Exciting line-up of speakers set to steer CA Sri Lanka’s 43rd National Conference

An exciting array of speakers of both national and international fame are set to take the stage at the 43rd National Conference of Chartered Accountants as they share their thoughts and ideas with the country’s professional accounting community, including business leaders and c-suite executives, to take charge of transformation and help steer the nation out of the ongoing crisis.

The National Conference organised annually by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) and commanding an inspiring history spanning over four decades, will showcase a plethora of experts, including thought leaders, who will steer through five thought-provoking sessions on the theme ‘transform.’

The three-day event, which will be kicked off with a ceremonial inauguration on 12 October at the Monarch Imperial, Sri Jayewardenepura, will be followed by two days of technical sessions, where the speakers will discuss and deliberate on the key strategic areas that need transformation, as well as the need for everyone, including individuals, professionals, citizens and society to transform, without which Sri Lanka cannot achieve holistic country-wide transformation.

The technical sessions on 13 and 14 October will revolve around the sessions, namely, Transform Self, Transform Society, Transform Corporate, Transform Country and a Fireside Chat. The experts will deliberate as to why Sri Lanka must transform rather than merely change the status quo while also giving an opportunity for the delegates at the conference, who will join physically and virtually, to pose questions and engage in a healthy exchange of ideas.

Sri Lanka is today in desperate need of a holistic transformational change; from people-centric to system-centric, from ad hoc to consistent, from opaque to transparent, from lack of unaccountability to definitive accountability; as well as from loose or frivolous decision making to definitive decision making, and thus, the conference will help set the tone to help achieve this.

Session one on ‘Transform Self’ will be steered by Luminary Learning Solutions Destiny Architect Vidusha Nathavitharana, while session two on ‘Transform Society’ will feature TWC Investment Bank Executive Director/GeneralCounsel and iProbono Equality Director Aritha Wickramasinghe and Good Life X Ltd. Founder/CEO Randhula de Silva.

The third session on ‘Transform Corporate’ will bring together two well-known corporate leaders, Aitken Spence PLC Deputy Chairman and Managing Director (Group CEO) Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake and Global Rubber Industries Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mahesha Ranasoma who will share their insights with the delegates.

 The fourth session on ‘Transform Country’ will comprise an exciting array of speakers who will present their vision as to what Sri Lanka must do to overcome the current challenges it faces as a country.

The fourth session will kick off with a presentation by Sri Lanka Central Bank Former Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy who will speak on ‘Consistent Macro Economic Policy Framework’, followed by Nithya Partners President’s Counsel Chanaka de Silva who will speak on ‘Governance & Accountability’ and Centre for a Smart Future Co-Found and Economist Anushka Wijesinha, who will deliver a speech on ‘Tapping into Global Value Chains.’

Shippers’ Academy International Founder Rohan Masakorala will centre his speech on the ‘Services & Logistics Sector’, while LIRNEasia Chair Prof. Rohan Samarajiva will focus on the ‘Transformation of SOEs,’ and Colombo Young Men’s Buddhist Association President Mahendra Jayasekera will speak on ‘Stakeholder Engagement.’

The fourth session will come to an end with two more enlightening presentations on ‘Accelerating Innovation Eco System’ by Enterprise Machine Learning Ltd CEO Dr. Romesh Ranawana and University of Moratuwa Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies Senior Professor of Chemical and Process Engineering Prof. Ajith de Alwis and National Innovation Agency Acting Chief Innovation Officer.

The conference will conclude following a fireside chat focusing on the expansion of Sri Lanka’s export base by linking up with Global Manufacturing Value Chains (GMVC), attracting more Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and how the country can leverage the logistics sector to maximising its advantage, especially due to its strategic location in the Indian Ocean.

The fireside chat will feature several session speakers as well as COPE former Chairman and former MP Sunil Handunnetti, Advisor on Treasury Affairs to the President of Sri Lanka and Colombo Port City Economic Commission Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody while the session will be moderated by LAUGFS Holdings Group Finance Director Channa Gunasekera.