Wealth Trust Securities' strategic positioning in Sri Lanka's financial services and capital markets sector.
📈 SLAITO President Calls for Policy Role and Industry Level Playing Field
• Key Highlights & Sector Impact: Newly elected Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) President Bobby Jordan Hansen highlighted that 95% of members are SMEs. She urged a formal role in shaping national tourism policy, emphasizing that inbound tour operators act as a vital bridge for foreign exchange and global market links. • Macro Context & Earnings: Sri Lanka welcomed over 2.36 Mn tourists in 2025, generating approximately US$ 3.20 Bn in tourism earnings, underscoring the sector's critical role in national economic recovery and employment. • Informal Economy & Formalisation: Called for a level playing field by bringing unregistered businesses into the formal economy via compliance and fair regulation, rather than punitive measures, to broaden the tax base and safeguard service standards. • Marketing & Workforce Challenges: Urged targeted, experience-specific marketing to convert global interest into actual bookings instead of over-relying on influencers. Highlighted worker migration risks to hospitality service standards, advocating for enhanced training and youth career pathways.
📈 SLIC General Appoints Asiri Wickramarachchi as Acting CEO
• Appointment Details: Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation General Limited (SLIC General) has appointed Mr. Asiri Wickramarachchi, FCII (UK), Chartered Insurer, as Acting Chief Executive Officer, effective 21 September 2026. • Executive Background: Brings over 19 years of insurance experience across local and multinational insurers in underwriting, claims, reinsurance, and technical operations. He previously served as Chief Officer – General Insurance at SLIC General. • Qualifications: Holds a Fellowship (FCII) from the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), UK—the highest professional qualification in insurance. Achieved ACII and Chartered Insurer status in 2011 and won the Most Outstanding Student Award at the 2012 Insurance Congress in Colombo. • Strategic Direction: The appointment supports SLIC General’s focus on customer experience, service excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth within the national insurance sector. • Company Profile: SLIC General is Sri Lanka’s No. 1 general insurer, holding a Fitch A+ rating and an extensive islandwide presence offering motor, property, marine, medical, and personal accident insurance solutions.
📈 Planters’ Association 172nd AGM: New Leadership Proposes 5-Point Plan for Sector Revival
At the 172nd AGM of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PAC), newly appointed Chairman Shanaka Samaradiwakara outlined a five-point vision focusing on value addition, R&D, land-use/productivity, irrigation, and security of tenure to revive Sri Lanka's commercial agriculture. • Sector Overview & Financials: • Total agricultural exports grew from US$ 2.8 Bn in 2024 to US$ 3.1 Bn in 2025. • Value-added tea accounted for over 50% of total tea export volumes in 2025, driven mainly by Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs). • RPCs manage ~154,000 hectares (tea, rubber, oil palm, coconut), growing their capital base from Rs. 8 Bn (1995) to Rs. 108 Bn, with Rs. 290 Bn invested in replanting and modernization. • 5-Point Vision & Key Priorities: • Value Addition: Protect local high-value segments (matcha, green tea, artisanal tea) from unsold auction stock and competing imports. • Research & Development: Develop practical alternatives for crop protection and urgently address diseases impacting the rubber sector. • Land-Use & Protection: Safeguard diversified crop investments (oil palm, pepper, avocado) against unsupportive policies, crop theft, and wild animal damage. • Irrigation: Relax restrictions on groundwater use and tube well drilling to build climate resilience. • Tenure Security: Extend lease clarity to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and long-term financing for replanting. • Industry Challenges: • Estate workforce reduced to ~88,500 workers (10% of resident estate population), necessitating productivity-linked wage models alongside challenges like rising input costs and climate impact.
📈 Sri Lanka Insurance Life Appoints Dr. Sameera Dharmasena as New CEO
• Leadership Transition: Sri Lanka Insurance Life (SLIC Life) has appointed Dr. Sameera Dharmasena as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 22 September 2026. • Industry Experience: Dr. Dharmasena brings over 21 years of experience in the Sri Lankan insurance sector, having held senior leadership roles across local and multinational firms, including his most recent role as CEO of Sri Lanka Insurance General Ltd. • Professional & Academic Background: • Former President of the Sri Lanka Insurance Institute. • Holds a PhD in Business Management, an MBA, an LLB, and a BSc (Hons). • Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute (FCII), UK, and Associate of the Insurance Institute of India (AIII). • Strategic Focus: His appointment comes at a key stage in SLIC Life’s growth and transformation within Sri Lanka's financial services sector.
Sri Lanka Appoints Three New High Court Judges ⚖️
• Judicial Sector updates: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has officially appointed three new High Court Judges during a ceremony at the President’s Office. • New Appointees: • Perumal Sivakumar: Special Grade Officer, previously serving as District Judge of Jaffna. • Anandi Kanagaratnam: Special Grade Officer, previously Senior Assistant Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission. • Gnanesa Lalith Kannangara: Special Grade Officer, previously District Judge of Colombo. • Court of Appeal Recommendations: Recommendations to elevate High Court Judges Navaratne Marasinghe and Manjula Thilakaratne to the Court of Appeal have been submitted to the Constitutional Council for approval.
📈 Warren Buffett Steps Down as Berkshire Chairman; Howard Buffett Takes Over
• Executive Leadership Transition: Warren Buffett (96) has officially stepped down as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, taking on the honorary role of Chairman Emeritus while remaining a director. His son, Howard Buffett (71), steps in as Non-Executive Chairman to safeguard company culture. CEO Greg Abel continues managing overall operations. • Corporate Legacy & Valuation: Under Buffett, Berkshire transformed from a failing New England textile firm into a US$ 1.1 Tn conglomerate. Berkshire ended June 2026 with US$ 364.7 Bn in cash, though stock performance lagged the S&P 500 by ~11% in 2026. • Global Market Context: While the news focuses on global markets rather than direct local economic indicators, the transition impacts broad institutional sentiment across global value investing and international stock markets.
350 Health Service Assistants Appointed in Northern Province 🏥
• Overall Appointments: The Government issued appointment letters to 350 newly recruited Health Service Assistants to strengthen regional public healthcare operations. • Regional Breakdown: The ceremony took place in Jaffna under the patronage of Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa and Northern Province Governor Nagalingam Vethanayahan. • Sector Impact: Expanding public workforce capabilities directly supports national healthcare capacity, aiding regional institutional development, social welfare, and service delivery across Northern Province medical facilities.
🤝 David Myers Assumes Duties as US Deputy Chief of Mission in Sri Lanka
• Diplomatic Appointment: David Myers officially assumed duties as the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the US Embassy in Sri Lanka this September, joining Ambassador Eric Meyer to advance US–Sri Lanka bilateral and economic partnerships. • Professional Background: Myers brings diplomatic experience from prior assignments in China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Russia, and North Macedonia. • Legal & Regulatory Expertise: Prior to joining the US Department of State, Myers specialized in antitrust law, serving at the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and various private firms.